Promoter Bob Arum reveals that he’s engaged on a deal for Teofimo Lopez to face Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis on March 1, 2025, in a joint PPV on DAZN and ESPN.
Arum’s Plan
Lance Pugmire @pugboxing experiences that High Rank boss Arum is negotiating the combat for Teofimo (21-1, 13 KOs) to maneuver as much as welterweight to problem ‘Boots’ Ennis (33-0, 29 KOs) for his IBF 147-lb belt. It’s questionable whether or not the combat will get made.
Teofimo lately babbled about being the “King of the 140-lb division” and providing Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia a 55-45 cut up. The silence was deafening, and nothing got here again.
If Arum affords the same cope with Boots Ennis, it’ll be fascinating to see if he accepts. His profession isn’t trying too good after current depressing performances back-to-back for Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing.
A Determined Transfer For Teofimo
From High Rank’s perspective, it’s comprehensible why they’re letting Teofimo stroll the plank for this dangerous combat; his profession has gone stomach up. They must do one thing with Lopez as a result of issues are trying determined. He deserves losses to Jamaine Ortiz and Sandor Martin to associate with his defeat in opposition to George Kambosos. He seems to be shot.
In the event that they don’t put Teofimo in with Boots, he’ll doubtless lose to certainly one of these no-name fringe contenders they maintain matching him in opposition to.
This is able to be the primary massive combat for the two-division world champion Lopez, 27, since his victory over Vasily Lomachenko on October 17, 2020. It’s been 4 years since Teofimo upset Lomachenko by a 12-round unanimous choice, and these are the lackluster fights he’s had since:
– Steve Claggett
– Jamaine Ortiz
– Josh Taylor
– Sandor Martin
– Pedro Campa
– George Kambosos Jr
None of these six fights resonated with the boxing public, and Lopez has seen his as soon as sky-high reputation plummet to the purpose the place he’s largely irrelevant. Teofimo is seen by followers as an oddball character, sounding scrambled in interviews and inconsistent in his performances. He fights like he now not has any senses.
Is Ennis A Bust?
If Ennis seems to be something like he did in his current combat in opposition to Karen Chukhadzhian on November ninth, Teofimo has a good chance of beating him as a result of he will get hit an excessive amount of. Karen made Boots seem like a novice, education him for 9 rounds earlier than gassing out.
Hearn will doubtless pursue the thought of matching Ennis in opposition to Lopez as a result of this is likely to be nearly as good because it will get for him earlier than his contract ends. He’s acquired to remorse signing Boots as a result of he’s been missing in his two fights for Hearn in opposition to Chukhadzhian and David Avanesyan. If Ennis loses, at the very least it’ll be in opposition to a reputation fighter.
Boots made issues worse by selecting to not settle for the supply fo combat Vergil Ortiz Jr. for his WBC interim 154-lb title on the huge February twenty second card in Riyadh. That transfer confirmed Ennis’s lack of ambition and risk-taking means.
