Jaron Ennis got a win in his recent IBF welterweight championship rematch, but it wasn't the performance many expected. The fighter known as 'Boots' faced Karen Chukhadzhian for the second time in early November, following their January 2023 bout where Ennis won every round.
This time around, Ennis managed to drop Chukhadzhian in the fifth round. But he couldn't get the stoppage many fans were hoping for. Throughout the fight, Ennis got caught with more shots than usual, leading to some criticism of his performance.
WBO champion Brian Norman Jr, who stopped Giovani Santillan in May, shared his thoughts on Ennis' showing. In an interview with Boxing Scene, Norman didn't hold back:
"The difference is, he wouldn't have taken that left hook from me. I think it would've been night-night for him."
Norman acknowledged that everyone can have an off night, especially against an opponent who's familiar with their style. He said:
"Everybody has a bad night. It was just one of those nights. Karen's been around a while. He's got Ennis' style down more than the average fighter would. But, you know, everyone has an off night. I saw he was open a lot, of course, and that he was getting hit a lot, too."
The WBO champ offered some perspective on why Ennis might not have been at his best:
"Could be plenty of reasons why he looked that way, but like I said, anything could be the reason. It could be an off night, could be anything. But no matter the performance, I'm sure he'll learn from it and come back better, whatever the case may be."
There's been talk of a unification bout between Ennis and Norman, but it hasn't moved forward. Promoter Eddie Hearn claims Norman's team turned down three offers for the fight.
Despite the criticism, Ennis remains the IBF welterweight champion. Fans and fellow fighters will be watching closely to see how he responds in his next outing.
