Coach Kenny Ellis seems to have that uncanny knack for finding a door when one gets shut. He might be busy securing the next fight with his star student Gervonta Davis. But his hectic schedule couldn’t prevent Ellis from jumping into the fray and suggesting a new matchup as he saw a much-anticipated fight falling apart. Yes, we are talking about the in-controversy Jaron Ennis and Brian Norman Jr. unification clash. Fans had been eagerly anticipating if the two newly promoted champions in the 147-pound weight class could enter the ring together.

However, per recent developments, the chances of such a fortunate matchup appear very bleak. Disagreement over the fight purse seems to have become a bone of contention between the two camps. Each seemingly holds the other responsible for the stalled negotiations. Given the circumstances, it is natural to consider alternative options. After mulling over deeply, Kenny Ellis came up with a solution.

‘Major’ marches in

@dantheboxing shared a screengrab of Kenny Ellis’ Instagram Story. The boxing commentator wrote, “Coach Kenny Ellis has an opponent in mind for Brian Norman Jr. since the Boots fight isn’t happening.” So Ellis mentioned if the fight between Brian Norman Jr. and Jaron Ennis failed to materialize, then could there be a chance for Norman Jr. to match up against Jalil Hackett?

Dan the boxing man shared a Boxrec snapshot of both the young boxers with their records: Norman Jr., all 26 wins, and Hackett, 9-0, were featured. If the snippets might be of interest to anyone, Jalil ‘Major’ Hackett fought on the card of the protagonist in question, Jaron Ennis on July 13. Currently standing fifteenth in the WBA’s rankings, the 21-year-old has been steadfastly making his presence felt among other prospects.

The renowned teacher is famous for putting together some of the best-imagined lineups on Instagram posts. It includes one between Hector Camacho and Teofimo Lopez, or, for that matter, Oleksandr Usyk and Jerry Quarry. But the fact remains, alongside Gervonta Davis, Kenny Ellis has been on the corner of Jalil Hackett also for some time. So his suggestion could fall on the serious side of the spectrum.

Per the latest available reports, Brian Norman Jr. and his team reportedly insisted on a $2.2 million offer to get onboard the title unification fight with Jaron Ennis. The update comes after Matchroom Boxing, who represent Ennis, reached out to them three times.

New equations in the fray

Latest reports suggest that Brian Norman Jr. might face WBO’s seventh-seeded contender, Derrieck Cuevas. The fight could take place on the Keyshawn Davis and Gustavo Lemos card on November 8. So it would also mean that ‘Boots’ Ennis might proceed with the rematch against IBF’s top contender, Karen Chukhadzhian. The two met last January for the vacant IBF interim title.

It’s been three years since Jalil Hackett started boxing professionally. The Washington, D.C. resident remains unbeaten, and nearly 78% of his win came through early stoppages. After a five-match knockout run, Peter Dobson finally managed to walk the ‘Major’ the whole distance. Outside of the developments that have been taking place, the arguments for the matchup do carry some weight. Both the boxers match each other in terms of youth and physicality. They both follow an aggressive style that could make the fight quite intriguing.

Do you agree with Kenny Ellis’ recommendation of the Norman Jr.-‘Major’ Hackett matchup?