Promoter Eddie Hearn recently broke down the latest movement with regards to a possible fight between two-belt welterweight champ Jaron “Boots” Ennis and reigning WBO 140 pound champ Teofimo Lopez. Speaking with Fight Hub TV, Hearn said “we like the fight,” as far as he and Boots go, while he said that he has been talking to Turki Alalshikh about the fight.
Hearn said that the fight was initially being looked at for October but that it could now take place as soon as August. Hearn basically said that if Ennis wants the fight, it will happen. If not, and Ennis wants to go up to 154 pounds, it won’t happen. Lopez we know wants the fight quite badly, but Boots may well have the final say on whether or not the matchup happens.
Hearn says it’s up to Ennis—stay at 147 and face Teo, or move on
“We’ve been talking to His Excellency about Boots against Teofimo, originally it was more October, it could be around August time now. We like the fight,” Hearn said. “For Boots, after the [Karen] Chukhadzhian] fight, he was really considering a move to ’54. The [Eimantas] Stanionis unification came around and that’s what he wanted to do more than anything [unify the 147 belts]. Now it’s like, ‘do I stay at 147 or do I go to ’54? Can you get me another belt?’ Right now, Brian Norman’s on the missing list, and Mario Barrios is fighting Manny Pacquiao. So, no, is the answer. Okay, so what have we got at ’54? Then out the blue the Teofimo fight comes around. It may not be a massive motivator to Ennis, but it is a big fight. So, my answer is, if Jaron stays at 147, I think there’s a very good chance he’ll fight Teofimo Lopez next.”
Big names, risky fight—and a likely destination in Saudi
So, will Boots fight Teo, or will he make that move up to 154? But as Hearn said himself, who or what is there at 154 for Boots? Nothing springs to mind as far as being a bigger fight that the Lopez fight. Look for Boots Vs. Teofimo to happen in Saudi this August. As to who wins, some good judges see this as a risky fight for both men. That’s why we fans want to see it happen.
Ennis, currently unbeaten at 34-0(30), looked very good in dismantling Stanionis in April, while Lopez, 22-1(13), won with something to spare against Arnold Barboza Jr earlier this month.
