Eddie Hearn says he received orders from Jaron 'Boots' Ennis to arrange unification fights against other belt holders at 147. Hearn's instructions from undefeated IBF light heavyweight champion Ennis (33-0, 29 KOs) for 2025, but it doesn't look good, because champions want big money.
Hearn says Teofimo Lopez or a move up to 154 to fight Vergil Ortiz Jr. possible if the unification fight cannot be made for Ennis. We'll see if any of that happens for Ennis in the new year.
Hearn will need serious money to lure any of the welterweight champions to fight Ennis.
Greed in the light heavyweight division?
Many of them are probably waiting and hoping that Turki Alalahikh will offer them a fight on their Riyadh Season cards. They would be happy to fight for millions, making an easy defense against a soft opponent rather than lose their titles to Boots for little money.
“The strict instructions from (Ennis) are, 'I want to unify, and if I can't unify, I'm either going to move up to 154 and fight (Vergil) Ortiz, or I could potentially fight Teofimo Lopez.' I like the Lopez fight, but all he wants to do is unite, Eddie Hearn said Fight Hub TV on Jaron 'Boots' Ennis.
Boots may have to decide whether to move up or stay at 147 to face Teofimo soon as it doesn't look promising that his promoter Hearn is putting together the unification fights he craves. Turki could help Ennis' situation, and we'll see if that happens next year.
Ennis' poor performance against Karen Chukhadzhian on November 9 was another reason why his popularity failed to take off. Unlike other fighters like Gervonta Davis, Boots can't fight anyone and expects fans to want to pay to see him.
147 or 154?
He needs the big fights that have eluded him so far. He would have helped himself if he accepted the offer to move up to 154 to challenge Vergil Ortiz Jr. for his belt. Ennis is still fixated on winning the 147lb belts.
He wants to follow in the footsteps of Terence Crawford, but it took him years to do so. Even then, it didn't happen until his mid-30s.