By: Sean Crose
It may not come as a surprise to fight fans, but Jeron “Boots” Ennis, welterweight king, is moving up a weight class. His days as a welterweight are over, according to promoter Eddie Hearn. Ennis will now fight in the junior middleweight division. “Boots is moving up,” Hearn announced via Fight Hype. “Unfortunately, after the Stanionis fight, he had his team around him — the doctors, the tests — and what they’re basically saying is, ‘Boots is underperforming to his capabilities.” Whether this is true or not, Ennis would clearly feel more confident at 154 than he would continuing on at 147.
Ennis has been atop the welterweight division for quite some time. Unfortunately, hoped for fights with Mario Barrios and Teofimo Lopez haven’t come to fruition. According to Hearn, it’s simply a matter of playing it safe at this point. In other words, Ennis’s team doesn’t think he can perform well at welterweight anymore, even with an enticing possibility like a Manny Pacquiao throwdown appearing on the horizon. With that being said, Ennis has the style needed to keep eyes on him as he moves up in weight.
“Saturday’s fight wasn’t a brawl,” I wrote a few weeks ago in lieu of Ennis’s recent victory over Eimantas Stanionis ,” but it was exciting and showcased the kind of performance one just won’t see in an octagon. For Ennis was able to maintain distance, avoid getting hit and deliver clean shots of his own.” Eddie Hearn at the time described Ennis as “by far the best fighter of the division,” Hearn said of Ennis: “He’s going to be around for a long time.”
Hearn is likely right. And Ennis most likely will indeed be around for quite a while. The question is how will he adapt to a higher weight class? It’s an interesting division, junior middleweight. Not only are names like Tszyu and Fundora possibly available, Keith Thurman may be interested to get back in the ring, as well – though no one never knows with Thurman. Although it would have been great for fight fans to see Ennis possibly unify the welterweight division as an undisputed champion, it’s always interesting to see where a quality fighter will end up next.
What would be the most interesting thing for fight fans is for the man to get a major match for himself. If one wants to get a major bout, however, one has to be in the best shape possible. And if Ennis wouldn’t be in the best shape possible by remaining at welterweight, then so be it. As always, Ennis is an interesting figure to follow.
