The number 2023 is the year of Jaron Ennis.
The talented welterweight contender has done one dazzling knock-out after another and is now on the verge of winning his first chance at the world championship. He is ranked in the Top 3 by all four major sanctioning bodies, number 1 by the IBF.
And victory over Karen Chukhadzhiann — for the “interim” IBF title — on the Gervonta Davis-Hector Luis Garcia pay-per-view card on January 7 at the Capital One Arena in Washington, DC will further cement the credentials. his.
Ennis (29-0.27 KOs) aims for a champion but is ready to take on any opponent.
“I feel like Errol Spence Jr. will fight me,” Ennis said, referring to the 146-pound IBF-WBA-WBO belt. “I went there with the intention of winning the interim title, then playing the next Errol. I think we can make it happen.
“I will definitely gain 154 pounds at some point. I am strong and I can move up and down if necessary. I will fight anyone at 154 or 147.”
Of course, his plans would be for nothing if he hadn’t beaten Chukhadzhiann, a capable boxer who had competed exclusively in Europe.
Ennis doesn’t know much about Chukhadzhiann (21-1, 11 KOs) but he’s pretty sure the Ukrainian won’t last long, an expectation based on history. None of his 29 opponents made it past six rounds with him.
He has been compared to Roy Jones Jr., a great athlete with breakneck speed and one-punch knockdown power during his prime. Ennis said he was emulating another Hall of Famer known for his destructive abilities.
“I myself watched a lot of Mike Tyson,” he said. “He threw a lot of punches at each other. Triples, Doubles, Same Table, Multiple Knockouts. He didn’t see too many late innings. I watched him a lot in this camp.”
With that in mind, he suggests settling into your seat next to or at home before the opening bell. Otherwise, you might miss the whole thing.
“You could say we’re looking for a short night out on January 7th,” Ennis said.
