PHILADELPHIA (AP) — He’s known as Boots. Jaron Ennis much prefers these days being called IBF welterweight champion.
Make that, the undefeated champ.
The 27-year-old Ennis, out of northwest Philadelphia, is a rising star in the sport. His home city sure knows it — he headlined a card in July that attracted a surprising 14,119 fans to the Wells Fargo Center. Home of the 76ers, home of the Flyers, home to Ennis. At least there’s one champion in the house.
“My favorite Philadelphia sports memory, the Eagles winning the Super Bowl,” Ennis said. “That and (the Phillies winning) the World Series in 2008. Those are the biggest two moments in Philly history. We’re going to put this one up there, too.”
Ennis drew so well that he fights there again Saturday night in south Philly when he puts his title — and that 32-0 record (with one no-contest) — on the line against Ukrainian fighter Karen Chukhadzhian (24-2).
It’s a rematch from their January 2023 fight that Ennis won by unanimous decision. Ennis defended the welterweight title later that year against Roiman Villa in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and defeated David Avanesyan this year in his Philly homecoming.
Who is Boots
Ennis was raised in the Germantown section of Philadelphia and was a Golden Gloves gold medalist as an amateur. He made his pro debut in 2016. Of his 32 wins, he’s stopped 29 opponents. In defeating Chukhadzhian in their first fight, Ennis won all three cards, 120-108, and went the 12-round distance for the first time in his career.
His fights are promoted by Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing. Hearn said tickets sales for Saturday are on pace to rival’s July’s crowd when Philadelphia had its largest attendance for a boxing card since 1978.
As for that Boots nickname? His dad was a boxer and Ennis picked it up as a kid when he tagged along to training sessions in the gym.
What’s next
Ennis has been vocal about wanting to fight Errol Spence Jr. or Terence Crawford. He’d also like a shot at Canelo Alvarez. Big dreams, bigger fights.
Ennis also hasn’t ruled out a move up in weight class to 154 pounds. He’s been stymied by some of the welterweight division’s top fighters refusing to get in the ring with him. Crawford is holding out for a fight next year against Alvarez.
“I do got bigger goals in my mind. I want to be undisputed,” champ,” Ennis said. “I was trying to get these other champions but it fell through. It wasn’t on my end.”
Why Philadelphia
Boxing’s biggest cards these days are either gimmick bouts — such as next weekend’s Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul fight at the home of the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, Texas — or moving to Saudi Arabia. Oleksandr Usyk puts the heavyweight belt on the line against Tyson Fury on Dec. 21 in Riyadh.
Atlantic City has gone bust as a premium boxing destination and even Madison Square Garden and Barclays Center in New York don’t attract marquee main events anymore.
That left Philadelphia open to get back in the live event ring and having a popular local fighter in Ennis only helped the push for a return. Ennis’ fight was the first at the Wells Fargo Center since 2001. It was also the first title fight in the arena since it opened in 1996.
Ennis has fought at venues all over Philadelphia, including seven times at the 2300 Arena, where this week he promoted the Chukhadzhian fight.
“Starting from here at 2300 to go to Wells Fargo, that’s crazy,” Ennis said. “I had one of my biggest knockouts in this arena, and I plan on doing it at Wells Fargo on Saturday.”
The city was once a heavyweight in the boxing game. Jack Dempsey and Gene Tunney packed more than 120,000 fans into the Sesquicentennial Stadium in 1926. Rocky Marciano, Joe Louis, Marvin Hagler and Joe Frazier all called Philly home on fight night.
Ennis vowed to bring a major title defense back to Philadelphia.
“Who knows if Canelo will come to Philadelphia,” Ennis pondered. “Big-name guys, you know?”
The Ennis fight airs on DAZN. Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez also defends his super flyweight crown against Pedro Guevara.
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