Jaron Ennis: A Risky Move to 154Ib Division?

Given the situation, some might say, Jaron Ennis, the IBF welterweight champion, is making a big mistake by giving up his title and moving to the 154lb division for ‘bigger’ fights. He who is currently 32-0 29 ko’s has been ruling at 147 lbs because he has always been way bigger, stronger, and smarter than the rest of his rivals. But moving up to junior middleweight can be risky enough because this division has more aggressive fighters that can be a threat to his winning streak.

Jaron Ennis Losing the Edge at Welterweight

Welterweight has been a comfort zone for Jaron Ennis where he has been making decent money fighting against weaker and less talented opponents and was out of touch with top fighters. The best name on his resume is David Avanesyan, a 35-year-old fringe contender in decline. He didn’t look particularly impressive in that fight last July, Avanesyan delivered some tough punches to him.

Moving up to 154 could strip Jaron Ennis of the size and power advantages he’s enjoyed at 147. His performances at welterweight haven’t been against elite competition, and the jump to a deeper, more dangerous division like 154 might prove too much for him.

Missed Opportunities at 147

Eddie Hearn failed to secure key fights that could have kept Jaron Ennis at welterweight. This week, negotiations fell apart for a fight with WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr. over just $500K. Additionally, Hearn lost the purse bid for his mandatory IBF title defense against Karen Chukhadzhian. It meant Jaron Ennis would have to fight in Europe instead of his hometown of Philadelphia.

Failure to capture these opportunities could be a threat to his career. He could always have remained on 147, faced other big-name fighters, and continued adding to his record. However, that switch to 154 makes him fight in a completely different division where he may become vulnerable for opponents to capitalize on his weaknesses.

Defensive Weaknesses and Tough Competition

 One of his biggest issues is that he has no defense. If we overview his last tussle where he did not have some good defense against Avanesyan. In the 154-lb division, the fighters are bigger, stronger, and much more skilled which could prove to be a real problem for him, he’s in a difficult situation. Jaron Ennis will need to change his style a lot to do well in the junior middleweight division.

Rumors suggest Jaron could face former WBA junior middleweight champion Israil Madrimov in his first fight at 154. Madrimov gave a tough time to Terence Crawford and was about to beat him. Israil landed some powerful right hands all night. If Madrimov could give Crawford a tough fight, he might be in for a rude awakening, Algieri noted;

It’s tough. 154 is going to be a very tough weight class for him to jump into because it’s right into the deep waters. Everybody in that weight class is good. There are so many names. I agree going to 154 is where the money is at, said Algieri.

If he struggles at 154, he may have a hard time returning to welterweight. Even if he moves back down, the damage he could take at junior middleweight might prevent him from ever being the same fighter. While Hearn may have other fighters to focus on, Jaron’s career could take a serious hit if he fails to succeed at 154.