Eddie Hearn claims Matchroom has released Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis from his contract, but Hearn says they plan to keep IBF welterweight champion Ennis (32-0, 29 KOs) for the rest of his career and would never release him in a ‘million years’.
An announcement for Boots’ next fight in November could come this Saturday or early next week, with Hearn stating he is in talks with IBF mandatory Karen Chukhadzhian’s management about arranging the fight, which he hopes will take place in Philadelphia.
This week, a tweet emerged about Matchroom’s plans to fire Ennis. Hearn says several media outlets have asked him if the tweet is true, and he says it’s not.
Boxing fans were left wondering whether Hearn still wanted to promote Boots after failing to secure a unification fight for him against WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr. Hearn could have sealed the deal had he increased his offer from $1.7 million to $2.2 million, which Team Norman was asking for, but he chose not to.
Some fans felt that Hearn’s reluctance to invest $500,000 into Ennis’ career was a sign that he was not as keen to promote him over other fighters with less physical talent, such as Shakur Stevenson, who showered him with praise and reportedly paid him a fortune for his canceled fight with Joe Cordina.
When Hearn lost a bid to Karen Chukhadzhian for IBF mandatory Boots Ennis last week, it was further evidence that he is not in love with Jaron and has shown his disinterest in his promotion by acting stingy.
Hearn says the plan is for Boots Ennis to stay at 147 to try to collect all the belts. That’s where Ennis plans to stay, rather than moving up to 154, which is filled apex predators it would be risky for him.
“It’s just the most bizarre world we live in. Whatever you read on Twitter, 70%, maybe 80% of it is complete crap,” said Eddie Hearn iFL TVdenying that she is parting ways with Jaron “Boots” Ennis and parting ways with Matchroom.
“People think it’s true. We signed one of the biggest talents in boxing in the United States, Boots. I couldn’t be more proud to represent him. We just knocked out 15,000 people in Philadelphia. On what planet would we release Boots from his contract? No, never in a million years,” Hearn said.
It would be crazy for Hearn to get rid of Boots Ennis so quickly, considering he showered him with compliments from head to toe after recently signing him for Matchroom. Boots has fought just once since signing with Hearn, stopping veteran David Avanesyan in the fifth round on July 13.
After all the compliments Hearn showered on Boots, it was disappointing that he picked him against the 35-year-old Avanesyan rather than Brian Norman, Terence Crawford, Mario Barrios or Eimantas Stanionis.
If Hearn proves stingy when it comes to raising money to lure top fighters to fight Boots, then what is the point of keeping him in the locker room?
It makes no sense. It’s like buying an costly Ferrari and then keeping it in the garage 90% of the time, except for Sunday drives. If Hearn is going to make Boots a star, he’ll have to invest in his career. He may hate the idea now, but he’ll be glad he did later when it rains money every time Boots fights.
“That’s not what they meant by the tweet. They said, ‘Matchroom wants to fire Boots Ennis.’ No. We have a great relationship with Boots and Bozy. We definitely won’t fire him,” Hearn said of Boots. “His next fight is in November and it will be announced on Saturday, but probably early next week.”
I don’t know why Hearn is being so coy about who Boots Ennis will fight in November, given that it’s obviously going to be Karen Chukhadzhian, the same guy he beat by unanimous decision over 12 rounds last January in Washington.
“We got it [Karen] The Chukhadzhian fight, which is a rematch,” Hearn said. “We didn’t expect it, but we see the future at 147 pounds. We want to make sure he can get those unifications. There’s no guarantee that Norman, Stanionis and Barrios will fight Boots, but I’d like to try.”
If Hearn thinks Brian Norman Jr. will be worth less next year than the $2.2 million he’s asking for this time around, he’s kidding himself. If anything, Norman Jr. will want more money, and Hearn will be kicking himself for not agreeing to $2.2 million. Norman will defend his WBO title against Derrieck Cuevas on November 8 on ESPN+, and if he looks like gold in that fight, his value will raise and Hearn will have a much tougher fight ahead of him.
