Jaron Ennis stays undefeated and ponders moving up for a ‘brilliant fight’ vs. Vergil Ortiz

Jaron Ennis said no one wanted to see his latest fight, an easily won rematch over a heavy underdog at the Wells Fargo Center on Saturday night. He said he accepted the mandatory title defense of his IBF welterweight crown against Karen Chukhadzhian because he had to, as even the fighter known as “Boots” seemed to share the consumers’ tepid interest. Ennis (33-0, 29 KOs) won the 12-round bout by unanimous decision, as he had their first meeting last year.

“He really didn’t want to fight this guy,” said Ennis’ father and trainer, Bozy. “He really wasn’t into it. You could see it.”

Ennis, Philadelphia’s only current boxing champion, earned more than $1 million to face Chukhadzhian, but he seeks a bigger fight. He may be just a few months away from getting his wish.

Ennis’ promoter, Eddie Hearn, said the Germantown native will either fight another 147-pound champion or vacate his title and move up in weight to challenge Vergil Ortiz, the WBC’s interim junior middleweight champion. A fight with Ortiz — which would be a more significant bout than any welterweight unification fight — would take place on Feb. 22 in Saudi Arabia.

“It’s going be very tempting,” Hearn said of a fight with Ortiz. “It’s a brilliant fight. Boots against Vergil Ortiz is one of the best fights out there to be made. Not just in the division, but in boxing. Two tremendous young fighters.”

How much of a mismatch was Saturday night’s fight? Ennis was a -4000 favorite, meaning a bettor needed to wager $4,000 to earn just $100. It was nearly impossible to make money off Ennis as the books didn’t give Chukhadzhian a chance.

Ennis controlled the pace but did absorb blows from Chukhadzhian (24-3, 13 KOs), who was much sharper than in their January 2023 bout. Ennis’ corner instructed him after each round to push for the knockout, which Chukhadzhian avoided by grabbing Ennis throughout the fight. Hearn said Ennis did not respect Chukhadzhian’s power but also lacked motivation for the fight. It was better than their first bout, but still lacked action.

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According to Compubox, the Ukrainian landed the most punches ever (173) by an Ennis foe and landed 90 more punches than he did in their first meeting. Ennis, who switched between southpaw and orthodox stances, pushed the action as he threw 208 more punches than Chukhadzhian.

A flurry from Ennis forced Chukhadzhian to take a knee in the fifth round and Ennis nearly ended it with another barrage in the 10th. Ennis won all three scorecards by a wide margin (119-107, 117-109, 116-110) but said his performance was just OK. It was the first time he fought 12 rounds.

“We have a really big decision to make,” Hearn said. “I never like giving up world titles, but sometimes the time is right. We may get a substantial offer to fight Vergil Ortiz in Saudi Arabia. Then from there, it’s on Jaron and Bozy. They’ll get my advice, but these are the guys who will make the decision.”

Ennis told Hearn earlier this year that his dream was to become a unified champion at 147 pounds. So they accepted the title defense against Chukhadzhian, considered in boxing parlance as a “stay busy” fight. Get past Saturday and Hearn would align Ennis with a 147-pound champion. But those plans may have changed. It seems to be time for the 27-year-old Ennis to move up.

A win against WBO champ Brian Norman, WBA champ Eimantas Stanionis, or WBC champ Mario Barrios would give Ennis another welterweight title. A fight with Ortiz (22-0, 21 knockouts) would earn Ennis a bigger payday and more attention.

“I think it’s a great fight,” Hearn said. “Boots knows he has to be better than he was tonight against a fighter like Vergil Ortiz. But the training will be different. The mindset will be different. The challenge will be different. And that’s where you’re going to see the best of a great fighter like Boots.”

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Ennis’ father said the importance of staying at 147 pounds is “legacy,” as it would give the fighter a chance to unify one of boxing’s most historic divisions.

But the better opponents — not just Ortiz — seem to be waiting at 154 pounds. Ennis has long sought a fight with pound-for-pound king Terrence Crawford, who moved this year to 154. Ryan Garcia is one of the sport’s biggest names and is expected to fight at 154 after returning this summer from a suspension for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs. He posted on X, the former Twitter, during Ennis’ fight that he would knock him out.

Ennis now has a decision to make: bigger fight or title fight. Either way, he’ll likely have a fight next year that he’s excited for. And one that people will want to see.

“Like I always say, I want to fight the best,” Ennis said. “I don’t try to fight easy or bottom-tier guys. When you fight the best, you’re going to be better.”