Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis Seeks October/November Tune-Up for 154-lb Debut: Opponent Undetermined

Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis is training for his expected tune-up in October or November for his debut at 154. No opponent has been confirmed for Ennis (34-0, 30 KOs).

One of the problems the former IBF and WBA welterweight champion Ennis has is that there’s less incentive for fighters and their promoters to want to face him. Without a world title, there’s less incentive for fighters to face ‘Boots’ Ennis in what would be a dangerous fight for them.

Boots Ennis Opponent Search

Ennis and his team need Turki Alalshikh to help them secure notable fighters at 154 to agree to fight him as his tune-up opponent. He needs a good enough opponent to prepare him for a high-profile clash against WBC interim junior middleweight champion Vergil Ortiz Jr. in early 2026.

The other promoters, Top  Rank and PBC, are not eager to allow their fighters to be used as tune-up opponents for the Eddie Hearn-promoted Boots Ennis unless it’s financially worthwhile to them. Any fighter that faces Ennis is likely to get knocked out or decisively beaten in a one-sided decision. Their value to their promoters will then drop.

Ideal 154 Tune-Up Opponents

– Keith Thurman: Potentially too expensive
– Charles Conwell
– Jesus Ramos
– Josh Kelly: A similar style to Karen Chukhadzhian
– Callum Walsh
– Tim Tszyu

Fighters like former unified welterweight champion ‘One Time’ Thurman, 36, might be unrealistic because he still views himself as a star. If Hearn could get Keith at a bargain price, he would be a good opponent for Ennis to use for tune-up purposes. However, Thurman’s advanced age and his small 5’7″ frame make him less than ideal to prepare Boots to fight true junior middleweights.

Ennis, 28, recently vacated his IBF and WBA welterweight titles due to the difficulty making weight and his inability to get unification fights against champions Mario Barrios and Brian Norman Jr.

High-Risk, Low-Reward Ennis

Moving up to 154 would make it easier for Ennis to make weight and get bigger fights. What he and Hearn didn’t realize was how hard it would be to get opposition to fight him at 154 now that he no longer holds a title. To them, Boots has nothing to offer, and he’s pure trouble. In other words, he’s a high-risk, low-reward type of fighter.