Jaron Ennis has spent too much of his career waiting. He waited years at welterweight for the biggest fights to materialize, and many of them never did. Now, after winning the WBA and WBO junior middleweight titles by stopping Xander Zayas, Boots shouldn’t repeat the same mistake.
Ennis shouldn’t spend another year hoping the right fights eventually come together. He already lost valuable time at welterweight chasing marquee opponents that never materialized. His prime is too important to risk repeating that cycle.
Instead, Ennis should set his sights on the super middleweight division.
At 168 pounds, he would find the type of fresh challenges that can redefine a career. Canelo Alvarez, Hamzah Sheeraz, Osleys Iglesias and other top contenders would offer the kind of high-profile opportunities that could elevate his standing in the sport. Victories over opponents like that would do far more for his legacy than waiting for negotiations that may or may not produce the fights everyone wants.
Ennis has the size to fight at 168. The only way to find out how far his talent can take him is to stop talking about moving up and make the move.
Too many fighters become trapped waiting for one fight or one title opportunity. The years pass, negotiations drag on, and suddenly a fighter’s prime is half over. Ennis has already lived through that once.
Terence Crawford showed a willingness to pursue bigger challenges instead of remaining in one division indefinitely. Ennis has often said he wants to fight Crawford someday. If that’s the case, he should adopt that same mentality and continue climbing the weight classes instead of allowing his career to slow while waiting for the perfect opportunity.
The biggest question surrounding Ennis has never been his talent. He’s one of boxing’s most complete fighters. The issue is that his record doesn’t yet match his ability because too many major fights never happened.
At 29, the time for talking about moving up has passed. If Ennis wants to build a Hall of Fame record, the next step is simple: stop waiting and find out what he can accomplish at 168 pounds.
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Last Updated on 2026/07/15 at 6:42 PM
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