Jaron "Boots" Ennis put himself in a KO-or-lose situation. So even while keeping his belt in what was a romp on the scorecards in Saturday’s IBF welterweight title fight against Karen Chukhadzhian in front of a hometown Philadelphia crowd, in the big picture Ennis hardly came away a winner.
Over the summer, Ennis and his team booked what looked like a paid workout when he signed to face the Ukrainian, whom he’d already beaten by decision in January 2023 on the undercard of a Tank Davis fight. Boots had the title, the perfect record (32-0 with 29 knockouts), and a one-two combo of out-of-the-ring charm and on-the-job ferocity that put him in any conversation about boxing’s Next Big Thing. The 27-year-old Philly native was maybe just one highlight-reel KO away from breathing the rare air that Tank breathes popularity-wise, hitting pay-per-view headliner status and getting what all boxers suddenly covet: an invite to Saudi Arabia. This was the fight that was supposed to get Ennis all that.
But that good stuff’s out the door for Ennis, for now. Not only did Chukhadzhian go the distance again and land a high percentage of meaningful punches, but he also made Ennis look unprepared and, occasionally but shockingly, boring. And in combat sports, boring trumps even losing when it comes to things most harmful to your PPV future. Ennis surely expected a walkover, and that’s what the locals paid to see. But he came away exposed as a guy who’s not nearly as polished or dominant as the powers that be in boxing, and everybody in the house (this writer and his kids included) wanted him to be.
Ennis seemed almost tuned out early in the purported tuneup fight. Shortly after the showy ring walk, in which the champ was accompanied by rapper G Herbo while wearing a showy ensemble monogrammed with his secondary nickname, “Mr. Catch A Body,” Ennis got caught by a big left hook from Chukhadzhian (now 24-3) in the first round that briefly put the 1-to-40 betting favorite in La La Land. The challenger took two of the first three rounds. Ennis recovered to put the tough but less-heralded foe on the canvas with attacks to the head and body in the fifth. From then on, Chukhadzhian seemed focused on surviving, with lots of grabbing of his obviously quicker, stronger, and more talented opponent. But Ennis also displayed what was for him a lack of eagerness to end the fight before the final bell; the second half of the bout too often found the alleged combatants waltzing in a sweaty embrace. Referee Harvey Dock continually pinned the blame for the tedium on Chukhadzhian, issuing several holding warnings and finally deducting a point from the challenger in the 10th round. But Ennis appeared to run into many of the clinches, and when in them didn’t do enough to get out. (It’s also true Dock could’ve docked a point from Ennis for several dick punches.)
So even while barely losing a round after the slow start—the final scorecards were 119-107, 117-109 and 116-110 in his favor—Ennis indeed lost the crowd. By the ninth round, folks were actually heading for the exits. Those who stuck around didn’t keep their disappointment to themselves.
Ennis will sleep better if he tells himself the Philly fans were yelling “Boots” late in the fight, but nah: They were booing.
Luckily for ticket buyers and the subscription-cable audience, the undercard had one very boss performance: Super flyweight phenom Bam Rodriguez kept his title and enhanced his reputation with a violent knockout of challenger Pedro Guevara. Rodriguez fights at just 115 pounds, but hits like a mule kicks. The bout ended when Rodriguez (21-0) landed a right uppercut to Guevara’s chin near the end of Round 3 that was so fast it was barely visible in real time, but in slow-mo replays the punch appeared to dislocate Guevara’s head. His noggin actually swiveled. Referee Ricky Gonzalez didn’t even bother giving the count Guevara, who was face-down on the canvas, before waving off the fight. Ennis had the name recognition and was atop the bill, but if anybody from this card’s going to Riyadh soon, it’s Rodriguez.
Back to me: My teenage sons and I used the Philly fight night as an excuse to take our favorite eating tour: Plates of wings at Moriarty’s Pub and cheesesteaks for the midnight ride home, this time from Geno’s. This trip we added a leg to the tour: for ice cream at the vaunted UDairy Creamery, just a few minutes off I-95 in Newark, Del. Go get a scoop of the U-Be-Be Baby and get back to me. Other than Boots, everything we consumed exceeded expectations wildly. On the judges’ cards, we had a 10-8 round over the pub wings, the cheesesteaks traveled wondrously, and I can still taste the glorious sweet treat from the gods whenever I look at the purple stain it left on my pants. The day was so wonderful, I don’t want to wash them.
