By Chris Williams: Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis says Errol Spence Jr’s IBF welterweight bel is “going to come home soon.” With Boots Ennis coming for Spence’s IBF belt, he will have to fight him or give up the belt.
To be sure, it will look bad for Spence if he vacates the belt rather than fighting Ennis, but it sure sounds like that’s the direction he’s going to take.
Boots’ team has already petitioned the IBF for them to order Spence to defend against him next, and we could hear something back from them soon on that.
That IBF title has got to feel like a hot potato right now for Spence because it will burn him if he’s forced to fight his IBF mandatory Ennis.
Boots (29-0, 27 KOs) says he wants to take the IBF 147-lb belt from the unbeaten Spence (28-0, 22 KOs), and he’s hoping he gets a chance to fight him before he moves up to 154.
Spence is talking about going up in weight after Terence Crawford bailed on the talks for an undisputed clash at welterweight.
Errol doesn’t want to stick around because it’s hard for him to make weight for the 147-lb limit, and he’s going to have to defend against Boots.
“We need it, we want it, and we’re going to take it,” said Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis to YSM Sports Media about Errol Spence Jr’s IBF 147-lb title. “You know, that IBF belt is going to come home soon, whether they like it or not.
“It doesn’t matter who it is. I would love to fight Errol Spence. He’s a great name, a great fighter. Who doesn’t want to be great against a fighter like that and take his belt and show the world? He’s really the real deal.
“That’s what I want to do. Take the belt from him, but if he vacates the belt and I have to fight somebody else, it doesn’t really matter. I just want to get my shot and get the world title. Collect all the belts and then move to 154.
“It ain’t no low risk, high reward. I feel like they’re using that as an excuse. The money is there; everything is there. I feel like the low risk, high reward for an excuse.
“In my next performance, you can expect me to do my thing as always. The things I’ve been working on, I’ve been working on a lot of defense, sharpening up. They’re going to see some when the time comes.
“I don’t consider it a duck, but the media and the Internet might consider it a duck,” said Boots Ennis when asked if he’ll see Spence as ducking him if he never gets a shot at him while he holds the IBF title.
“Either way, it doesn’t really matter to me. I just want to be great and be a world champion and take over the boxing game and the welterweight division and do it next week.
“It doesn’t matter t me who they put in front of me. It can be a brick wall. I’m going to knock it out, knock it down,” said Ennis.
