Brian Norman Jr. has revealed his hitlist for 2025, which includes IBF welterweight champion Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis as his primary target. He also wants Teofimo Lopez, but good luck with that.
Targeting ‘Boots’
WBO 147-lb champion Norman Jr. (26-0, 20 KOs) may be willing to drop from his $2.2 million asking price to the $1.7 million that ‘Boots ‘Ennis’ promoter Eddie Hearn recently offered him for a fight in November .8th in Philadelphia.
Hearn didn’t want to increase his offer by $500K, which was a mistake. Ennis’ stock fell after her poor performance in her rematch with Karen Chukhadzhian on November 8 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. In retrospect,
Hearn might wish he had raised the additional $500,000 that Norman Jr. wanted for the unification fight in Philly. If the British promoter could do it again, it probably wouldn’t have been one Scrooge McDuck in the negotiations. Hearn must have thought that Jaron would throw another shutout of Chukadzhian as he did in their previous fight on January 7, 2023.
He did not consider the possibility of Karen working on his power game and coming into the rematch as a smaller version of Artur Beterbiev. Slugged and outboxed Boots, making it look like a new one.
Ennis’ value has fallen off a cliff since that fight, and he’s pretty much worthless. Karen was putting her hands on Ennis and he looked like a mini-Beterbiev. Hearn should have been kicked for not making that deal after seeing Jaron embarrassed. .
What hurt his value even more was his rejection of a fight against interim WBC 154 lb champion Vergil Ortiz Jr. for Turki Alalshikh’s Riyadh Season card on February 22. That made Ennis a grade A hen.
Norman Jr.’s 2025 Vision
- Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis
- Teofimo Lopez
- 140 and 147 lb. champion
“2025 is my year. I’ve got a whole hit list marked. I can see the target, but I’m starting with Boots, that kid in Philly,” said Brian Norman Jr. social media. “I’m going to go over there and get this over with. I’m going to make it happen before I go to 154.
“After that, Teo is playing. He’s playing games. He’s thinking of going to 147. If you think about it, I’m here. If you want to fight at 140, I’m with WBO. I’ll go to 140 with you. It’s not a problem at all.
“It’s for all the other 140lb champions too. Somebody can take it. I just want it to be known. I’ve been quiet for too long. It’s my mistake, but I’m holding on. Now, it’s time to take this whole boxing game back Norman Jr. said.
Norman Jr, 24, needs to get back in the ring as he has not fought since defeating Giovani Santillan in the tenth round on May 18 at Pechanga Arena in San Diego, California. He should have fought by now.
