Jaron Ennis threw down the gauntlet to the other super-welterweight world champions when he captured the unified 154lb crown with a knockout win over Xander Zayas last month, and now female boxing icon Claressa Shields has predicted how a unification clash between Ennis and Sebastian Fundora would play out.

Ennis became a two-division unified world champion when he halted Zayas after six rounds on June 27opening the door to potential showdowns with Fundora, Josh Kelly and a long-awaited scrap with Vergil Ortiz Jr, despite the Texan not holding a title.

It is expected that Kelly will defend his IBF super-welterweight crown against Caiomhin Agyarko on Anthony Joshua’s undercard later this month, whilst recent rumours suggest that talks for a fight between Ennis and WBC ruler, Fundora, are ongoing.

Speaking to Fight Hub TV, Shields praised Ennis for his performance against Zayas, but warned that there were a couple of mistakes made that could be punished in a unification affair against ‘The Towering Inferno’.

“Had Boots quit against Xander, they would be calling Boots a quitter, but because Xander got stopped or quit against Boots they all like ‘oh, he got so much heart’. Be fair. Give Boots his dues. Right now, at 154lbs, he is the man.

“A big challenge for him will be Fundora. Fundora is a big challenge for anybody because of how long he is and his height, but Boots has enough in his arsenal, I feel, to beat Fundora, but he has got to be very, very smart.

“He can’t make the same mistakes that he made, getting hit with that straight jab and that right against Zayas, he can’t do that with Fundora. Cannot. Will not. He cannot do that. Also, he cannot do that fighting on wobbly legs either.

“The only thing that he did wrong, for me, was fighting after that. Him fighting on wobbly legs, he should have moved around, jabbed, whatever. Be smart.”

Ennis-Fundora is being mooted for either November or December, and boxing great Terence Crawford has revealed how he thinks that could play out.

Shakur Stevenson has finally made a major decision regarding his boxing future.

There has been much speculation over Stevenson’s next move over the past few months, dating back to when he successfully stepped up to 140lbs and defeated Teofimo Lopez to win the WBO super-lightweight title.

The likes of Devin Haney and O’Shaquie Foster have been named as possible optionsand a decision on his upcoming opponent should be expected soon after his new promotional deal was announced.

That’s because Stevenson has made the decision to sign with Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing, and the four-weight world champion believes that will lead him to becoming the pound-for-pound king.

“Line them up, one by one, and I’ll beat all the top guys once I get them in front of me. With Zuffa Boxing, I’m going to go after the biggest fights in the sport and I will become the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world.”

Zuffa chief White also spoke out about the acquisition of Stevenson.

“Shakur is one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. He’s 29 years old, undefeated and already a four-division world champion. This is a massive signing for Zuffa Boxing, and I’m looking forward to promoting this next fight.”

Three-weight world champion Haney has been linked to signing with Zuffa in recent months, so it could now pave the way for the two fighters to meet, though ‘The Dream’ would have to vacate his WBO welterweight title in order to avoid a mandatory defence against Keyshawn Davis.

Chris Eubank Jr is expected to return before the end of the year as he seeks to bounce back from a one-sided defeat to Conor Bennand now a former world champion who has not fought in over four years has confirmed his interest in the clash.

Hampered by the weight limit and rehydration clause, Eubank continued his family’s success over the Benns with a decision triumph over his cross-generational rival last April, replicating the efforts of his father, Eubank Sr, who trumped Nigel Benn 35 years prior.

However, in the rematch back in November, Eubank Jr looked a shadow of himself as he was comprehensively outboxed and outfought by Benn, reaching the final bell by the skin of his teeth before a lopsided verdict was formally confirmed.

Since then, Eubank Jr has shunned the idea of retirement and has instead been linked to a catchweight affair with Australia’s Michael Zerafa, who signed with Matchroom Boxing last week and announced an August appearance on the Teremoana Teremoana vs. DeAndre Savage undercard in Queensland.

Whilst that contest may be presumably planned to tee up a scrap between Eubank and Zerafa at the end of the yearformer IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook told Boxing King Media that he would be willing to come out of retirement and take on his fellow Briton, if the offer is fair.

“Absolutely, [I am retired unless the right offer comes along]. If the right offer comes, I will fight. We have got history, me and Chris Eubank Jnr.”

“The offer still stands, if we can be sensible and they can give me what I am worth, then that fight can happen. If it doesn’t, I am happy.”

Brook hasn’t fought since his stoppage win over bitter rival Amir Khan back in February 2022, after a career which saw him also share the ring with the likes of Terence Crawford, Gennady Golovkin, Errol Spence and Shawn Porter.

As for Eubank Jr, he continues to claim that he is a free agent, but Boxxer’s Ben Shalom has maintained that he has a contract in place with the polarising middleweight and that he will be promoting his next fight.