Now, this is a fight fans can get behind. Two-division champion and the current WBO super lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez is said to be in talks to square off against IBF welterweight champion Jaron Ennis. The latter recently declined a lucrative fight offer to face interim WBC super welterweight champion Vergil Ortiz Jr. on the stacked February 22nd card. 

The reason was revealed to be that Ennis preferred to be in the 147 pounds division despite previously claiming he wanted to move up to 154 pounds. Regardless, Teofimo Lopez, during the Emanuel Navarrete vs. Oscar Valdez 2 broadcast Saturday, claimed he wants to fight Ennis and then move on to Terence Crawford.

Teofimo Lopez vs. Jaron Ennis: A fight that can shake up the division

Now, Lopez’s promoter, Bob Arum, seems to have backed this fight in welterweight, as he told Boxing Scene on Monday, “That’s the fight we want and I believe we can make it happen.” He also revealed that an attorney from Top Rank has been in talks with Eddie Hearn, Ennis’ promoter to make the fight happen. 

The plan from Arum’s side seems to be that the fight will be staged as a joint pay-per-view on ESPN and DAZN Boxing. “We’d ante up for Teofimo and Eddie will ante up for Ennis,” Arum said. Lopez has been appearing in smaller fights against Jamaine Ortiz and Steve Claggett earlier this year and has demanded bigger paydays. 

Lopez is also aiming for well-paying competition against Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia when he returns to the sport after his suspension is lifted. On the other side, Ennis had signed a three-fight deal with Hearn earlier this year. The first fight for Ennis under his new promotional banner came against Davis Avanesyan in his hometown Philadelphia. 

The second came against Karen Chukhadzhian, where Ennis faced some challenges but ultimately secured a unanimous decision victory. With just one fight remaining on his contract, Hearn is under pressure to deliver a major showdown for the undefeated IBF welterweight champion. The pressure is also on Ennis, as he previously claimed he wanted to unify his belt. 

With WBA champion Eimantas Stanionis occupied with his mandatory defense against Shakhram Giyasov, WBO champion Brian Norman Jr. preparing to face Derrick Cuevas, and Conor Benn eyeing a showdown with WBC champion Mario Barrios, a unification bout for Ennis appears unlikely for the time being.

Whereas, the potential Teofimo Lopez fight sets up a matchup as a significant opportunity for both fighters and the welterweight division, which has seen less excitement since Terence Crawford’s departure. While nothing has been set in stone as of the time of writing, this potential fight seems to have sent fans into a frenzy. 

Fans spark debate over who would win in Lopez vs Ennis

With a lack of big fights in recent times from both boxers, the potential matchup quickly started a debate among fans, as they clamored behind their favorite boxers. One user felt Lopez would easily get the win because of Ennis’ last performance. “I got Teo winning after seeing Boots last fight,” the user wrote. Ennis is often regarded as one of the top fighters in his division, but Lopez is no stranger to an upset—he defeated Vasyl Lomachenko in 2020.

Meanwhile, this user thinks the fight won’t go Lopez’s way. “Respect if he takes that fight but that’s not going to go well for Lopez,” the user wrote. Moving up in weight to fight an established fighter like Ennis is a risky decision, and fighters have previously lost such bouts. However, Lopez is a highly skilled boxer, so ruling him out can be a mistake. 

The next user seemed unhappy about the potential matchup. “Boots should be fighting top 147lbers or make the move to 154 not making fight with a naturally 135lber,” the user wrote. However, as mentioned before champions in 147 pounds are currently busy, and Ennis has refused to move up. 

Someone else used this potential fight to warn people not to accuse Lopez of ducking any fights. “I don’t wanna hear anyone ever call Teo a clout chase unlike yall favorite fighters Teo really goes after the smoke,” the user wrote. ‘The Takeover’ has been beefing with several fighters, trying to organize fights with the likes of Gervonta Davis, and Terence Crawford to name a few. 

Amid all this, another user dragged Gervonta Davis’ name through the mud. “I’m glad the Duck Davis era is over and now fighters are actually fighting each other,” the user wrote. This comes after Davis’ announcement, where he claimed he is retiring from the sport at the end of 2025. Notably, he also gets accused of avoiding major bouts. 

That being said, it appears that fans are quite excited about the potential matchup between Teofimo Lopez and Jaron Ennis. However, it’s worth remembering that the fight is in the discussion phase. Since Ennis has already refused to fight Ortiz Jr., you never know what will happen next. What do you think about this potential matchup?