Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe is practically salivating at the future hopes of signing the young welterweight phenom Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis once he’s a promotional free agent.
Ennis (31-0,28 KOs) is a rising star at 147 and is ready to take over the division now that Terence Crawford & Errol Spence Jr. are moving to 154.
Ellerbe would like to get his hands on the ultra-talented Boots to turn him into a superstar like he’s done with Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis, who has become the ‘Face of Boxing’ at 135.
The 26-year-old ‘Boots’ Ennis has been swerved by the top dogs in the welterweight division, who have shown no interest in mixing it up with him, knowing that it would be very hard work.
“I’m just being honest. If we were working with the young man, he would be on another level. I’m just being honest,” said Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe to Fighthype on Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis.
Ellerbe doesn’t say which direction he would take Boots to make him into a PPV attraction, as the old guard, Keith ‘One Time’ Thurman, and the aforementioned Crawford & Spence have no intention of facing him.
Perhaps the quickest route for Boots to become a star would be for him to show flexibility by floating between divisions, like another Henry Armstrong, going up to 154 & 140 to get the biggest names available.
It would be risky for Boots to take on bigger fighters like Tim Tszyu, Brian Mendoza, and Jesus Ramos, but it could pay off in the end. If Canelo Alvarez could enjoy success floating around weight classes, Boots Ennis can do it as well.
Staying put at 147 exclusively would be a mistake and slow the growth for Boots because the division is barren, with lesser names and old inactive guys like Thurman, who is pretty much done.
If Boots moved down to 140, he could face some of these top guys:
- Subriel Matias
- Arnold Barboza Jr.
- Gary Antuanne Russell
- Devin Haney
- Regis Prograis
“The proof is in the pudding what we do over here. We know how to make stars, and he’s a boxing star. We could take him to a much higher level, but he’s already working with somebody I don’t want to violate any of that,” said Ellerbe.
It took a long time for Ellerbe & Mayweather Promotions to turn Tank Davis into a star. If they had been more willing to put him in risky fights early on, he’d have been a star a lot faster.
Boots cannot afford to be spoonfed weak opposition in a similar way that Tank was, so if he does end up with Mayweather Promotions, he needs to be assertive about how he’s being matched.
“Much respect for his team, Bob and everybody, but if they’re [Jaron Ennis] free and looking to go to the next level, they know where to go,” said Ellerbe.
