FRIDAY and Saturday night gave boxing fans a glimpse into the future.

There were a number of prospects on the Top Rank card, led by lightweight title challenger Keyshawn Davis, who showed he was ready for a world title shot.

Jaron “Boots” Ennis and Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez teamed up to lend a hand sell Matchroom’s latest American event, which produced both wins and various performances. In 2025, these three undefeated talents may have fights that will define their careers, but what will happen next?

analyzes potential options.

Keyshawn Davis

The pressure was on for the 25-year-old to not only beat Gustavo Lemos on Friday night, but to do so in impressive fashion in front of more than 10,000 fans at home in Norfolk, Virginia.

The Scope Arena was shaking with anticipation as Davis showed up on the biggest night of his career. Lemos had no answer to Davis’ precision and technique and was defeated in two rounds.

Davis then challenged Gervonta “Tank” Davis, but realistically he will have to bring more to the table. Keyshawn, Raymond Muratalla and Sam Noakes fight William Zepeda to face WBO lightweight champion Denys Berinchyk. However, four will become three if Zepeda moves forward and fights Shakur Stevenson in February.

Plan A for Davis should include Berinchyk. Plan B could involve George Kambosos or a top-class lightweight eliminator against Muratalla. Kambosos may be priced too high and Bob Arum may not pair two future champions together. Another alternative, however, would be to call Frank Martin and take him to Norfolk, Virginia.

Ennis admitted he was “slothful” with Chukhadzian.
Photo by Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing

Jaron Ennis

If anyone needs a substantial fight, it’s Jaron Ennis. After eight years and 33 fights, his best win is against a B-list fighter. His second win over Karen Chukhadzhian was a no-brainer, but Ennis failed to lithe up the Wells Fargo Center.

One of the arguments may be that we will see the best “Boots” players against a much stronger opponent. His promoter, Eddie Hearn, said there were talks going on behind the scenes about Ennis moving up to super welterweight and fighting Vergil Ortiz. Ennis’s malice and cunning against Ortiz’s power and tenacity could lead to a violent confrontation.

There are also plans for welterweight unifications with Eimantas Stanionis, Mario Barros and Brian Norman Jr, but they do not touch the issue as much as the fight with Ortiz. If Ennis’ time at 147 pounds comes to an end, a move to 154 pounds could put him in contention for a fight with Terence Crawford if the price is right from Turki Alalshikh.

Rodriguez once again showed why he is one of the top talents in the sport with his win over Guevara. Photo: Amanda Westcott Matchroom Boxing

Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez

People are running out of superlatives to describe this wonderful craftsman. And at the age of 24, it’s scary to think what he could still achieve. His third-round stoppage against Guevara was another highlight overdue in the match that left his promoter Eddie Hearn muttering about the future.

The number one super flyweight could weigh in at 115 pounds, and Rodriguez’s legacy should have the undisputed crown. Phumelele Cafu (WBO champion) and Fernando Martinez (WBA) have two obstacles in their way, and the IBF belt is currently vacant.

In time, becoming undisputed will make a potential future bantamweight fight with Junto Nakatani even more significant.

JARON ENNIS might have thought he would never box Karen Chukhadzhian again considering how comfortably he outplayed him when they met in January 2023. However, the IBF had a different opinion and reinstated the Ukrainian as mandatory IBF welterweight champion Boots. Now, ahead of their not-so-anticipated rematch, we take a look at both boxers’ best wins.

JARON ENNIS TOP 3 WINS

Vs David Avanesyan, July 13, 2024, Philadelphia – TKO 5

It was advertised as something of a test for the undefeated Ennis, but it looked like nothing of the sort given the way the home favorite demolished the Armenian. During his substantial homecoming in Philadelphia, in front of 14,000 fans at the Wells Fargo Center, Ennis took control almost immediately and routinely landed on both the head and body. The breakthrough came when a right hand dropped Avanesyan in the fifth set, with no challenger emerging early in the sixth.

