IBF welterweight champion Jaron “Boots” Ennis looked nervous as he faced novel opponent David Avanesyan in his first fight Saturday night, July 13, at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
Boots Ennis’s Anxiety
Ennis looked exhausted and worried today in his fight with 35-year-old power puncher Avanesyan. This is a threatening fight for Boots because Avanesyan has more power than anyone he has ever fought and a different style than the guys he is used to fighting.
Both fighters still have one final press conference on Thursday, July 11, and a weigh-in on Friday before their clash on Saturday night on DAZN.
Interestingly, Boots Ennis’ novel promoters at Matchroom Boxing have not put much thought into advertising the fight, despite Eddie Hearn expressing his excitement at the prospect of signing the welterweight phenomenon.
To make the 27-year-old Ennis a large star, Hearn will have to work on marketing him to ordinary boxing fans who are not yet familiar with the youthful fighter.
If Boots is worn out due to overtraining or weight loss, Avanesyan could make him pay by moving the fight to the later rounds and pulling off a surprise. It would be the second straight recent contract loss for Hearn.
“It’s an compelling fight. You favor Ennis. He looked exceptional. This fight isn’t promoted as much as it deserves, but I don’t know,” Paulie Malignaggi said on Paulie TVtalking about the most essential fight on Saturday in Philadelphia between IBF welterweight champion Jaron “Boots” Ennis and David Avanesyan.
“We’ll see what Avanesyan has left, because he’s a guy who usually pushes a little bit,” Paulie said.
The outcome remains uncertain
Avanesyan has a reputation for pushing his opponents and being tough. Even in his loss to Terence Crawford on December 10, 2022, he landed some powerful punches, but the Nebraska native took them and came back to score a one-punch knockout in the sixth round.
It was more of a case of a punch that Avanesyan didn’t see. There were issues with Crawford’s gloves that Avanesyan is still unhappy with.
“He’s usually not able to win at this level, although he has some surprises. He pushes you. I’m curious to see what Ennis looks like and I’m curious to see what Avanesyan has left,” Malignaggi said.
Avanesyan has only lost to one really good fighter in his career. His other losses have come to Lamont Peterson and Egidijus Kavaliauskas. The power Avanesyan possesses makes him a threat to Ennis if he can hang in there long enough to land a few good punches.
“Who knows? After Crawford stopped the Avanesyan fight, maybe the chin is dented, and after knockouts like that you’re not the same,” Malignaggi said when asked if Avanesyan had a chance Saturday night at Boots Ennis.
You can ignore Crawford’s loss because of his gloves, but the real issue is that Avanesyan has been out of the ring for almost two years. That’s the bigger issue, and whether he’s still motivated to fight is questionable.
“Avanesyan was really strong against tough, hard-hitting welterweights. Kerman won almost all of his fights by knockout, and Avanesyan went through him and stopped him [twice]. So, as I said, we’ll see what’s left for Avanesyan,” Malignaggi said.
Avanesyan’s Power
When Avanesyan knocked out Lejarraga for the first time in March 2019, many boxing fans thought it was a surprise because they felt he would lose. But when Avanesyan knocked out Lejarraga for the second time in September 2019 in the first round, it showed that he was grave.
“If there’s anything left in Avanesyan, I’d certainly be curious to see how Ennis deals with him. We really don’t know. We’ll see,” Malignaggi said.
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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