Promoter Eddie Hearn named the five fighters he would like to face Oscar De La Hoya’s five in a Golden Boy Promotions vs Matchroom 5 vs 5 event.
(Credit: Mark Robinson / Matchroom Boxing)
One of the matchups Hearn wants is for his fighter, IBF welterweight champion Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis, to defend against Golden Boy’s Ryan Garcia. It would be an unfair sporting event, considering that Ryan (24-1, 20 KOs) has yet to debut at 147.
A better choice would be for Shakur Stevenson to face Ryan Garcia. This fight would attract much more fan interest than Boots Ennis, who lacks charisma and has a bad habit of repeating himself in interviews. Shakur must prove if he is the future “Global Superstar” that Hearn has been excited about.
Ennis (32-0, 29 KOs) is huge for the 147-lb division and should be fighting at 154 against the top fighters. He is reluctant to make the move, and already fans are beginning to suspect that he is afraid to mix with the main talents, Terence Crawford, Bakhram Murtazaliev, Sebastian Fundora and Serhii Bohachuk.
Hearn’s Dream 5 vs 5 card
– Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis vs Ryan Garcia
– Shakur Stevenson vs. William Zepeda
– Israil Madrimov vs. Vergil Ortiz
Jai Opetaia vs Gilberto Ramirez
– Jack Catterall vs. Jose Ramirez
The bout between Hearn’s fighter, WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson, and Golden Boy’s William Zepeda is scheduled for February 22 in Riyadh. Zepeda (31-0, 27 KOs) still needs to win his fight against Tevin Farmer on Nov. 16 at Latin Night in Riyadh.
If Zepeda wins this one, he will likely face Shakur next if the champ doesn’t suffer a setback with his recent hand injury. Shakur had surgery to fix the problem, but it’s unclear if he can make it through training camp without getting hurt again. The mind is willing, but the flesh is weak.
WBA Cruiserweight champion Gilberto Ramirez fights WBO champion Chris Billiam-Smith on November 16, and this is a toss-up fight. Ramirez could lose.
Light welterweight contender Jack Catterall would be a poor choice for Hearn to put in a 5 vs 5 event against former 140 lb unified champion Jose Ramirez. A better choice for Hearn would be to pick the winner of the December 7 fight between IBF welterweight champion Liam Paro and Richardson Hitchins against Ramirez. Hearn promotes Paro and Hitchins.
Boots v Ryan, Shakur v Zepeda, Ortiz v Madrimov, Zurdo v Opetaia, Catterall v Ramirez = easy job!
— Eddie Hearn (@EddieHearn) November 6, 2024