Vs Romain Villa, July 8, 2023, Atlantic City – KO 12

Colombian Romain Villa came into this fight off the back of a huge 24-0 victory over Rashidi Ellis in his first 12-round fight six months earlier. However, his second outing didn’t go so well with Boots in excellent form. It was something of a masterclass from the Philadelphia star before he finished the show with a substantial cross-hook-cross combination in the southpaw position that sent Villa to the canvas.

vs. Thomas Dulorme, October 30, 2021, Las Vegas – 1 KO

Boots already had 10 first-round knockouts in his career when he faced tough veteran Thomas Dulorme, but in Mandalay Bay he impressively scored 11. Just a minute later, Ennis knocked down Dulorme for the first time with a right hand behind the ear. The Puerto Rican got up and managed to hang on for another 30 seconds before Ennis landed a huge left hand that knocked his opponent down for a second time. Referee Mike Ortega counted Dulorme out and the official timeout was at 1:49 of the first minute.

KAREN CHUKHADZIAN TOP 3 WINS

Vs Pietro Rossetti, October 28, 2023, Munich – TKO 9

Italian Rossetti, known as “The Butcher”, was on a 10-fight winning streak when he arrived in Munich, but Chukhudzhian crushed him within nine. Against the guy he was just too swift and too skillful, and a series of checkered hooks made him look crude at times. In fact, the beating became so one-sided that at 1:11 of the ninth second, referee Leszek Jankowiak stepped in to call a break.

Vs Blake Minto, July 2, 2022, Erding – TKO 6

With a perfect score in eight rounds of 10, Chukhudzhian easily handled his 12-round debut, forcing Blake Minto to retire in the sixth round at the Stadtwerke Arena in Erding, Germany. This was his first defense of the IBF intercontinental belt he had won six months earlier, and the nature of the victory earned him his first shot at Ennis the following January.

Vs Harry Scarff, May 17, 2024, Rothenbaum – UD 12

When Englishman “Horrible” Harry Scarff defeated Ekow Essuman to become the British and Commonwealth welterweight champion, he emerged as a viable opponent for Chukhudzhian, who was still trying to forge a path back to the world title after his defeat to Ennis. And at the Elysee Hotel in Rothenbaum, Chukhudzhian boxed in mature fashion to destroy the in-form guy and take a 116-112 decision on all three scorecards. And it turned out to be a crucial victory, because within a few months the IBF ordered Ennis to face him again.

BOXING turns into a circus on November 15, when 58-year-old Mike Tyson and 27-year-old Jake Paul fight.

Some expect Tyson, one of the most iconic fighters of all time, to destroy Paul with relative ease. However, it may not be that uncomplicated. Tyson’s last professional fight was almost 20 years ago against Kevin McBride, and it was a depressed sight. The once unstoppable Tyson slumped to the bottom rope in defeat was an image that truly summed up where Tyson was at that moment. His performance was very needy, he practically stopped trying and admitted later that he didn’t want to play there anymore. Let me repeat: it was almost 20 years ago.

His life, as always, continued to be a proverbial roller coaster. He gained weight, lost weight, performed live, lost a child, married for the third time, and became a marijuana farmer, just to name a few. He recently stepped into the ring against another boxing legend, Roy Jones Jr. and if this fight had happened after Jones defeated John Ruiz for the WBA heavyweight title in 2003, it would have been a huge exhibition fight in 2020. Tyson looked better against him than Jones did against McBride , but considering the nature of the exhibition, it is hard to say what level it is at.

Paul is a YouTuber/artist turned boxer and it’s difficult to deny that he has worked very difficult and performed very well to reach the level he is currently at in the relatively compact time he has been boxing. It’s very prosperous and there are certainly easier ways to make money than professional boxing, even if you try to choose matches that will attract the most attention with the least risk possible. You have to respect him for still wanting to do it.

It seems that after losing to Tommy Fury, he cleverly realized that he had very little chance of reaching the level in the sport he said he was at. He’s looking for shocking fights with fighters like Mike Tyson while telling people he can beat Canelo. It has promoted very well and there are rumors that it may be one of the most watched live fights of all time, with Netflix entering the sport for the first time and broadcasting the event live.

It’s a shame that this happens, but professional boxing has always been an entertainment business, not a pure sport, and this is just another example of that.

THE FIRST CHAMPION

Last weekend at the club I coach, Paddy John’s ABC, our first national champion of the season was won by 18-year-old Archie Liddell, the national heavyweight champion. I’m trying to sponsor him through Jaffa Cakes, but so far no luck!