Jaron “Boots” Ennis (31-0, 28 KOs) will make the first defense of his IBF welterweight title against David Avanesyan (30-4-1, 18 KOs) on Saturday, July 13 at the Wells Fargo Center in Ennis’ hometown of Philadelphia, PA with Avanesyan stepping in on short notice to replace original opponent and mandatory challenger, Cody Crowley. He had to pull out of this fight after failing an eye exam. Ennis vs Avanesyan will now be the Matchroom Boxing headliner on DAZN in the City of Brotherly Love.
Ennis is considered one of the top rising stars in boxing, and this fight will be his first with Matchroom. He won the interim IBF title when he defeated Karen Chukhadzhian via unanimous decision in January 2023. After a successful defense of his interim title with a tenth-round knockout against Roiman Villa, Ennis was elevated to full IBF welterweight champion once former undisputed king Terence Crawford opted to move up to junior middleweight.
Avanesyan is a familiar name in the welterweight division. The 35-year-old is a hard-hitting veteran, having shared the ring with solid competition. His biggest career win came in 2016 against the great Shane Mosley, outpointing the Hall of Famer in Mosley’s final professional fight. Between 2019 and 2022, Avanesyan won the European welterweight title and made five defenses, scoring six consecutive stoppage wins, taking the “0s” of Kerman Lejarraga and Josh Kelly. This run earned Avanesyan a shot at Crawford’s WBO welterweight title in December 2022. The Russian-born Armenian, now based in the United Kingdom, was stopped in the sixth round. Avanesyan has since fought once, a comeback fight in Birmingham, UK, in December 2023, forcing journeyman Serge Ambomo to retire after four rounds.
Ennis is widely recognized as one of the most talented fighters on the planet, but “Boots” feels he hasn’t yet faced the opponent that will bring out the best in him. Speaking to The Only Kayla, Ennis was asked if he would move up to 154 pounds to face Crawford in the future, to which Ennis responded: “Most definitely. I want to show the world and prove my skills and my ability. I feel like I wasn’t able to go into my bag yet. They haven’t seen the best of me.”
Avanesyan may be fighting one of the most talented fighters in the sport, but he never had any doubts about stepping in as a replacement to face Boots. On DAZN Boxing’s “Make The Days Count” episode, Avanesyan said: “Many people say ‘you crazy’. Listen, this is my life. I know only boxing. Call me, say ‘you fight,’ I’m starting training.”
Ennis is yet to be tested against an elite opponent, and although former European champion Avanesyan is a capable challenger, he is not the sort of fighter who will enhance Ennis’ reputation. He has been aiming for fights against Crawford and Errol Spence Jr in recent years. However, as it seems like the two top welterweights have now moved up, Ennis will be looking to establish the welterweight division as his kingdom against those occupying the welterweight division instead of those who reigned. This will start on Saturday night in front of his hometown crowd.
If Ennis does what he is expected to do against Avanesyan, it will be time for Ennis to face the other notable names at welterweight. 147 is not the deepest division at the moment, but there are names such as Brian Norman Jr., Eimantis Stanionis, and Mario Barrios that would make for interesting fights. Will Ennis’ newly-formed allegiance with Matchroom Boxing and DAZN act as a barrier to big fights being made across different promotional and network allegiances, or will the extra promotion surrounding a rising star from the historic fighting city of Philadelphia provide all the push Ennis needs towards an inevitable route to greatness? If Ennis becomes a big enough name with the right promotional backing, perhaps that would lure the big names into the ring. Nevertheless, Ennis may have to carve out his legacy instead of relying on a fight against Crawford.
Inevitably, comparisons are going to be made in how Ennis deals with Avanesyan to how Crawford did. Ennis and Crawford are similar in some aspects, but they are also different fighters. Crawford can invite fighters in at times, allowing them to fall into the illusion of thinking they are getting into a rhythm before his skills, instincts, and timing allows him to fully take over a fight. However, with Ennis, should Avanesyan look to bring aggression from the first bell, Ennis will welcome that and look to quickly end the fight at the earliest opportunity.
Ennis is fighting in front of a crowd at Philly. It’s a huge opportunity for him to make a statement, and he knows it. Boots’ trainer and fighter, Bozy Ennis, has already stated this fight is not going past four rounds. Ennis can be expected to waste no time here as he looks to end the fight early and show the world that he is the best fighter at 147 pounds by far.
More must-reads: