Blair “The Flair” Cobbs has taken aim at fellow Philadelphia native Jaron “Boots” Ennis, publicly accusing the IBF welterweight champion of “ducking” him. Cobbs has been vocal about his desire to face Ennis in an all-Philadelphia showdown, going so far as to label himself the “most exciting man in boxing.”
Cobbs, 34, bounced back from his lone career defeat in 2022 with two significant wins. First, he dominated former WBO junior-welterweight champion Maurice Hooker, scoring three knockdowns en route to a unanimous decision. He followed that with a career-best victory over Adrien Broner, where he knocked out a tooth and floored the former four-division champion in the opening round. Cobbs controlled the fight, earning a unanimous decision and reigniting his career. Despite these victories, Cobbs’ lack of promotional stability has kept him from securing high-profile opportunities in the welterweight division.
In contrast, the 27-year-old Ennis has steadily built his reputation as one of the division’s most dangerous fighters, with 29 of his 33 wins coming by knockout. His most recent victory was a dominant performance against Karen Chukhadzhian. However, Ennis recently turned down a fight with Vergil Ortiz Jr. at 154 pounds, fueling Cobbs’ accusations of cherry-picking and avoiding challenges.
Cobbs insists a fight between the two would be a massive event for Philadelphia and a much-needed injection of excitement into the welterweight division. “Why are we not making the Blair ‘The Flair’ fight happen? Two Philadelphia fighters, big attraction, big excitement in boxing,” Cobbs said. “I have no clue what they’re doing besides ducking.”
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