By: Hans Themistode
Slowly but surely, Jaron Ennis is making his way up the welterweight rankings. Currently, the Philadelphia native occupies a top three position in each of the four sanctioning bodies. So, with the explosive young star on the cusp of fighting for his first world title soon, he has his pick of the litter in terms of which world champion he prefers to pursue.
But while Ennis doesn’t have an exact preference, he does have an idea in terms of which current belt holder he intends on going after.
“To me, it don’t matter,” said Ennis during an interview with YSM Sports Media. “But I’m the highest in the IBF, so that’s the route we’re going to go.”
Presently, Ennis ranks number two in the WBO and three in the WBA, WBC, and IBF. However, following the recent retirement of Shawn Porter, who held the number two position in the IBF sanctioning body, there is now a void in the ranking just above Ennis. In addition to that, Kudratillo Abdukakhorov, formerly ranked number one in the IBF, recently suffered defeat at the hands of Cody Crowley this past weekend at Dignity Health Sports Park, in Carson, California.
With the Uzbekistan set to fall from the rankings, Ennis reveals that he was originally hoping to face him in the ring. Nevertheless, with one less hurdle to clear, Ennis believes world title glory is closer than ever before.
“We was actually trying to get the number one guy,” continued Ennis. “He lost so I guess they’re going to make me number one or I gotta fight for the number one spot, something like that. It don’t matter. Everything is falling into place. We almost there.”
Currently, Errol Spence Jr. holds both the IBF and WBC welterweight titles. The hard-hitting southpaw has owned territory on virtually every credible pound for pound list but as of late, inactivity has plagued his career. The Dallas native last graced the ring in December of 2020, winning a wide unanimous decision against former two-division titlist Danny Garcia. Since then, Spence Jr. has remained sidelined as he recovers from eye surgery to correct a torn/detached retina.
Regardless of his infrequent trips to the ring, Spence Jr. is still considered one of the best fighters in the world, a sentiment Ennis wholeheartedly agrees with. That said, as Ennis juxtaposes his skillset to that of his possible future opponent, he doesn’t see where Spence Jr. has the edge.
“He’s a great fighter but I just feel like I’m on a whole different level. Anything he can do, I can do better. I’m bigger, faster, stronger, smarter. I’m too hungry. I’m coming to take whatever they put on the table and that belt is gonna be on the table so I’m coming to take it. That’s what you have to do when you fight the champions, you have to go take that belt.”