Jaron Ennis celebrates his victory over Sergey Lipinets in April 2021. (Photograph by Amanda Westcott / Showtime)
PHILADELPHIA — Bozy Ennis, the daddy and coach of Jaron “Boots” Ennis, jokes that he’s been punching away so many letters to the sanctioning our bodies on his keyboard that he’s affected by carpal tunnel syndrome. Most not too long ago, Bozy despatched a letter on Monday petitioning the IBF to match Boots up with the sanctioning physique’s No. 4 welterweight contender, Ukrainian Karen Chukhadzhian, who is predicated in Germany.
There had been discuss within the rumor-filled world of boxing that Boots (29-0, 27 knockouts) could be combating Rashidi Ellis subsequent, on a Tank Davis undercard on Saturday, January 7, 2023. Bozy emphatically denied that. Ellis (24-0, 15 KOs) is ranked No. 9 within the present IBF rankings, whereas Boots is the No. 1-ranked welterweight; he is rated No. 3 by The Ring, behind IBF/WBA/WBC titlist Errol Spence Jr. (28-0, 22 KOs) and WBO titlist Terence Crawford (38-0, 29 KOs).
“Why go backwards to face somebody like Ellis?” stated Bozy, who not too long ago opened a brand new boxing health club in Philadelphia referred to as Philly’s Subsequent Champ/Bozy’s Dungeon on Grant Avenue. “We have to struggle Spence, which isn’t going to occur, so we’ll struggle for an interim title in opposition to Chukhadzhian. Whoever is within the high 5, we’ll take. We’ve been begging for the highest guys for years now. That is ridiculous, however it’s boxing. We needed (Keith) Thurman, who was moved alongside to the No. 1 spot within the WBC. Thurman needs no a part of Boots. They put these mandatories out to create title fights and so they’re not occurring.
“That is the second letter I despatched to the IBF. Now we have to get guys which can be in our means. This man (Chukhadzhian) is in our means. Rashidi Ellis is No. 9, so why go backwards? We provided Ellis cash and he didn’t need to take the struggle. A fighter goes to struggle. It doesn’t matter who it’s. We do know we’re imagined to be combating on January 7, we simply don’t know who but. We’re coaching. We’re making ready. However we is not going to go backwards. We’re solely combating high 5 guys.”
When Spence-Crawford struggle didn’t come to fruition, that spun off Boots’ schedule. Chukhadzhian (21-1, 11 KOs) just isn’t the perfect opponent, however he could be a step nearer.
“Spence-Crawford not combating messed every part up,” Bozy stated. “It affected all of us. It’s held everybody up at welterweight. It’s held up Boots, (Eimantas) Stanionis, Vergil (Ortiz Jr.), everyone seems to be milling round questioning what to do and the place to go. I’m lucky as a result of Boots loves the health club and is at all times in there, staying busy. Now we have to look at over coaching. We solely fought as soon as this 12 months, and the holdup was every part revolving round Spence-Crawford — and it wasn’t on the Spence aspect; it was the Crawford aspect.
“The entire thing in all probability put us again 5, six months. Boots final fought in Might. We don’t like taking that period of time off. We’re not going backwards. Why? We’d like Stanionis, and I perceive Errol Spence has nothing to achieve by combating Boots. I don’t blame Spence and Crawford for his or her perspective. It’s enterprise. Boots is excessive threat, low reward.”
In some ways, contemplating the twisted, warped world of boxing, Boots suffers from a illness everybody in different sports activities would like to have: He’s too good.
“We perceive,” Bozy stated. “It doesn’t imply we prefer it. If I had been Spence or Crawford, I wouldn’t struggle Boots both. Spence stated himself, Boots is the brand new ‘bogeyman.’ It’s simply when Spence was developing, nobody was keen to struggle him. Spence has earned his place. I gained’t say something detrimental about both Spence or Crawford, as a result of what they received, they earned.”
The opposite welterweight state of affairs that performs out to profit Boots, long run, is that when Spence and Crawford do struggle, their subsequent struggle could be at 154. That would go away the door vast open for Boots at 147 to step in and win main titles.
“Boots then turns into king at 147,” Bozy stated. “I’ve the Eagles taking part in right here in Philly and so they have an opportunity to play within the Tremendous Bowl. In different sports activities, you play the perfect. Boxing just isn’t the best way it was. The enterprise of this sport retains repeating itself. You’re employed exhausting to get to the highest and the large cash, and when you get there, everybody does the identical issues everybody earlier than them did, and that’s keep away from the highest younger guys developing.
“Boots has time. He’s 25. He’s coming. Boots offers with the frustration as a result of he loves the game. He’s within the health club on a regular basis. If he isn’t coaching, he’s coaching another person.”
Joseph Santoliquito is an award-winning sportswriter who has been working for Ring Journal/RingTV.com since October 1997 and is the president of the Boxing Writers Affiliation of America.
Observe @JSantoliquito