“There’s no rush in terms of weight to move up to 154, but that’s on the table as well,” Hearn continued of Boots’ options. “We’re in talks, but we’re definitely not releasing Boots from his contract. We hope to represent Boots for the rest of his career.”
I can’t blame Hearn for not wanting Boots Ennis to move up to 154 because that would be threatening for him, especially considering his lack of defense. They hit too challenging for a fighter who gets tagged as often as Ennis usually does in his fights.
If Ennis moves up to 154, there is a good chance the predators in that division will make life complex for him. Ennis would have to change his fighting style to become more of a boxer in order to succeed as a junior middleweight.
“We want to continue the success we had in Philadelphia,” Hearn said when asked if he would like Boots to defend Karen in Germany, given that Matchroom lost a bid for the prize pool to Chukhadzhian’s promoters. “So we’ll see. We’re also talking to Chukhadzhian’s team. We’ll see what happens.”
In a clash of forces between two world title contenders, NABO welterweight titleholder Alexis “Lex” Rocha (25-2-0, 16 KO) will put his skills to the test against undefeated knockout and NABF welterweight titleholder Raul “El Cugar “. Curiel (15-0, 13 KO).
The 10-round main event will take place on Saturday, December 14, live from the Toyota Arena in Ontario, California, and will be broadcast worldwide on DAZN.
“‘The best versus the best’ is Golden Boy’s mantra and that’s what fans will see as Rocha and Curiel take on everything that’s on the table,” said President and CEO Oscar De La Hoya. “Rocha is a veteran whose goal is to win the world title, Curiel is an undefeated blue-chip prospect with huge potential. It’s really a 50/50 fight and I’m looking forward to it.”
Tickets for the Rocha vs. match Curiel will go on sale on Friday, October 11 at 10 a.m. PT and will be priced at $100, $75, $50 and $25, excluding applicable service fees. A confined number of Golden Boy VIP Experience tickets will also be available, including exclusive merchandise and fight night upgrades. Standard and VIP tickets are available at Ticketmaster.com, Toyota-arena.com, Goldenboy.com or at the Toyota Arena box office from Monday to Friday from 12:00 to 16:00
“I’ve seen Raul Curiel all these years and he never once mentioned my name,” Alexis Rocha said. “After my last defeat, he suddenly became interested in fighting me. If he thinks I’ve lost a step or somehow had an simple fight, he’s in for a rude awakening. I can’t wait to make a statement and show the world what I’m capable of.”
Santa Ana, California Rep. Alexis “Lex” Rocha comes from a struggling family. The younger brother of Ronny Rios, he was the youngest fighter to win a gold medal at the Junior Olympics at the age of 14 in 2012 and caught the attention of the boxing world by becoming a six-time national champion during his amateur career. Rocha signed with Golden Boy in January 2016 and made his professional debut in March 2016, defeating Jordan Rosario at the Belasco Theater in Los Angeles. Since then, he has amassed an enviable record of powerful knockouts over top contenders and plans to return to world title contention, with his last fight being a victory over undefeated Santiago Dominguez on July 19 last year.
“The fans can expect a war,” said Raul Curiel. “I’m going to prepare well to put on a great show. This will be the most essential fight of my career so far. I know Alexis is a great fighter, a good opponent and will also show up prepared. My focus is on Alexis and if I can beat him, I know it will give me a chance to fight for the world championship.
Former unified lightweight champion George Kambosos approached promoter Eddie Hearn asking for more massive fights.
Kambosos has signed a co-promotional deal with Eddie Hearn, under which the Greek-Australian slugger will continue his association with DiBella Entertainment Inc. and his own company, Ferocious Promotions.
The 21-3 star will move up to the super lightweight division of Matchroom Boxing’s lively division. He aims to become a two-weight world champion in early 2025, and as part of the deal, a title fight is promised as long as he continues to win.
