For many fans, unbeaten welterweight contender Jaron Ennis is THE best young fighter out there today. The 25 year old from Philadelphia has for some time been calling for a shot at either Errol Spence and/or Terence Crawford, but “Boots” is aiming even higher than that. Speaking with Radio Rahim ahead of Saturday’s fight with Karen Chukhadzhian, 21-1(11), who Ennis is something like a 40-1 monster betting favourite over, the 29-0(27) talent says his ultimate goal is to become undisputed world champ at four weights – welterweight – light-middleweight – middleweight and super-middleweight.
“My goal is to become undisputed at ’47, ’54, ’60, and maybe even ’68. I want to be one of the first me to do that. I’m ready, I can’t wait,” Ennis said.
In the long history of boxing, there are currently 22 men who managed to become a quadruple champion (not all undisputed) – these fighters are: Thomas Hearns (the first man to do it), Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran, Jeff Fenech, Pernell Whitaker, Oscar De La Hoya, Leo Gamez, Roy Jones Jr, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao, Erik Morales, Jorge Arce, Juan Manuel Marquez, Nonito Donaire, Miguel Cotto, Adrien Broner, Roman Gonzalez, Mikey Garcia, Donnie Nietes, Kazuto Ioka, Leon Santa Cruz, Canelo Alvarez.
But no man has ever become world champ at 147/154/160 and 168 pounds, much less the undisputed champion in each of the four weights. Ennis really is aiming high. But is “Boots” good enough, is he potentially great enough, to do it? Of course, it takes more than talent to win all the belts in just one weight division – boxing politics so very often playing a big part.
Ennis, though, has a total and utter look of a future world champion. We just don’t know at how many weights he can and will rule when given the opportunity. Will WBO welterweight champ Crawford ever agree to fight Ennis? Will WBA/WBC/IBF welterweight champ Spence agree to face Ennis?
Providing he suffers no unlikely slip-up on Saturday – in a fight that will contest the IBF’s interim belt at 147 – Ennis will be kicking the door down for a shot at a world title later this year. And beyond that, who knows how far “Boots” will go!
