Jaron Ennis isn’t the type of fighter that will turn down a fight. If a name is presented to him, he’ll simply ask for a fight date, then proceed to sign his name on the dotted line. The same, however, can’t be said for his peers.

Finding a willing opponent has been arduous as of late. With the 26-year-old giving countless fighters a dirt nap, the rest of the welterweight division has taken notice. And, unless team Ennis hands over a large sum of cash, some have been reluctant about jumping in the ring with him.

Taking on nondescript opponents wasn’t his first choice but Ennis knows that ring rust is very much a real thing. 2023 has been much of the same. The smooth switch-hitter started off by pitching a shutout against Karen Chukhadzhian. A few months later, he ruthlessly destroyed Roiman Villa.

Neither were popular but it allowed Ennis to bank a few rounds and more importantly, an interim title.

That red and gold trinket sat perfectly on his mantle but Ennis didn’t view it solely as some great achievement. Instead, he considered it a bargaining chip, something that would force the hand of Terence Crawford, the division’s now former, undisputed champion.

Crawford though, shrugged his shoulders and apathetically went in another direction, leading to him being stripped. Ennis, subsequently, was elevated to full champion.

It wasn’t how Ennis envisioned his first title reign, but he’ll take what he can get. Now, he believes he’s in a position of power. No longer is he willing to be docile in the negotiating room. Promoters and managers beware, if a fighter under your umbrella doesn’t bring some sort of name value to the table, Ennis will most likely ignore you.

“I wanna fight the best,” Ennis told YSM Sports Media. “I don’t wanna fight no mediocre competition. I wanna fight great guys, people with names.”

Ultimately, fighting elite-level opponents won’t totally satisfy Ennis’ bloodthirsty desires. It doesn’t matter how many top-notch names he knocks off. When asked if he still wants to eventually get his hands on Crawford, he kept his answer short and sweet.

“Definitely.”