Probably, as he prepares himself to earn his rightful place, Jaron Ennis is finally learning that the road to boxing legacy isn’t an easy one. With dreams of becoming the welterweight division’s next undisputed champion, the Philly boxer seems to have hit the first roadblock. The fight with Brian Norman Jr. has apparently run into a stalemate. Dissatisfied with the fight purse on offer, the newly crowned WBO champion and his team reportedly submitted yet another proposal.

It didn’t take much time before Jaron Ennis called out Brian Norman Jr. to reconsider. The fight is crucial to both champions. There are other champions in the weight class. It makes sense to tackle the most formidable opponent first. Ennis, who turned 27 two months ago, defeated David Avanesyan on July 13. The unanimous victory in Philadelphia was the inaugural title defense since he became IBF’s ‘full champion’ last year. Brian Norman Jr., on the other hand, knocked out Giovani Santillan on the Emanuel Navarrete–Denys Berinchyk card on May 18. Like Ennis before him, he too became a ‘full champion’ when Terence Crawford vacated the list of his unified championships.

Jaron Ennis: Enough talk; time for action.

Urging him to sign the ‘dotted line’, ‘Boots’ Ennis called out Norman Jr.: “Make this fight happen. I want the fight. Let’s make it happen. Let’s make it happen right now.” Speaking with YSM Sports Media, Ennis shared how he and his team are trying their level best to get the match rolling.

Given the rumors going on that the two camps had almost reached an agreement, the reporters checked whether fans could expect a formal announcement. ‘Boot’s revealed that his promotions team had sent one more offer, basically three in total. But ‘The Assassin II’s side appears to be insistent on doubling what was presented.

It clearly left Jaron Ennis puzzled. “I don’t know if they’re looking for a retirement check or what,” he asked. ‘Boots’ further stated his goals explaining that he is in the game for legacy. He added, “I’m here to be undisputed; you know I’m taking over this weight division.” Hence he told Norman Jr. to sign the agreement instead of wasting time by putting on interviews on social media.

Subsequently, the Philadelphia native questioned Brian Norman Jr. over a comment he made. ‘Boot’ Ennis took up Norman Jr.’s contention that he is not even a top-tier boxer. If that being the case, he was curious to know why Norman Jr. would not accept a fight offer from a boxer who is not even up to the mark.

The perspectives in play

Speaking with the media, Brian Norman Sr. revealed that the last offer they received amounted to $1.7 million. So reportedly he has sought an additional $500,000, thus taking the overall offer to $2.2 million. The latest update follows his earlier comments, where he suggested that the first offer was ‘less than a third’ of what ‘Boots’ Ennis made from the David Avanesyan fight.

Then, on the other hand, Ennis’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, contended that the first offer made to Brian Norman Jr.’s team was above $1 million. Given the latter didn’t agree to it, the Matchroom side made two more attempts. According to Hearn, each time they had added ‘quarter-of-a-million’ to the previous offer. However, the inconsistency on the part of the WBO champion side seemingly miffed the Englishman. He wanted to know whether Norman Jr. was genuinely keen on pursuing a fight or was it mere ‘clout chasing’.

What could happen if the fight with Brian Norman Jr. doesn’t materialize? Well, ‘Boot’s Ennis could always revert back to other champions, Mario Barrios and Eimantas Stanionis for title unification. Successive wins would make him a big PPV attraction.

Nevertheless, he will have to knock at Norman Jr.’s door for that undisputed legacy. But who knows, by that he would be a big enough star that even ‘The Assassin II’ would be compelled to enter the ring to sustain his legacy. But of course, all this could change if Ennis decides to move up a division to chase that golden fight with ‘Bud’ Crawford.

What is your view on the Ennis-Norman Jr. fight offer dispute? Do you feel both sides should finally be a mutually agreeable figure and make the fight fans are so eagerly anticipating?