Since his stunning victory over Teofimo Lopez, Kambosos has never shied away from competing against the best. Those three losses on his resume came to Devin Haney [twice] and Vasily Lomachenko, all at home and all for world titles.
The 31-year-old is now set to face compatriot Liam Paro after defending his IBF title against Richardson Hitchins in December in Puerto Rico.
“I am thrilled to be working with Matchroom Boxing. I am excited to have signed a three-way promotional cooperation agreement with my long-time promoter DiBella Entertainment Inc. and Ferocious Promotions,” Kambosos said.
“I made great success and history when I moved up the Matchroom shows by winning my UK elimination fight against Lee Selby. The most noteworthy and unforgettable is my victory against Teofimo at Madison Square Garden in Up-to-date York to become the 135-pound world champion.
“I am officially announcing that I will be moving up to 140 pounds and signing with Matchroom will ensure my continued success and the legacy I want to leave in the sport of boxing.”
Hearn, who adds an experienced campaigner to his stable, added: “I am delighted to welcome George to the team. George’s victory over Teofimo tore up the script and showed that George was the man for the massive time. He has proven to be a huge attraction in Australia and one of the real driving forces behind the rapid growth of boxing Down Under.
“The 140-pound division is full of massive names and massive potential fights. Adding George to the mix only elevates the level, and a possible fight with Liam Paro is a truly appetizing prospect. If Liam manages to win in a great fight against Richardson on December 7th [the fight could be on].
Lou DiBella, who has worked with Kambosos for years, said: “I’m glad I was able to make a deal with my antique buddy Eddie to work with George Kambosos Jr. and Ferocious Promotions.
“Throughout his career, George has been a fighter who has never shied away from a challenge, and now he wants to test himself against top junior welterweights.
Matchroom works with top 140-pounders, including George’s compatriot Liam Paro, and, like DiBella Entertainment, is heavily invested in Australia.
“It’s a natural partnership,” added the Up-to-date Yorker.
One of the hottest topics surrounding Mike Tyson’s return at the age of 58 was the possibility of the boxing legend scoring a knockout of Jake Paul.
WBN has weighed in on this topic several times, questioning the validity of five-second training clips that revealed nothing about Tyson’s abilities at this overdue age. One of the most intriguing observations during the preparations was the opinion of UFC commentator Daniel Cormier.
Speaking on his show “Funky and the Champ,” Cormier reflected on Tyson’s social media videos and offered an informed opinion on the meaning of the clips.
“I understand that [he is in amazing shape at 58]and I understand what he is saying [he feels as though he can compete]– Cormier said. “And I agree that when he hits the pads with Rafael Cordeiro, it looks like there’s still something left in him.
“But then I watch Jake Paul fight Mike Perry. I saw Jake Paul get overwhelmed to the point where he started to feel uncomfortable. It looked like Mike Perry had a chance. But Jake has a reserve tank he can go to and benefit from because he’s 28 years ancient. Then he comes back and finally finishes Mike Perry.
“At the beginning of the fight, Mike Perry gets beaten up and dropped. He looks trained and unmatched. This worries me because what if it looks like a 58-year-old man fighting a 28-year-old man while Mike can’t employ the backup tank to stay and compete with this newborn kid? I think it’s a failure for Jake Paul because if you beat Mike Tyson, everyone will love him.
He added: “What if Mike knocks him out? It’s over. Everything is ready. This would be the backfire of all time. If he gets knocked out, nothing like that has ever happened in the history of the sport.”
Unfortunately for Tyson, this revenge backfired spectacularly, as the former heavyweight champion’s return was the only event that bombed. Tyson had nothing left twenty years after he had nothing left in his tank and no desire to box in his mind.
Paul parlayed this into a money-making scheme that would forever be a success for him and his company, but would be poorly received by the die-hard boxing fraternity.
Cormier’s words resonate, especially after what happened in the ring when Mike Tyson struggled to shift into first gear, warning former fighters thinking about returning after 50.
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