Matchroom announced on Friday that Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis has signed a multi-fight extension with the company and DAZN.
Tune-Ups: Fan Frustration
Fans are skeptical about the extension bringing value to Matchroom. Boots (34-0, 30 KOs) is reportedly interested in taking two tune-up fights to acclimate himself to the 154-lb division before fighting a high-level fighter like Vergil Ortiz Jr.
Ennis’s last eight opponents
Eimastas Stanionis
Karen Chukhadzhian x 2
David Avanesyan
Roiman Villa
Custio Clayton
Thomas Dulorme
Sergiy Lipnets
Chris Van Heerden
This means that for the next year, Ennis will be fighting less competitive opposition, and he’ll be near 30 years old before he begins fighting elite-level fighters at 154. Besides providing no value to Matchroom, it does nothing for the fans.
Ennis’s C-Level Opposition
Many fans have grown tired of watching Boots Ennis feast on lackluster C-level opposition, which he has consistently done throughout his entire nine-year career.
If all Boots is going to do is fight sub-level opposition, how do the fans, DAZN, and Matchroom gain from this? Turki Alalshikh won’t want to use Boots Ennis on his Riyadh Season events because he doesn’t believe in having fighters take tune-ups. He’s paying for fighters to entertain by fighting the best.
Hearn should be firm with Ennis, telling him that he’s not going to pay for him to fight tune-ups. The three fights that he’s had since signing with Matchroom last year were essentially tune-ups with his wins over Stanionis, Chukhadzhian, and Avanesyan.
“I’m delighted that Jaron has committed himself to Matchroom and DAZN,” said Hearn. “Since we first started working with him last April, we’ve proved together that he is one of the very few fighters in the US who can draw huge crowds in the arena. I’m so excited to see Boots set about the 154lb division, where you are going to see a different beast and his full arsenal on display.”
New deal, new weight, new goals 🤝
154 @JaronEnnis is on the way 🚀 pic.twitter.com/nbxVbD71Sa
— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) July 25, 2025