Just before Jaron Ennis hit Philly against David Avanesyan, Keith Idec captured the IBF welterweight title.
JARON ENNIS he was considering packing the Wells Fargo Center for one of his fights when he attended a Philadelphia 76ers game there on March 1 so he could practice ringing the Liberty Bell statue on the home court of his hometown NBA team.
Ennis, then embroiled in a lawsuit with his late promoter's widow, didn't realize that he would get that long-desired opportunity just four months later. The undefeated IBF welterweight champion expects to at least box in front of a capacity crowd at the Wells Fargo Center on Saturday night, when Ennis is scheduled to face Russian David Avanesyan, who trains out of Newark, England. (Ennis defeated Avanesyan in five rounds).
Ennis, 27, who grew up 20 miles north of the Wells Fargo Center in the Germantown section of northwest Philadelphia, will fight in his hometown for the first time since the talented striker nicknamed 'The Boots' knocked out Raymond Serrano. second round of their November 2018 game at the nearby 2300 Arena. Ennis will also end a 53-week layoff against Avanesyan, who is best known to boxing fans for his sixth-round knockout loss to Terence Crawford in December 2022.
“I'm definitely happy to be back in the ring,” Ennis told Boxing News. “It's been a good, long year. You know, back then, I was just prepared, always ready, always patient, perfecting my craft. And it's a blessing to be able to fight at the Wells Fargo Center. I've been waiting for you all my life. … I am grateful to be placed in this position. I'm making history in Philadelphia.”
Just as Ennis' long-awaited return represents a reunion of sorts with thousands of his Philadelphia faithful, it's also an opportunity to raise Ennis' profile far beyond the United States.
Ennis signed a multi-fight deal with Matchroom Boxing three months ago. His new partnership with Matchroom means Ennis (31-0, 28 KOs, 1 NC) will make his DAZN debut against Avanesyan (30-4-1, 18 KOs). The Ennis-Avanesyan headlined card will begin broadcasting at 1am BST in the UK.
Ennis' addition marked Matchroom's most significant signing of an American-born boxer since the Eddie Hearn-owned promotion launched Matchroom Boxing USA six years ago. The often hyperbolic Hearn was more successful in praising the dynamic, explosive Ennis, who Hearn predicted would become the undisputed champion in many divisions.
“Everybody in boxing knows about this guy,” Hearn said recently. “Now it's time to tell the world. He is talking about pure crystals. He talks about people like Crawford and Spence. What am I talking about? [‘Sugar Ray’] Leonard. I'm just talking about how cute this kid can be. He will shine in Philadelphia. He will light up American boxing. He's going to light up US boxing, world boxing. He has it all – the ability to beat everyone. He's stylish, he's fast, he's powerful. If you spell greatness, it's Ennis. And it's time to put him to the test. This boy, I tell you, is the future of the game.”
Each of Ennis' past 12 fights was televised by Showtime live on that premium cable network or during a Showtime-distributed pay-per-view. Derek 'Bozy' Ennis – Jaron's father, manager and trainer – and his son were determined to continue competing on cards created by Premier Boxing Champions founder Al Haymon after Cameron Dunkin, Ennis' long-time promoter, died in January 2 because of the long war. and cancer.
Ennis was not officially affiliated with the PBC and therefore was not properly prioritized by Haymon. Showtime had a multi-fight deal with Ennis, who was paid more than $1 million in purses for each of his last five fights with the network.
Paramount Global, Showtime's parent company, ended its Showtime Sports division at the end of 2023, ending the network's 36-year run in boxing and further complicating Ennis' involvement with the PBC. Ennis' management directly dealt with Stephen Espinoza, Showtime's former president of sports and event programming.
Espinoza tried to keep Ennis affiliated with PBC after Showtime pulled out of the boxing business, but Haymon's first three cards since partnering with Amazon's Prime Video have all been pay-per-views. Haymon doesn't have a pay-per-view event scene, eliminating Ennis' chances to headline those types of cards.
Ennis eventually sued NOW Boxing Promotions for breach of contract, reportedly because he was concerned that Dunkin's widow, Kellie Dunkin, could not adequately supervise his career due to her lack of experience in the boxing business. NOW and Ennis agreed to an undisclosed deal in March, enabling Ennis to shop his services to top sports promoters.
