IBF welterweight champion Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis 31-0 (28) is champing at the bit to get back in the ring after a year on the sidelines.
The 27-year-old Ennis from Philadelphia will make the maiden defence of his title against Russian-born Armenian David Avanesyan 30-4-1 (18) at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Saturday night.
Avanesyan, 35, is a replacement for Canadian southpaw Cody ‘The Crippler’ Crowley 22-0 (9) after the mandatory contender was forced to withdraw after failing an eye exam.
Ennis, who was elevated from interim titleholder to full championship status after Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford 40-0 (31) relinquished his belt to campaign at junior middleweight, has the chance to stamp his name as the boss of the now wide-open 147-pound division.
“I just want to get myself back in the ring and somebody is going to pay,” Ennis said to Matchroom Boxing. “Me being off all this time, it’s not going to affect me. What I’m excited about is collecting all the belts and becoming undisputed. That’s why I’m excited.
“[Avanesyan is] definitely a bigger name than Cody Crowley. He’s fought better competition than Cody Crowley. I definitely think it’s a better fight.
“That’s what I want. He’s going to bring the fight, and that’s what the fans want. That’s going to make for a beautiful show and a beautiful knockout.
“What makes me the best in the business is I do everything in boxing today. Whatever you want, I got it. I can’t wait. They’re going to see beat him up, break him down and get a knockout.”
Ennis told veteran boxing reporter Dan Rafael that he sees some similarities between Avanesyan and his last opponent Roiman Villa 26-2 (24), who he stopped in 10 rounds in Atlantic City, New Jersey last July.
“He kind of fights like my last opponent, like Villa. He’s just not as big,” said Ennis. “Puts pressure, that’s it. Right in front of you, don’t move his head. It’s gonna be a long night for him.”
He added: “I’m going in there to put on a show, have fun, be smart, take my time, beat him up, break him down and put on a beautiful show.”
Ennis wanted to face 36-year-old Omaha, Nebraska southpaw Crawford for the IBF belt, but that wasn’t to be.
“I mean, you always want to take the belt from a champion,” he said. “That was the goal, to take the belt from the champion. There was nothing I could do, it was out of my control.”
Now he has other goals in mind.
“My main goal is to be undisputed at 147 (pounds),” he said. “After this fight I want to collect the rest of the belts, then move up to ’54 and do the same thing at ’54. Then ’60, then ’68, maybe ’68.”
