Promoter Eddie Hearn wants IBF welterweight champion Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis to face WBO champ Brian Norman Jr. next if he’s victorious tonight in his unification fight against WBA belt-holder Eimantas Stanionis in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
(Credit: Matchroom)
However, Hearn says his fighter, Shakhram Giyasov, who is WBA mandatory, deserves his shot at the Ennis-Stanionis winner. Giyasov (16-0, 9 KOs) has stepped aside to allow Stanionis to fight Boots tonight. It will be difficult for him to step aside a second time for Boots to fight a unification with WBO champion Norman Jr.
Giyasov’s Price
It’s doable with the right step aside amount. If Giyasov is offered a bundle of money he can’t refuse, he might be willing to allow Ennis to go ahead with the unification clash against Brian Jr. if he wins tonight against Stanionis.
“It’s difficult because we represent Shakhram [Giyasov] as well, and he understood the size of this fight for the sport,” said Eddie Hearn to YSM Sports Media about WBA-mandatory challenger Shakhram Giyasov stepping aside to allow WBA welterweight champion Eimantas Stanionis to fight IBF belt-holder Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis in a unification match tonight.
This is the whole problem with Boots wanting to stay at 147 until he accomplishes his superficial goal of becoming the undisputed champion. It’s going to take forever for Ennis to complete that goal, and there’s very little to gain popularity-wise from capturing all four titles.
Boots’s defense against Giyasov will eat up the second half of 2025. Then there’s the wait time for Ennis, who is trying to set up a unification fight against WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios, who could be fighting 46-year-old Manny Pacquiao next. That’s more time down the drain for Ennis.
“He [Giyasov] now has the winner. So, is there an opportunity to fight Brian Norman and Shakhram waits again? It’s difficult because he’s got his shot. We’ve got to provide him with an opportunity as well. I don’t know. I do know that originally, we were looking at Boots moving up to 154 at some point.”
If Stanionis wins tonight, he’ll likely go ahead with the defense against Giyasov rather than paying him a step aside. Ultimately, it’ll come down to the money that is at stake for a match against Norman Jr. or a rematch with Ennis. Hearn isn’t going to want Stanionis to get away without pushing for an immediate rematch if he beats Ennis tonight.
Hearn’s Priority
“If he wins [against Stanionis], I think he’s going to want to win the lot. I’m hearing rumors about [WBC welterweight champion Mario] Barrios against Pacquiao. I mean, what is that for the WBC world title? But Brian Norman, for me, is the fight,” said Hearn.
“That for me is a brilliant fight, but we’ve [Boots] got to get past [Stanionis]. This is the toughest fight in the division. So, if we get through, we’re unified #1, then we’ll see what’s next,” said Hearn.
Last Updated on 04/12/2025
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