Promoter Eddie Hearn says Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis is not only pound-for-pound #1 worthy but also a bona fide “star” after shining for the first time in three fights since signing with Matchroom a year ago. IBF welterweight champion Ennis (34-0, 30 KOs) picked up the WBA 147-lb title from Eimantas Stanionis (15-1, 9 KOs) last Saturday night on April 12th, stopping the previously unbeaten champion in the sixth round at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

(Credit: Mark Robinson/Matchroom)

Before that fight, Boots, 27, had looked unimpressive for his two bouts under Hearn’s watch, and some felt that he was just another one of the many hype jobs in the sport. Still, even with his win over Stanionis, there are a lot of doubts about whether Ennis is the real deal.

Big Tests

To be a star, Boots must beat many better fighters than Stanionis. That guy looked like he would lose to half of the top 15.

Boots needs to defeat these fighters to be viewed as a true star and not an artificial variety:

– Vergil Ortiz Jr.
– Carlos Adames
– David Morrell
– Brian Norman Jr.
– Serhii Bohachuk
– Janibek Alimkhanuly
– David Benavidez
– Osleys Iglesias
– Canelo Alvarez
– Israil Madrimov
– Sebastian Fundora
– Terence Crawford

“We have taken Boots in nine months from someone that people said, ‘Couldn’t sell, wouldn’t rate, no one is interested in’ to a guy that has sold over 35,000 tickets. He stuck 16,000 at Wells Fargo, and then 12 then [thousand] at Atlantic City for the first time in nearly a decade since there’s been a major fight there,” said promoter Eddie Hearn to The Stomping Ground about his belief that he’s increased Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis’ popularity in the ninth monthes since signing him.

Boots brought in the fans at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia in spite of his lackluster performances. No one can take proper credit for them. He did that based on hype rather than his victories, because he’d never beaten anyone notable in his career, and he looked below average against Roiman Villa, Karen Chukhadzhian, and David Avanesyan.

Pound-For-Pound?

“So, now we’ve got to recognize that he’s not only a pound-for-pound great fighter, but he’s a star. We’ve built that with him. The journey is personal for both of us, and I was really pleased for him. The future is massive for him. Even people who are haters, turned around and went, ‘That was good. This geezer is a problem and a star.’ That’s what we do. I know how to build talent. I know how to build stars.

“Boots is a talent. It hasn’t taken him three years. It’s taken nine months. That’s it and there are so many other fighters in America that I can do the same to as I’ve done with Boots. Believe in me and earn with Hearn, baby,” said Hearn.