Fresh off his sixth-round stoppage of Eimantas Stanionis, IBF and WBA welterweight champion Jaron “Boots” Ennis appears headed for a showdown with Shakhram Giyasov. Despite talk of potential unification fights against WBO champ Brian Norman Jr. or WBC belt-holder Mario Barrios, the Uzbek contender holds mandatory rights through the WBA and is unlikely to step aside again. Giyasov scored a highlight-reel knockout of Franco Ocampo on the same Atlantic City card last Saturday and previously allowed Stanionis to unify with Ennis but now wants his own shot.
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Eddie Hearn has openly pushed for a unification against Norman Jr., citing the big money that fight could command. However, Norman is rumored to be taking a different route by defending in Japan against Jin Sasaki, leaving Ennis without a marquee unification option. Meanwhile, Barrios is believed to be eyeing either Errol Spence or Manny Pacquiao, which further tightens the path to another unification for Ennis.
Giyasov, a 2016 Olympic silver medalist, matches up intriguingly with Ennis. At 5’9” with long arms, Giyasov exhibits speed and power which could pose problems for the Philadelphia fighter who has shown vulnerabilities in high-intensity exchanges. Though Hearn has suggested “Boots” took less money to make the Stanionis fight happen, the manager for Giyasov won’t be keen on another sidestep if a clear path to the belt is available.
With momentum surging around Ennis and Giyasov’s own star on the rise, the two unbeaten fighters have the chance to deliver another statement bout at 147. While official confirmation remains pending, all signs point to a mandatory clash that will confirm whether Giyasov is truly ready to seize the throne.
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