By Dan Ambrose: Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis says if he can’t get a title shot in May or June when he returns to the ring, he wants either Roiman Villa or Rashidi Ellis for the defense of his newly won IBF welterweight belt.
Ennis (30-0, 27 KOs) is coming off a one-sided 12 round unanimous decision win over Karen Chukhadzhian on January 7th.
That fight was a continuation of Ennis, 26, being held back in a holding pattern status, waiting for the 147-lb champions Errol Spence Jr & Terence Crawford to fight or face him.
With neither of those things happening, Ennis is being made to wait, and he’s getting tired of it.
In 2023, it’s hoped that the sanctioning bodies will put Spence & Crawford’s feet to the fire, forcing them to either fight either other, face Ennis or vacate the belts.
Ennis motivated by criticism
“I love it, keep talking. It ain’t doing nothing but motivating me,” said Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis to Fighthype about the people that have been talking about him. “It’s making it worse on my next opponent. I’m glad. For me, it doesn’t matter what I do. They’re going to have something to say about it.
“First, it was ‘he won’t go past six rounds. We don’t know if he has a chin.’ Now, it’s I can’t cut the ring off. It’s a whole bunch of things. Y’all don’t know what you want. Y’all got to make your mind up, but I feel good, though.
“It felt good to get the rounds in. I could have done twelve more. It was easy to stand up the whole time. I went right through it,” said ‘Boots’ Ennis about his January 7th fight against Karen Chukhadzhian at the Capitol One Arena in Washington, D.C. “I felt great. I could have done some more work for sure.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwfnHUSkBSg
It’s important that Ennis’ next opponent isn’t a runner like what he just dealt with because that puts him in a situation where he has no chance of looking good.
In the best possible world, Crawford or Spence would finally agree to face Ennis, and let him prove if he’s the real deal or not. Will that happen? It’s doubtful, unfortunately.
Spence & Crawford are playing it safe, not wanting to risk their positions and money-making ability by letting a young lion like Boots Ennis beat them.
Boots Ennis fighting in May or June
“I’ll probably get back in the ring by May or June. I’m trying to get three fights in this year, so May or June is cool for me to get back in the ring. Nah, no names. Just waiting, trying to see what’s going on,” said Ennis when asked if there was a possible opponent yet.
“Terence [Crawford] or Errol Spence,” said Ennis about who he wants to fight if it were up to him. “It’s a good fight, but I think Errol may stop him in the late rounds,” said Jaron when asked who wins between IBF, WBA & WBC welterweight champion Spence and Keith Thurman in their expected fight in April.
“Thurman isn’t bad or nothing. He can still fight and can move. It ain’t going to be easy, but I think the pressure [will get to Thurman]. I think he’s [Thurman] durable, but I think Errol may possibly get him, but who knows? It’s boxing; anything can happen.
“That’s a good fight. Ryan [Garcia] is tall and lanky. Tank has got to get in like Mike Tyson,” said ‘Boots’ Ennis when asked his view on the April 15th fight between Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis and Ryan Garcia. “I think Tank is going to get him out of there.
“That’s a crazy fight. I rock with both of them. I like Caleb Plant and I like David Benavidez. That’s definitely a great fight. That’s a 50-50 fight,” said Ennis about the March 25th match between WBC interim super middleweight champion David Benavidez and former IBF 168-lb champion Caleb Plant.
“May the best man win? You don’t know,” said Boots about who will win the Plant vs. Benavidez fight. “Whoever has the best training camp, and whoever stays focused and not go in there as a madman. If you’re a madman, you’re going to get hurt. You got to be doing things that you’re supposed to be doing.
“I feel like whoever is the smartest man that night and in the best shape, that’s going to be the one that wins.
Jaron wants to stay active in 2023
“For me, I really don’t care who it is. I just want to stay active, stay busy and stay in the ring and stay sharp,” said Boots Ennis when asked who he wants to fight next in May. “Either one of them, it don’t matter,” Ennis said about his potential next opponents Rashidi Ellis & Roiman Villa.
“If can’t get the champions, then either one of them. It doesn’t matter who it is. I just want to stay active and stay fighting,” said Ennis.