Jaron 'Boots' Ennis, the IBF Welterweight Champion, has come under fire from former welterweight world champion Shawn Porter. Porter branded Ennis as 'overrated' due to his lack of high-level opposition.
Ennis, who's regarded as one of the best welterweight fighters in the world, was recently elevated from interim champion when Terence Crawford was stripped of his belt. He's had a mixed run of performances lately. In July, he scored a dominant fifth-round stoppage win over David Avanesyan. However, his unanimous decision victory against Karen Chukhadzhian in November was described as lacklustre.
Porter didn't hold back in his criticism of Ennis on The Porter Way Podcast. He said:
"Boots is overrated. He had 1 fight in 2022, for all of the training that he does. 2 fights in 2023, for all of that training. This now being only his second fight in 2024 against an Eastern European fighter with a style you never see and a name you never knew. This is a rematch so he knows the name but Philly don't know the name and the boxing world don't know the name. I'm not trying to be disrespect to Chukhadzhian but you expect him to get up and get ready and be that guy. It ain't happening. He needs to move up to 154lbs."
Porter's main points of criticism were Ennis' limited number of fights in recent years and the caliber of his opponents. He pointed out that Ennis only had one fight in 2022 and two in 2023, despite his rigorous training regimen.
The former champion also took issue with Ennis' upcoming rematch against Karen Chukhadzhian. Porter argued that while Ennis might know his opponent, Chukhadzhian isn't a household name in Philadelphia or the wider boxing world.
Porter's solution? He thinks Ennis should move up to the 154lbs weight class. This suggestion comes as Ennis faces a crossroads in his career. He could step up to face Crawford at 154lbs or pursue unification fights at welterweight against fighters like Brian Norman Jr or Mario Barrios.
It's worth noting that Crawford has also weighed in on Ennis' performance. He shared his thoughts on Ennis' failure to stop Chukhadzhian in their first fight earlier this month.
As Ennis prepares for his rematch with Chukhadzhian, all eyes will be on his performance. Will he prove Porter wrong, or will this criticism push him to seek out tougher competition?
