Ennis vs Avanesyan Purse: How Big is the Philadelphia Prize?

Jaron Ennis will put his invincible record and the IBF Welterweight title on the line this Saturday night, when he takes on David Avanesyan. Beyond the bragging rights and championship belt, how much will this fight put in Ennis' and Avanesyan's pockets? Here’s our Ennis vs Avanesyan purse analysis. 

Ennis vs Avanesyan Purse: Millions for the Defender?

Avanesyan stepped in as the last minute replacement for Cody Crowley, who had to pull out because of a retina problem. But, he will be equally interested in ending Ennis’ reign at the Wells Fargo Center. 

Matchroom Boxing secured the rights to promote this fight, originally planned between Ennis and Cody Crawley. While Crawley's withdrawal forced a change in opponent, the Ennis vs Avanesyan prize money will remain the same as what was initially offered for Ennis vs Crawley.

ESPN correspondent Mike Coppinger reported on April 23 that Matchroom outbid rivals by offering a $3.9 million purse for the fight. That means, the Ennis vs Avanesyan purse size is also $3.9 million. 

Coppinger also announced that the fight will take place in July and Wells Fargo Center will serve as the venue. Given the accuracy of these details, his information regarding the boxers' pay for the fight holds more weight.

According to the rules of IBF, the reigning champion gets 85% of the total purse money. So, the Ennis vs Avanesyan payouts will see Ennis making around $3.315 million. Avanesyan, who is filling in for Crawley, will make $585,000. 

Since this is Ennis’ first title defense, this will be his heftiest paycheck to date. The same is expected for Avanesyan, who has an estimated net worth of $1 million.

Boxing Fighter Payouts – Ennis vs Avanesyan

Jaron Ennis remains undefeated in his professional boxing career. In his most recent outing on July 8, 2023, at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, he secured a dominant 10th-round knockout victory over Roiman Villa (26-2, 24 KOs).

Ennis' victory over Villa not only solidified his undefeated record, but also secured him the IBF Interim Welterweight Championship. A fight against mandatory challenger Terence Crawford was on the horizon. However, Crawford opted to step aside, paving the way for Ennis to be officially crowned the IBF Welterweight Champion at 147 lbs. on November 9th.

Across the ring, David Avanesyan, currently ranked #13, boasts a strong record of 4-1 in his last five outings. Most recently, in December, he dominated Serge Ambono (13-6-3, 4 KOs) with a technical decision victory in the fourth round, putting on a show in Birmingham, England.

This is Avanesyan's third shot at a world title, aiming to learn from his previous defeats in championship fights, most recent in December 2022. Stepping in on short notice last month, he replaces Cody Crowley who withdrew due to vision issues.

Ennis will get to walk away with a fortune, regardless of the result of the fight. The Philadelphian orthodox, however, will be eager to make a winning return in front of his home crowd. This will be his first fight as a world champion in Philadelphia, and his first there in a staggering six years.