Jaron Ennis Moves Up to Super-Welterweight
Jaron “Boots” Ennis, the undefeated welterweight contender at 27 years old, has declared his intention to move up to super-welterweight, which necessitates vacating his IBF and WBA titles in the welterweight division. Ennis has emerged as a prominent figure in the welterweight ranks, particularly after Terence Crawford’s ascent to undisputed champion earlier this July and Errol Spence Jr.’s inactivity following his loss to Crawford in the same month.
Ambitions for a Title Fight
While Ennis has long sought a fight with Crawford, the latter seems focused on a different weight class. Crawford’s only fight since defeating Spence was a win over Israil Madrimov at super-welterweight in August, where he earned the WBA title. He is now set to face the renowned Canelo Alvarez for a super-middleweight showdown. This shift in Crawford’s trajectory raises questions about his return to 154 pounds, particularly if he decides to compete at that weight after his bout with Canelo.
Ennis’s Declaration
On social media, Ennis expressed his determination to scale the heights of the super-welterweight division, proclaiming,
“ITS TIME! 154,”
alongside a promise of becoming a two-weight world champion. The fighter hinted at his aspirations by writing,
“YALL SAID THIS WHERE THE SMOKE AT RIGHT!? LETS HAVE IT THEN! 2X WEIGHT DIVISION CHAMP • 4X TIME WORLD CHAMP LOADING.”
Current Title Landscape
Currently, Crawford is the reigning WBA super-welterweight champion, while Sebastian Fundora and Bakhram Murtazaliev hold the WBC/WBO and IBF titles, respectively. Ennis comes off a significant win in April, where he retained his IBF welterweight championship with a sixth-round stoppage of Eimantas Stanionis, marking a defining moment in his career as he now pivots toward his new ambitions in a higher weight class.
