By: Sean Crose
The interim IBF Welterweight title was at stake Saturday night in Washington DC when Jaron “Boots” Ennis 29-0 pitted Karen Chukhadzhian 21-1 in a scheduled twelfth round match at Capital One Arena. Chukhadzhian has an odd style, but Ennis – who is hungry for a big game – has the better shots. Ennis continued to play calmly and confidently into the second round, maintaining range and moving in and out for quick shots. Chukhadzhian, a little known but skilled fighter, was clearly stopped by Ennis in the third round.
With that in mind, Chukhadzhian landed effectively in the first minute of the fourth inning. He continued to land throughout the round, presumably taking the chapter on the referee’s card. Chukhadzhian tagged his man in fifth place. Ennis, however, continued to play cool while hitting action. Is that enough? Chukhadzhian was unable to get past Ennis with effective shots in the sixth round, although he certainly got into teamfights, which certainly surprised some. One thing’s for sure: Chukhadzhian, at least somewhat distracts from Ennis’ timing.
Ennis was more or less able to dominate season seven. Chukhadzhian would simply not be an easy victory for this man, but that did not mean that Ennis would allow himself to be confused. In fact, Ennis seemed to be ramping up the pressure on the eighth, repeatedly firing his right in a downward motion. Chukhadzhian survived easily, but by the ninth, it was clear that the man would have to make something happen if he wanted to score the nasty goal. In the tenth round, it seemed like Ennis was starting to take damage to his awkward, high-energy opponent.
Chukhadzhian spent most of the 11th half defending – but it was an effective defence. He may not have won the round, but he was still in the fight, which is something few would expect. The final round was competitive, with Chukhadzhian landing well while Ennis worked his way up. It was an enjoyable final three minutes. However, it was Ennis who received the judge’s nod through unanimous decision.
