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Eddie Hearn says Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis’ first precedence is to exhaust all efforts in making a unification combat 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 combat with Teofimo and Ennis. That may be a joint PPV match on DAZN and ESPN.
Teofimo On Maintain
Followers have been trying ahead to Boots dealing with Teofimo Lopez subsequent. They are going to be disenchanted if Ennis chooses to combat a unification in opposition to Barrios or Stanionis, as neither of these guys is standard 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 provide 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 excited about combating Barrios for his WBC title subsequent, and that combat may occur. WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman needs a tune-up subsequent, so he’s not accessible for Ennis to combat. That leaves solely WBA champion Eimantas Stanionis as the primary choice for Ennis’s subsequent contest.
“The decision was not to [move up to fight Vergil Ortiz Jr]. I feel sorry for Jaron, but ultimately, he’s not a 154-pound fighter yet. If he was, he’d be fighting Vergil Ortiz,” stated Eddie Hearn on Combat Hub TV about why Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis didn’t settle for the provide 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] really love that combat, however he nonetheless needs to unify. So, if we are able to’t unify, he’s bought a call to combat Teofimo Lopez.
“If he had gone to 154 and not fought Vergil Ortiz, I would understand the criticism. We’re 100% staying at 147 for the next fight and maybe another one, but we have to deliver that unification,” stated Hearn.
This isn’t going to go over effectively with followers if Boots chooses to go within the route of a unification in opposition to one of many 147-lb champions quite than face Teofimo subsequent. He already seems 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’s going to conform within the minds of folks that he lacks ambition and braveness.
What’s Subsequent For Boots?
“The offer is to do it on DAZN PPV and ESPN PPV,” stated Hearn in regards to the provide he obtained for a combat between Teofimo Lopez and Boots Ennis. “He [Jaron] actually wants an enormous combat, and he needs that large combat to be a unification.
“If we can’t get a unification, we have to look at the other options [for Ennis]. The other options could be Teofimo Lopez or Vergil Ortiz. He’s just not moving to 154 yet. I promise you. He will either be in a unification or in a massive fight next.”
Clearly, the Vergil Jr. combat isn’t an choice for Boots’ subsequent combat 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 choice after his refusal.
If Hearn can’t negotiate a unification combat for IBF welterweight champion Jaron in opposition to WBC champ Barrios or WBA belt-holder Stanionis, Teofimo is the one choice. 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 ceaselessly.
“For me, I love the [Teofimo] fight, but for him [Boots], it’s not the money. He wants 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 combat, however you’ve bought to push for the champions [at 147].’ I stated, ‘I will, but this is also on the table.’
“The primary precedence is to exhaust all choices on the champions, after which if not, I believe that’s [Teofimo] an awesome combat. We’re negotiating with Stanionis. We’re negotiating with Barrios. Brian Norman gained’t take the combat. He needs a warm-up combat first, and that’s it. It’s fairly clear.
“We’ve got to try and close Stanionis or Barrios, or we look at Teo, or if he [Boots] does want to move up, he’s got to go straight into that Vergil Ortiz fight. We’re not going to go into any other fight because people like that fight, and that’s a fight that we really like as well,” stated Hearn.
