Eddie Hearn says Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis’ first precedence is to exhaust all efforts in making a unification struggle subsequent quite than face Teofimo Lopez.
The Matchroom promoter, Hearn, states that if he can’t negotiate a deal for Boots (33-0, 29 KOs) to face WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios or WBA champ Eimantas Stanionis, he’ll look into establishing a struggle with Teofimo and Ennis. That will be a joint PPV match on DAZN and ESPN.
Teofimo On Maintain
Followers had been wanting ahead to Boots going through Teofimo Lopez subsequent. They are going to be dissatisfied if Ennis chooses to struggle a unification in opposition to Barrios or Stanionis, as neither of these guys is in style and seen as mere belt-holders.
Hearn says Ennis is specializing in unifying the 147-lb division as a result of he’s “Not” a 154-lb fighter but. That’s why he’s not accepted the supply to maneuver as much as junior middleweight to problem Vergil Ortiz Jr. for his WBC interim title on His Excellency Turki Alalshikh’s February twenty second Riyadh Season card.
Eddie factors out that Conor Benn is focused on preventing Barrios for his WBC title subsequent, and that struggle might occur. WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman needs a tune-up subsequent, so he’s not obtainable for Ennis to struggle. That leaves solely WBA champion Eimantas Stanionis as the primary possibility for Ennis’s subsequent contest.
“The choice was to not [move up to fight Vergil Ortiz Jr]. I really feel sorry for Jaron, however finally, he’s not a 154-pound fighter but. If he was, he’d be preventing Vergil Ortiz,” stated Eddie Hearn on Battle Hub TV about why Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis didn’t settle for the supply to problem WBC interim junior middleweight champion Vergil Ortiz Jr. on February twenty second.
“We’re chasing the unification fights. Teofimo Lopez, you’ve seen the stuff on that. We [Ennis] truly love that struggle, however he nonetheless needs to unify. So, if we are able to’t unify, he’s acquired a choice to struggle Teofimo Lopez.
“If he had gone to 154 and never fought Vergil Ortiz, I’d perceive the criticism. We’re 100% staying at 147 for the subsequent struggle and possibly one other one, however we’ve got to ship that unification,” stated Hearn.
This isn’t going to go over effectively with followers if Boots chooses to go within the path of a unification in opposition to one of many 147-lb champions quite than face Teofimo subsequent. He already seems to be like a duck for selecting to not face Vergil Ortiz at 154 on the February twenty second card in Riyadh.
If Ennis decides to skip a mega-fight in opposition to Lopez in favor of a lackluster unification match at welterweight in opposition to Stanionis or Barrios, it’ll conform within the minds of folks that he lacks ambition and braveness.
What’s Subsequent For Boots?
“The supply is to do it on DAZN PPV and ESPN PPV,” stated Hearn concerning the supply he obtained for a struggle between Teofimo Lopez and Boots Ennis. “He [Jaron] actually wants a giant struggle, and he needs that huge struggle to be a unification.
“If we are able to’t get a unification, we’ve got to have a look at the opposite choices [for Ennis]. The opposite choices could possibly be Teofimo Lopez or Vergil Ortiz. He’s simply not shifting to 154 but. I promise you. He’ll both be in a unification or in a large struggle subsequent.”
Clearly, the Vergil Jr. struggle isn’t an possibility for Boots’ subsequent struggle as a result of he’s already chosen to not take that match. Ortiz Jr. has an opponent for the February twenty second card, Israil Madrimov now. So, it’s too late for Ennis to take that possibility after his refusal.
If Hearn can’t negotiate a unification struggle for IBF welterweight champion Jaron in opposition to WBC champ Barrios or WBA belt-holder Stanionis, Teofimo is the one possibility. Eddie and Boots are going to have to maneuver shortly in the event that they need to have the choice of utilizing Lopez as a 3rd alternative as a result of he’s not going to attend round endlessly.
“For me, I like the [Teofimo] struggle, however for him [Boots], it’s not the cash. He needs to unify the division,” stated Hearn. “That’s absolutely the goal and aim. So, once I went to him about Teoifmo, ‘Oh, that’s a cool struggle, however you’ve acquired to push for the champions [at 147].’ I stated, ‘I’ll, however that is additionally on the desk.’
“The primary precedence is to exhaust all choices on the champions, after which if not, I feel that’s [Teofimo] an incredible struggle. We’re negotiating with Stanionis. We’re negotiating with Barrios. Brian Norman received’t take the struggle. He needs a warm-up struggle first, and that’s it. It’s fairly clear.
“We’ve acquired to try to shut Stanionis or Barrios, or we have a look at Teo, or if he [Boots] does need to transfer up, he’s acquired to go straight into that Vergil Ortiz struggle. We’re not going to enter every other struggle as a result of individuals like that struggle, and that’s a struggle that we actually like as effectively,” stated Hearn.
