Jaron Ennis, the IBF welterweight belt holder, is scheduled to defend his next title against Karen Chukadchian on November 9 in a home bout at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. Lfia
If Ennis, the 32-0 (29 KO) heavy favorite, gets past 24-2 (13 KO) Chukhadzhian in a rematch, “Boots” will have to fight on the table to call for a title unification fight. Welterweight Champion or move on? to the junior middleweight division
The IBF backed Ennis into a corner and forced the Chukhadzhian bout, even though Ennis scored a shutout decision against Armenia from Ukraine last year.
“Taking off the belt was not my idea,” Ennis told BoxingScene, “I was just in the gym. Stay focused and do what I need to do to get better. I’m not worried about what’s going on outside. I let my team handle all that.
“I want to get busy and collect the remaining belts. If they play together Maybe we’ll be at 154 pounds, maybe not, we’ll see.
“I went after everyone. I went after Terence Crawford, Errol Spence Jnr, Keith Thurman – I went after all these guys. Ask Crawford, ask them.
“That weight’s poppin’ right now, everybody up there. Hope you can see me up there. You never know. They were all skilled fighters. But I can’t choose who’s the best.
“Hopefully these guys will step up and sign on the dotted line. This is the fight everyone wants to see.”
In addition to the top names in the 154-pound division, Ennis wants to face current 147-pound world title holders Mario Barrios (WBC), Brian Norman Jr. (WBO) and A. Mantas Stanionis (WBA) and achieved the same undisputed champion status that his predecessor, Crawford, did.
Meanwhile Ennis was born and raised in Philadelphia. Must take advantage of the reunion. Joining forces with Junior Bantamweight titleholder Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez, his Boots Promotion fighters Ismail Muhammad and Dennis Thompson, and Former champion Raymond Ford and future title contender Ernesto “Tito” Mercado as they toss their names into the hat to be considered. The next page of this sport
“It was amazing and a blessing to fight at Wells Fargo Center,” Ennis said. “The whole card was crazy from top to bottom. With one of the pound-for-pound greats in Rodriguez. Contestants and Opportunities It will be a grand show full of fireworks.
“Boxing is great when you have two great guys on the same card. Bam and I will make this night energetic. By bringing our two fan bases together. We will have a good time.”
Manuk Agopyan is a sports journalist, author, and broadcast reporter whose credits include ESPN, Fox Sports, USA Today, The Guardian, Newsweek, Men’s Health, NFL.com, Los Angeles Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, Ring. Magazine and more. He has written for BoxingScene since 2018. Manouk is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the MMA Journalists Association. He can be reached at X (formerly Twitter)– Instagram– Linkedin and Youtubevia email manouk(dot)akopyan(at)gmail.com or via www.ManoukAkopyan.com–
