Dissecting Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis’ move to loaded 154lbs division

Brian Norman Jnr’s triumphant knockout of Jin Sasaki in Japan on Thursday left the welterweight titleholder disappointment over the formal defection from the division of unified champion Jaron “Boots” Ennis.

Yet Norman’s loss may be boxing’s gain, as ProBoxTV’s “BoxingScene Today” analyst Chris Algieri and host Jimmy Smith discussed on Thursday’s episode.

“I wanted [Ennis] to go out and unify the [welterweight] division, but I also want to see the best version of ‘Boots’ Ennis,” Algieri said.

A trainer friend of former 140lbs titlist Algieri’s says Ennis, 34-0 (30 KOs), appears at his best “when he’s not killing himself” to make 147lbs, and by moving up to the talent-laden 154lbs division Ennis is projected to have a slew of attractive bouts at hand.

“He’s the boogeyman … that division needs an injection, needs life,” Algieri said. “No one has the profile Jaron Ennis brings. He sells tickets and is someone who brings eyes.”

The current champions at 154lbs are Sebastian Fundora, who will defend his WBC belt July 19 against former champion Tim Tszyu, interim WBA titleholder Yoenis Tellez and IBF belt holder Bakhram Murtazaliev of Russia.

Puerto Rico’s Xander Zayas will fight Mexico’s Jorge Garcia Perez for the vacant WBO belt July 26, and the division also counts Vergil Ortiz Jnr, Serhii Bohachuk, Erickson Lubin, Jesus Ramos Jnr and former titleholder Israil Madrimov.

Deep, but … “it needs stars,” Algieri said.

While Algieri said he would love to see outgoing IBF and WBA welterweight champion Ennis go right at the destructive Murtazaliev, 23-0 (17 KOs), promoter Kathy Duva told BoxingScene on Wednesday that Murtazaliev is in negotiations to fight England’s Josh Kelly, 17-1-1 (9 KOs), next, followed by his mandatory assignment against former title challenger Lubin.

Murtazaliev-Kelly is under consideration to be placed on the Canelo Alvarez-Terence Crawford card September 13 in Las Vegas. If it doesn’t land there, it will take place later.

“It might be a couple [non-title] fights [for Ennis]. … He can keep the ‘0’ and work toward title fights,” Algieri said. “There’ll be a lot of opportunities for him. Ticket sellers call the shots.”

The transition up 7lbs is intense, Smith noted, as Ennis will shift from 8oz to 10oz gloves and deal with heavier foes while seeking to add lean muscle mass.

“He’ll have to dig deep into his skills bag and find out how disciplined he can be” after some defensive lapses at welterweight, Algieri said. “I see him tangling with all the guys. … Vergil Ortiz would seem to be an easy fight to make.”

Ennis’ campaign to climb up the pound-for-pound rankings at age 27 could be swift, given the advanced age of current occupants Oleksandr Usyk, Crawford and Alvarez.

“If he goes to 154 and starts taking the heads of champions, yes,” Algieri said.

The same opportunity exists for Norman, 24, the WBO belt holder who will see two titles in the division vacated as new, high-profile entrants Rolly Romero, Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney have joined the glamour division that includes WBC titlist Mario Barrios Jnr and perhaps the return of Conor Benn.

“Brian Norman is legit,” Algieri said after Norman knocked out Sasaki cold in the fifth round. “He’s developing at a good rate. I see him giving that division a lot of trouble. … It makes the elevation of Jaron Ennis more acceptable. We’ve got a good one.”

Lance Pugmire is BoxingScene’s senior U.S. writer and an assistant producer for ProBox TV. Pugmire has covered boxing since the early 2000s, first at the Los Angeles Times and then at The Athletic and USA Today. He won the Boxing Writers’ Association of America’s Nat Fleischer Award in 2022 for career excellence.