Tonight at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, hometown boxer Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis (32-0, 29 KOs) defends his IBF championship against mandatory challenger Karen Chukhadzhian (24-2, 13 KOs). They fought once before, in January 2023.
In one of the few fighting Boots that have gone the distance. A match where Karen seemed to be fighting for her survival rather than being legitimately competitive. Karen landed a modest 97 punches out of 573 thrown, with 5 of them being jabs.
His production was similar to Boot’s, with 592 pitches compared to his 573, but his offensive attack was extremely ineffective. Karen promises to be much more aggressive this time around, with a killer instinct that aims to do whatever it takes to earn the win. Intention and reality may be different, however.
In his match against Harry Scarff, he employed a similar strategy during exchanges where he found himself being outnumbered. Ennis is naturally the stronger boxer; how much Karen surpasses his strength is something to be seen, since it might be physically impossible for him.
Jaron Ennis looks ready to challenge the best of the best in the sport. It is rumored that he could soon move up to the very competitive junior welterweight division (154 pounds) to challenge top stars like Vergil Ortiz Jr and Ryan Garcia. He would like a match against one of the top pound-for-pound stars, Terence Crawford, but Bud seems much more interested in a mega fight against Canelo Alvarez.
Before Boots challenges the elite in the sport, he must first pass Chukhadzhian and do so impressively. She struggled to cut off the ring effectively in the first match, allowing Karen to circle the ring all night. Ennis has, however, improved since that match, picking up wins against Roiman Villa and David Avanesyan.
Boots is a gym rat and spends an immense amount of time in the gym perfecting his craft. In his second match with Matchroom and consecutively at the Wells Fargo Center, Boots aims to put on a hometown show. His profile and superstar status will continue to rise as will his competition.
In the first match against Chukhadzhian, Ennis landed 46 percent of his power punches, but only landed 20 percent of his jabs (Compubox). The jab will be key this time and will allow him to set up his combinations. It could also potentially allow him to score the knockout victory he was looking for in the first match. Effectively cutting off the ring and controlling the distance will minimize Karen’s mobility and ultimately her ability to survive.
Can Boots score the knockout? If he does so, it will show his progression and ability to adapt. Oscar De La Hoya and Eddie Hearn have spoken out on social media about a possible 5-on-5 fight card featuring Golden Boy boxers against Matchroom boxers. Potential matchups have included Jarron Ennis vs. Ryan Garcia or Jarron Ennis vs. Vergil Ortiz Jr. If any match comes to fruition, it will give Boots the superstar fight he has been clamoring for.
