Jaron Ennis’ Title Unification Plans in Doldrums as Brian Norman’s Team Appear ‘Either Deluded or Just Using Boots Name’ According to Eddie Hearn

About a month after he’d expressed an eagerness to face anyone, including Terence Crawford, it seems Jaron Ennis‘ plans for welterweight title unification might be off for a cold start. Given that Crawford has moved up a division and become a champion, the options left for the ‘Boots remained Mario Barrios, Eimantas Stanionis, and the newly elevated Brian Norman Jr.

The last few days saw Eddie Hearn sharing updates on having reached Norman Jr.’s team with a fight offer. Unfortunately, it seems to have hit a wall. Jaron Ennis defeated David Avanesyan on July 13 during his first title defense since he became a full IBF welterweight champion last year. Brian Norman Jr., on the other hand, knocked out Giovani Santillan in a thriller on May 18, securing him the WBO’s interim title. Like Ennis before him, he also became a full champion following Terence Crawford vacating the welterweight title.

Eddie Hearn: Take One, Two, Three…

Actually, the latest plot met with a twist when Hearn called out longtime charge and friend Anthony Joshua. The former heavyweight champion is preparing for next month’s blockbuster clash against Daniel Dubois. One of the followers asked randomly if the Matchroom boss could send an offer for a Brian Norman Jr. versus Jaron Ennis bout.

The Englishman promptly responded, “We’ve sent 3 already. The team are either deluded or just using Boots name. Interviews dropping soon; hopefully they are more serious than their negotiations suggest.” Speaking with reporters, Edie Hearn expressed his frustration over some of the observations made by Norman Jr.’s father.

In a short clip shared by FightHype on YouTube, Brian Norman Sr. revealed, “The first offer was a third, which was less than a third of what ‘Boots’ made for David Avanesyan.” But Eddie Hearn differed. During a conversation with reporters, he shared that the whole situation was ‘frustrating’. So according to him, the first offer his team presented valued over $1 million.

However, upon Team Brian Norman Jr. finding it dissatisfactory, he revealed that they went with two additional offers. According to Hearn, each time it was a ‘quarter of a million’ more than what was offered earlier. According to the Matchroom honcho, Norman Jr. may not come across that kind of money, perhaps for a long time.

“It’s like we keep getting told we’re close, then we go back and make another offer, and then we’re told by his team that we’re actually not that close, and I start to think, Brian Norman, do you want this fight or are you clout chasing, or as the others might say over here, cap,” said Eddie Hearn.

If not Norman Jr., who?

Hearn checked Brian Norman Jr.’s seriousness about uplifting his career. He questioned the rationale for not taking the ‘Boot’s Ennis fight offers. He knows ‘The Assassin II’ well. The point is, barring the diehards, how many casual followers would know anything about the Georgia-born boxer? So per Hearn, it is a golden chance for Norman Jr. not only to make good money but also to become a unified champion and take his legacy to the next level.

So if the fight with Norman Jr. doesn’t materialize, then what options could Jaron Ennis look into? While he could always seek a title unification with other belt holders, the most tenable alternative for the Philadelphian champion remains a rematch with Karen Chukhadzhian. The two met last year for the IBF’s vacant interim title. Currently, the Ukrainian stands atop the sanctioning body’s ranking list. Ennis might have to fend off Chukhadzhian’s challenge as the mandatory.

What is your take from the different contentions over the Norman Jr. and ‘Boots’ Ennis clash? Do you feel that both sides should reach an agreement soon and make the fight?