Thurman Calls Out Boots Ennis, Says He’ll Fight Him After He Wins the Titles First
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
Las Vegas, NV (February 3rd, 2022)– Former World Boxing Association World Welterweight champion Keith “One Time” Thurman, 29-1, Clearwater, Florida, absent from the ring for two and a half years, who has not won a fight in over three years since losing his WBA title to Manny Pacquiao, now says he will fight Philadelphia’s 28-0 Jaron “Boots” Ennis. Here’s the catch: Thurman, despite not winning a fight in three years, and not fighting in over two and half years, will only agree to fight Ennis after he takes out the welterweight division, defeats all of the existing champions, and wins all of the various world welterweight titles first.
Including a defeat of undefeated Terence “Bud” Crawford, Thurman would be accomplishing quite a feat to suddenly become the unified world welterweight titleholder. Ellis, a 28-0 fighter who has won 26 bouts by knockout, has fought eight times in the last 36 months or so. It would seem Ennis is more entitled to fight the best. Thurman has it backwards, as he would be lucky even to get a major opponent after his lengthy inactivity.
Thurman will return this Friday night, February 2, 2022, against Mario “El Azteca” Berrios, 26-1 with 17 knockouts, San Antonio, Texas, the former World Boxing Association Super Lightweight champion, now moving up in weight. Berrios is 6-0 above 140 pounds, and Thurman would be wise to keep his mouth shut until after the bout is over. There are no guarantees he can defeat Berrios. Judging by Mikey Garcia, Julian Williams, Teofimo Lopez, Adam Kownacki, and a who’s who of fighters in nearly every division who have been beaten by underdogs during the Coronavirus Pandemic due to extended periods of inactivity and ring rust against disciplined hungrier fighters who took them out, Thurman is not going to walk over Berrios. The Thurman versus Berrios fight is too close to call. If Thurman does win it, it probably will not be much, deserved or not.
Boots Ennis will be happy to fight Thurman or anybody else tomorrow. The Pandemic has provided an excuse for a number of previous marquee name fighters to avoid other names, or avoiding at all. The inactivity has hurt many big names. What happens to Thurman depends on which version of Berrios shows up. Right now, the boxing world has much interest in Keith Thurman in 2022 as it does in Crawford, namely not much in terms of box office draw, unless Thurman can prove it in 2022 in a big way. Inactivity is no excuse.
Thurman told Brian Custer on The Last Stand podcast. “(Keith) Thurman wants (the world welterweight championship) belts. (Keith) Thurman wants the champions. Boots (Ennis) just happens to be that (part of the younger) generation behind (my older, more experienced and entitled first) generation. These guys are going to fight it out (with me first), and Boots is going to be right at the edge (waiting for the results to get a shot at these guys after me later), right at the cusp, similar to the position I was in when I fought Diego Chavez and I was the number one contender for the WBA world title. Who had the world title? Paulie Malignaggi. What happened to him? He got beat by Adrien Broner. What happened to Adrien Broner? He got beat by Marcos Maidana.”
Thurman continued his ranting sour grapes over how only he deserved the big money fights, especially with Floyd, over everybody else. “Okay. Can I (did I get to) fight Marcos Maidana? No! Why? Because Maidana fights (got to fight) Floyd Mayweather Jr. (for the big money instead of me). Okay, (here’s one) even better. Now (after Maidana lost to Floyd) Thurman was (I was) the mandatory challenger for Floyd Mayweather (the World Welterweight title). Oh. Wait! A few months go by, then Floyd is elevated to Super Champion (status). They take (moved) me (up) from interim to regular (World Welterweight) champion, and I learned pretty much overnight you’re not going to touch (ever get a chance to fight) Floyd Mayweather Jr.”
Last summer, Thurman claimed never to hear of Ennis. Now, Ennis is suddenly on the radar. “I have no intention of doing that (ducking a fight with) to Boots Ennis. All the intention I have is to fight the (current) champions (who) are in my sight. From there, I’ll hold onto the belts (as I am going to defeat all of the champions, and win all of the World Welterweight championship belts). If the young man (Ennis) is still there, still undefeated, wanting to fight (me in a few years after I conquer the division, because everybody is only obligated to fight me), then it’s a possible fight in the future. I look forward to it. He (Boots Ennis) is a great fighter. He looks tremendous. I love his style. Beautiful boxing style.”
Boots Ennis is an exciting, dynamic fighter. Despite being without an official promoter at present, Boots Ennis has a style that is knockout electrifying and exciting. Based on his recent performances, most people would rather pay to see Boots Ennis than long forgotten Keith Thurman, who thinks he is the entitled king of the welterweight division. Long before his name is even mentioned, Boots Ennis will be fighting the best before Thurman. It just could be Boots Ennis holds a world title in 2022, and Thurman will be looking to win a world title from either Crawford, Ennis, Vergil Ortiz Jr., or somebody else you would not want to meet in a dark alley. Thurman might win this weekend, but it’s a far cry, considering the three years since he’s won an actual bout and had his hands raised, for Thurman’s claim he’s the uncrowned king of the 147 pounds division. If Thurman beats Berrios, Keith’s next bout should be against a big name. So prove it “One Time” in 2022.
In an interview with the same with Brian Custer last year, Boots Ennis stated “We (my camp) wanted to fight Keith Thurman, and I think on YouTube, he was like he don’t know who I am. I will take that as a compliment because he (is really saying he) don’t want to know me. They all know I am dangerous. That’s the real reason why I’m getting skipped around (avoided by everybody) in this weight division. Everybody in the welterweight division, knows I am (the most) dangerous one in the weight division (to fight today).”
It’s still the same old story. Boots is fighting regularly, and knocking them all out. Everybody out there wants the W, but nobody wants to fight Boots Ennis. If Boots Ennis keeps fighting the way he is fighting, and keeps winning with style and class, he will remain one class above the rest, on the road to the world title. 2022 will prove a road race in the welterweight division. First, we want to know if Terence Crawford and Errol Spence Jr. will stay in the welterweight division. Second, we want to know who will rise up if they move up to the 154 pounds division. After three years, Thurman has to prove he somehow fits into the equation. After such a long period of inactivity, his claims of divisional superiority seem a bit of a stretch. Boots Ennis has drawing potential and power. Showtime Shawn Porter had drawing power. Crawford and Thurman are not going to draw like Tyson Fury, Deontay Wilder, Anthony Joshua, Canelo Alvarez or Floyd. Until you can, it’s probably better to keep your mouth shut.
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