WITH Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis having vacated both of his world titles at 147lbs, fans are now eagerly awaiting an announcement for his super-welterweight debut.
According to Matchroom Boxing boss Eddie Hearn, who promotes the American star, confirmation of his next opponent should arrive soon enough.
While delivering that information via his Instagram story earlier today, Hearn has also stated in previous interviews that Ennis, 34-0 (30 KOs), will return to action in October.
A selection of fighters, meanwhile, have been mooted as possible dance partners for the 28-year-old, who comes off a scintillating sixth-round finish over Eimantas Stanionis.
Here, Boxing News takes a look at three names which, while perhaps not being the most appealing, represent potential opponents for Ennis.
Josh Kelly
It is now well documented that Josh Kelly, along with his manager and trainer Adam Booth, was presented with a ‘low-ball’ offer to face Ennis in Philadelphia.
Of course, the financial dispute at play seems to have formed an enormous barrier but, at the same time, it remains entirely possible that a sensible deal has since been reached.
In any case, Kelly, 17-1-1 (9 KOs), represents a somewhat left field option, especially when considering his lack of a test in recent years, ahead of Ennis’ first outing at 154lbs.
One can only suspect, too, that the former unified champion would prove to be a tier or two above the Brit, who is still yet to claim a notable scalp at world level.
Serhii Bohachuk
As a far more established operator at super-welterweight, Serhii Bohachuk should take priority over Kelly when Hearn is considering who Ennis’ next opponent could be.
Unlike Kelly, the Ukrainian made light work of Ishmael Davis towards the end of last year, just a few months after he introduced Vergil Ortiz Jr to a torrid night at the office.
In that encounter, Bohachuk, 26-2 (24 KOs), floored his man twice but, following a set of somewhat controversial scorecards, was ultimately forced to walk away with a majority decision defeat.
Nevertheless, the 30-year-old remains a ferocious force at 154lbs and, even against a fighter as talented and athletic as Ennis, is likely to, at the very least, produce a genuinely world-class performance.
Charles Conwell
Along with both Kelly and Bohachuk, sturdy super-welterweight contender Charles Conwell has been mentioned as a possible opponent for ‘Boots’.
The 27-year-old has secured wins over the likes of Nathaniel Gallimore and Juan Carlos Abreu, two solid gatekeepers, but a shock defeat to Jorge Garcia Perez earlier this year saw him plummet down the WBO rankings.
As a result, Conwell, 21-1 (16 KOs), does not quite boast the same degree of lustre that came with his unblemished record, but nonetheless remains an industrious operator at a certain level.
His unremarkable style, though, is one which Ennis could look particularly dazzling against, and, for that reason, Conwell could quite easily be the most realistic opponent on this list.
