IBF welterweight champion Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis (33-0, 29 KOs) continues his unbeaten streak after successfully defending his crown with a rematch against Karen Chukhadjian (24-3, 13 KOs). Ennis faced the Ukrainian – mandatory competitor in his native Philadelphia and again it went to the cards: unanimous decision (119-107, 117,109, 116-110).
‘Boots’ struggled in the seventh round and although he had a comfortable victory, ideas seemed somewhat lacking. He also declared that he was not much motivated by this “underclass struggle”. His audience was a bit cold because Chukhadjian tried to do more than the cards dictated, or at least more than his idol. Ennis says he’s tired of talking about Terence Crawford now, though he’s left doubting whether he can face ‘Bud.’
But that same evening saw Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez (21-0, 14 KOs) defend his WBC super flyweight title with a devastating third-round knockout of Pedro Guevara (42-5-1, 22 KOs). ‘Bam’, which started cautiously, showed its superiority.
Rodriguez landed his left hook several times in the second round and his opponent felt it. A third straight left sent Guevara to the canvas. As he stood up, ‘Bam’ landed a powerful right uppercut to the jaw. The Mexican went onto the field. The referee started the count, but stopped the fight. It was a notable victory for Jesse Rodriguez, as it was the first time Guevara had been knocked out. She was also a pioneer against Estrada. ‘Bam’ was confirmed as one of the ring’s biggest stars, and over time he would garner more attention than Ennis, who performed in the main event.