Ennis hoped to box interim WBC champion Mario Barrios on PBC pay-per-view cards in March and then June. The Barrios fight failed to materialize, however, and Ennis ended the frustrating guessing game by signing with Matchroom.
“I feel like I have to stay busy,” said Ennis, “to stay in the ring, to fight, to stay sharp, to be able to collect more of these belts.” That's what's important to me now.”
Optimist Ennis expects to fight for a second time in 2024, assuming the 20-1 favorite beats Avanesyan and leaves the ring healthy. While he wants to fight Barrios (29-2, 18 KOs) or WBA champion Eimantas Stanionis (15-0, 9 KOs, 1 NC) as soon as possible, the humble, mature Ennis is too focused to ignore Avanesyan , himself. former WBA second 147-pound champion.
“David Avanesyan is a good fighter,” Ennis said. “He has almost the same fights as my last opponent, Roiman Villa. He's not that big and I don't think he put that much pressure on you. But you are putting pressure on it [on opponents]. I think he will apply pressure [on me]. He certainly doesn't shake his head too much. He'll be right there in front of me, and he knows how those battles end.”
90 percent of Ennis' fights have ended by knockout or knockout since she debuted as a champion in April 2016. Ukraine's Karen Chukhadzian (24-2, 13 KOs), Ennis stopped on all three cards to win IBF interim welterweight title. in January 2023, the only opponent to take Ennis the distance since March 2017.
Avanesyan, 35, replaced Canadian Cody Crowley who replaced Ennis earlier last month. Crowley is the mandatory IBF challenger for Ennis' belt, but he failed a pre-fight eye test and was not approved for a license.
Jaron Ennis and Cody Crowley pose after the press conference announcing their upcoming fight (Andrew Maclean/Matchroom)
“I think David Avanesyan is the better fighter, but I think Cody Crowley is tough,” said Ennis, who knocked out Venezuela's Villa (26-2, 24 KOs) in 10 bouts.th last July 8 at the Adrian Phillips Theater at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. “I feel like David Avanesyan fought better competition, but Cody Crowley is a solid welterweight.”
Ennis isn't expecting the longest layoff of his eight-year professional career to throw off his Saturday night schedule. Ring rust won't be a factor, according to Ennis, because he's staying in the gym to prepare for the title defense he thought would happen a year before his impressive victory over Villa.
However, Ennis has not given up on the former welterweight champions – Crawford and Errol Spence Jr – before they announced their plans to move up to the 154-pound division. Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs), who will take on Uzbekistan's Israil Madrimov (10-0-1, 7 KOs) in the 154-pound championship match Aug. 3 at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, released Ennis as a potential contender behind Crawford. beat Spence (28-1, 22 KOs) to become boxing's first full-time unified welterweight champion of the four-belt era last July 29 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Terence Crawford stops Errol Spence in July (Getty Images)
“I don't think those guys are gone,” Ennis said of Crawford and Spence. “The only thing is that they move up to another weight class. And I feel like I'll be in that weight class soon, so it's no shame. I feel like my time is coming. I will be able to fight with these top guys soon.”
Ennis hasn't given up on his plan to challenge one of the most respected players of his time, too, in what could be one of the most exciting fights the sport has to offer. Rival Vergil Ortiz Jr has recorded two first-round knockouts in 2024 and appears to have overcome the issues that caused Ortiz's three fights to be postponed, including his two-shot welterweight title loss to Stanionis.
Ortiz (21-0, 21 KOs), from Grand Prairie, Texas, is scheduled to face Serhii Bohachuk (24-1, 23 KOs) for the interim WBC super welterweight title in Mandalay Bay on August 10 at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. .
“I think everything should be good,” Ennis said. “[Ortiz] he made weight the last few times. I think you will be fine. I think that fight will happen in the future.”
Ennis is totally focused on the younger antagonists at the moment, literally and figuratively. He's also excited to have Hearn on his team to handle all the heavy lifting from a promotional standpoint.
“I love the way Eddie moves fighters and handles his fighters,” Ennis said. “They have a program every week, so I want to stay busy, stay busy. And I love what Eddie does for his fighters. When Eddie comes after you, he's behind you. He does everything I say and all I have to do is fight. … It's amazing. He does everything I say, and I say it in the ring. I like it that way.”
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