Jaron “Boots” Ennis is fresh off a much-needed, decisive victory over Eimantas Stanionis in his last fight, and it appears we know who his next opponent will be.
When Ennis scored a sixth-round TKO win over Stanionis on April 12, he added the WBA welterweight title to his IBF title to own half of the official world titles at 147 pounds. With new gold comes new responsibility–and sanctioning fees.
The WBA has ordered Ennis to defend his title against mandatory contender, Shakhram Giyasov in his next fight. Giyasov of Uzbekistan is 17-0 with 10 KO. He scored a fourth-round KO win over Franco Ocampo on the undercard of Ennis-Stanionis. While no date or official agreement has been made, you can almost bet Ennis will fight Giyasov next.
His pursuit to become an undisputed champion at welterweight is his best path to the superstardom and bigger paydays he seeks. Many will remember a tearful Giyasov talking about his daughter who recently passed away during his post-fight interview after his win over Ocampo.
Giyasov presents a unique challenge—not only because of his record and Olympic pedigree—but because of the emotional weight he’s been carrying. His post-fight interview after the Ocampo knockout revealed a layer of humanity that’s easy to root for. But sentiment won’t win rounds, and Ennis is a different kind of problem than anyone Giyasov has faced so far.
The welterweight title picture could be getting more interesting. WBC champion Barrios is said to be pushing for a fight against retired all-time great, Manny Pacquiao and WBO champ, Brian Norman is already set to defend his title against Jin Sasaki in Tokyo on June 19, per Top Rank Boxing.
Ennis’ win over Stanionis served as more than just another belt. It was a validation moment. Many in the boxing world have been critical of Ennis’ most recent performances. Taking out a gritty and respected fighter like Stanionis with such ease slowed down some of the critiques. The win gave Boots another title and leverage in the welterweight hierarchy.
Assuming Ennis can beat Giyasov, which is not a given, Boots’ unification bouts will be even bigger if he’s facing the winner of Norman-Sasaki, and especially Barrios-Pacquiao.
The question for Ennis will be can he consistently make 147 pounds. If so, he has a chance to make his mark. Meanwhile, the rest of the division seems to be moving into place for a second-half-of-the-year shakeup. Should Pacquiao truly return to face Barrios, that instantly becomes the biggest draw. But from a purist’s standpoint, the path toward Ennis vs. Norman or Ennis vs. Barrios is what could eventually define this current era at welterweight. Norman should beat Sasaki, and you’d think Barrios should beat Pacquiao–if that fight happens.
Either way, there isn’t an opponent currently on the horizon who Ennis would be favored over if the fight was made.
An announcement for Ennis-Giyasov could be coming soon, and depending on what happens with Norman-Sasaki and Barrios-Pacquiao, Boots’ next unification fight could come in the early part of 2026.
