What to Know
- Matchroom Boxing announced that unified world super welterweight champion Jaron “Boots” Ennis has extended his contract.
- The multi-fight deal covers his next seven rights.
- Boots Ennis of Philadelphia became the unified champion by defeating Xander Zayas in July, and now holds the WBO and WBA belts.
On Tuesday, promoter Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Boxing announced a new multi-fight deal with American super welterweight champion Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis.
The deal covers the 29-year-old unified champion’s next seven fights. Ennis is pursuing his goal of becoming the division’s undisputed champion.
Ennis and Matchroom A Winning Combination
Ennis first signed with Matchroom in April 2024. The first fight under his new deal took place in his hometown at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, and he returned there for his second fight. Ennis defended his IBF World Welterweight title first against David Avanesyan, and then found himself in a surprisingly competitive fight against Karen Chukhadzhian.
One year later, Ennis took on WBA World Welterweight champion Eimantas Stanionis of Lithuania. Ennis dominated Stanionis, stopping the durable and well-regarded champion in six rounds in Atlantic City.
The Move to Super Welterweight
Ennis finally had to acknowledge the time had come to move up in weight. He returned home to Philadelphia, running through mandatory challenger Uisma Lima inside one round of their October 2025 fight for the interim WBA World Super Welterweight title.
It was merely the appetizer before a surprising main dish and the biggest fight of Ennis’ career so far. Ennis took on Xander Zayas in Brooklyn in July, delivering a dominating performance and stopping the well regarded Puerto Rican champion in seven rounds.
Now, Ennis seeks the remaining belts with the goal of becoming the super welterweight division’s undisputed champion. The IBF champion is Josh Kelly of England, who is now a Matchroom Boxing stablemate after also signing a deal with Matchroom today.
The remaining title is the WBC World Super Welterweight title held by Sebastian Fundora of Coachella, California. Fundora made a successful title defense on Saturday against mandatory challenger Ermal Hadribeaj.
It is widely anticipated that Ennis and Kelly will schedule a unification fight for three of the four belts in early 2027. The winner will then turn his gunsights to Fundora with the winner becoming the acknowledged king of the division.
Boots Ennis: In Position to ‘Get What I Want’
Ennis believes he is with the right team to land those fights and become undisputed.
“I’m excited for my extended partnership with Matchroom,” said Ennis. “Together we have aligned ourselves in all the right positions to get what I want, and that’s undisputed.
“The world is about to see why I’m different and why I’m the best fighter in the world. These guys aren’t on my level. They can’t do what I do. Road to undisputed, road to the number one pound-for-pound best fighter in the world!” added Ennis.
“I am delighted that Jaron has signed a new deal with us,” said Hearn. “It’s an honor that this pound-for-pound star continues to trust us with his career, and the whole team intends to repay that faith by delivering what he wants: unification and undisputed fights and the biggest names and nights in the sport.”
Gayle Falkenthal is an award-winning boxing journalist with more than four dozen awards for both written and video coverage from the Boxing Writers Association of America, Society of Professional Journalists, and San Diego Press Club, where she is the past president. She is the only woman journalist who is a full voting member of the BWAA. She is the Boxing Editor for NY Fights based in San Diego, California.
