By Allan Fox: Coach Kenny Porter says Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis is “unbeatable” at age 25, but he’d like to see him get a few more fights before he takes on Errol Spence Jr & Terence Crawford.
Ennis (29-0, 27 KOs) might not get a few more fights before he challenges Errol Spence Jr for his IBF welterweight title if he doesn’t vacate it and flee to the junior middleweight division to play it safe.
Tonight, ‘Boots’ Ennis is fighting for the vacant interim IBF 147-lb title against Karen Chukhadzhian (21-1, 11 KOs) on the Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis vs. Hector Luis Garcia card on Showtime PPV at the Capitol One Arena in Washington, D.C.
If ‘Boots’ Ennis wins the IBF interim title, Spence will have 120 days to face him or be stripped of his title by the International Boxing Federation after his next fight in April.
To date, Spence hasn’t said that he will take that fight with Ennis, which suggests that he’s going to vacate his IBF belt and head for the hills, moving up to 154, where he won’t need to worry about him.
“He’s a dynamic fighter. His abilities to me, I see between his dad, Bozy, and his brothers, Farrah & Pooh, Ennis, to me, is a combination of all three of those guys,” said Kenny Porter to K.O. Artist Sports about Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis.
“I still think Boots needs a few more fights to get to that level, but he’s right there at that level,” said Porter when asked how Jaron Ennis does against Terence Crawford & Errol Spence Jr.
“I can see him getting that victory [against Crawford]. That’s a tougher fight for him,” said Kenny about Spence being a more difficult fight for Boots Ennis. “That’s a bigger man on fight night, a much different style in terms of strength and in terms of size differential.
“Errol presents much more of a problem than Terence does. That one, I’m on the fence with that one. If they were fighting today, I’d say Errol [beats Boots Ennis]. They’re not fighting today.
“Shawn fought on cards with Farrah, a very talented fighter and extremely skillful defensively. I’ve watched his brother, Pooh, an offensive-minded fighter. He was very fast, quick, reflexes, and impeccable, and then the dad actually worked corners with me with Shawn early on in Shawn’s career.
“So his mind is borderline genius, and taking from those two guys and combining it and putting it in this son [Boots Ennis], being better than him, better than both of the other brothers, it’s phenomenal.
“The kid is really, really great, and his lineage. He was born and raised on this. Like you get up in the morning and have cereal, that’s what he sat there with. His dad, and his brothers, they’re his team. They’re in his corner. So, yeah, he’s got a great thing going on,” said Porter.