Serhii Bohachuk, Israil Madrimov, or Vacating Title: Eddie Hearn Reveals Next Step for Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis

The kickoff to his legacy route might have commenced on a challenging note. But Jaron Ennis cannot let his guard down. With more responsibilities on his shoulders, the welterweight champion will have to chalk out his next course of action in a bit more nuanced way. A future fight with Brian Norman Jr. is likely once he proceeds with title unification and eventually stakes a claim at the undisputed title. But the immediate concern, however, lies with his next fight.

Apart from facing other champions, he must reckon with the challenges posed by the mandatories. Then what if Boots deems it fit to pursue opportunities in the division above? With ‘Bud’ Crawford and Vergil Ortiz Jr. joining in, the 154-pound weight class has become a star-studded battleground, making it one of the most prestigious in boxing. Could Ennis take on some of the biggest names in the sport to secure the legacy he seeks? Thankfully, Eddie Hearn, Boots’ promoter, shed some light on the situation and weighed in on the options at hand.

The path forward for Jaron Ennis: Eddie Hearn reflects on

Eddie Hearn was speaking with iFL TV‘s Colin McGuigan at the Diego Pacheco versus Maciej Sulecki weigh-ins. Invariably, talks hovered over the Brian Norman Jr. fight fallout. The reporter wanted to know whether there were still any hopes for the bout. Eddie Hearn pressed the urgency brought on by other external factors. He took up IBF’s latest ruling. The sanctioning body has reportedly instructed both Jaron Ennis and Karen Chukhadzhian to enter the purse bid for the mandatory title defense on September 3.

Hearn explained, “With the IBF ruling, when they announced the purse bid date, which is next Tuesday, you cannot ask for an exception.” So with the match now literally out of the door, the reporter checked what the other alternatives were for Ennis. “Well, we either fight Chukhadzhian or we vacate; that’s it,” replied the Englishman. He wanted Ennis to enter title unification; Hearn elaborated. However, he also has a plan for a big November card, most possibly in Philadelphia.

So a lot depends on how the purse bids go. Nevertheless, he might as well consider taking Boots to the light middleweight division. “I also have no problem with Boots moving to 154 pounds. I love the fight we reached out to Bohachuk. You know…you got Israel Madrimov. You know you got some great fights at 154 outside of the champions love to fight a champion, but we got some decisions to make over the next 72 hours, but the decisions will not include Brian Norman, Adrien, or Derek,” said Eddie Hearn.

Neither Bohachuk nor Madrimov are champions. Nevertheless, the duo enthralled fans with a splendid display against Vergil Ortiz Jr. and Terence Crawford, respectively.

But is Boots Ready to Fit In?

Due to the in-ring interview after the triumph over David Avanesyan, Jaron Ennis talked about his next plan. From title unification to facing Terence Crawford, he was open to fight anyone. In his latest interview, he was asked to make a pick between money and legacy. Ennis replied, “Legacy, you know I’m here to be. Undisputed, you know I’m taking over this weight division; you know I’m here to collect belts.” So if that’s the agenda in hand, he might have to play his cards very carefully.

Keeping aside Crawford or Ortiz Jr., a move to light-middleweight basically squares him against some of the heavy names of boxing. So to many fans, the mandatory title defense with Karen Chukhadzhian might appear a bit safer option. The two have already fought each other, with Ennis winning the match unanimously. Then fights against the rest of the welterweight champions, such as Mario Barrios or Eimantas Stanionis, could prove equally fruitful.

What are your thoughts? As Eddie Hearn said, should Ennis settle with the Chukhadzhian fight or proceed to 154 pounds?