BoxRec

Cody Crowley fails eye exam, pulled from Jaron Ennis title fight

Jaron Ennis vs Cody Crowley is off yet again, though with good reason this time. Mike Coppinger reports that Crowley has failed his pre-fight eye exam and been pulled from the bout just over a month from fight night.

No word yet as to whether the card, which promoters just filled out yesterday, will go forward with a replacement opponent. Considering how much of a push Matchroom has given Ennis (31-0, 28 KO) and how central he is to the marketing as a Philadelphia native, I can’t imagine them just cutting bait.

Finding that opponent may be easier said than done, though. Even with a belt around his waist, Ennis is the last target on most welterweights’ minds, much less on short notice. That said, Crowley was set to earn nearly $600,000, so Matchroom does have the budget to make an enticing offer.

The best outcome would be someone in-house like Souleymane Cissokho or Shakhram Giyasov, but I wouldn’t get my hopes up.

Who would you like to see him fight?

Press Release | Jalil Hackett-Peter Dobson, Skye Nicolson-Dyana Vargas to Support Jaron Ennis Card

Jalil Hackett will face Peter Dobson in a 10-round welterweight contest and Skye Nicolson will make the first defense of her featherweight title against Dyana Vargas on July 13 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, on the undercard of Jaron Ennis’ welterweight title defense against Cody Crowley.

Hackett (8-0, 7 KOs), who penned a multi-fight promotional deal with promoter Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Boxing at the end of May, will be making a step up in his ninth pro fight against Dobson.

“I’m so happy to kick off my deal with Matchroom with such a big fight,” Hackett said. “Eddie and Matchroom have a plan for my development that I’m really excited by, and that starts on July 13 against Dobson. He took Conor Benn the distance in a good fight, but I’m going to prove that I am ready for this step up and much more.”

Dobson (16-1, 9 KOs), of the Bronx, New York, went 12 rounds with Benn in Las Vegas in February, which marked his first professional loss. At 34, Dobson has no time to lose – and he isn’t mincing any words about his approach to his fight with Hackett.

“He’s a little boy, and I’m going to beat his ass like his father used to,” Dobson said. “He’s trying to use me as a stepping stone and he’s making a terrible mistake. There are levels to this, and he’s nowhere near mine. He’s going to find that out in brutal fashion come July 13.”

Nicolson (10-0, 1 KO) won her WBC crown at a canter in her first title fight in February in Las Vegas, pitching a shutout on two of the cards over Dane Sarah Mahfoud. For her first defense, Australia’s Nicolson will fight in the States for the fifth time as a pro.

“I’m excited to defend my WBC world title on this great card in Philadelphia,” Nicolson said. “Although it’s just my 11th fight, I truly believe I am the best featherweight in the world.

For her part, the Dominican Republic’s Vargas (18-1, 12 KOs) will be fighting outside her homeland and in a title fight for the first time.

“Ever since I started boxing, this was my dream – to fight for a world title,” Vargas said. “It is a dream come true, and I'm taking advantage of this opportunity.”

Also on the undercard, light heavyweight Khalil Coe will make the short journey from New Jersey to Philadelphia to fight for his first title, facing Manuel Gallegos over 10 rounds.

Coe (8-0-1, 6 KOs) has ended his last four outings inside the distance, and will look to earn a minor belt against Mexico’s Gallegos (20-2-1, 17 KOs), who is moving up to 175 pounds after taking on super middleweight Diego Pacheco last time out in Los Angeles in July.

“I am excited to be back in a big step-up fight against Gallegos on the ‘Boots’ Ennis undercard,” Coe said. “Philadelphia will almost be like a hometown fight for me. It’s right down the turnpike, so I expect a lot of my fans to show up and watch me dominate again, and I’m looking for a highlight-reel knockout.”

Said Gallegos: “I’m anxious to fight again on a Matchroom show in a new division, and for a title. I feel stronger and won’t waste this opportunity. Let’s go.”

In an all-Puerto Rico affair, Henry Lebron and Christopher Diaz will square off in a junior lightweight bout. Lebron (19-0, 10 KOs), who has signed a promotional deal with Matchroom, should face a stern test against two-time title challenger Diaz (28-4, 18 KOs).

“I am very excited to be entering this new chapter of my career with Matchroom Boxing,” Lebron said. “I feel that Matchroom is going to provide me with the path towards challenging and winning my first world title as a super featherweight.”

Said Diaz: “Facing an undefeated fighter – and one of the best, or the best, prospects in Puerto Rico, like Henry Lebron – is the kind of challenge that brings passion and determination to my mind.”

Elsewhere on the card, Philadelphia duo Christian Carto (22-1, 15 KOs) and Boots Promotions’ Ismail Muhammad (4-0, 3 KOs) will be in action in separate fights, in a scheduled junior featherweight eight-rounder and a welterweight six-rounder, respectively. Another Philly native, Dennis Thompson, will make his pro debut in a four-round bantamweight fight against an opponent to be determined.

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑05 Jun 2024, 03:31 Who would you like to see him fight?

https://boxrec.com/en/box-pro/784147

can this guy be ready in 1 month notice? ...if not, fight anybody and then move up to 154 to chase Crawford

Cent0089 wrote: ↑05 Jun 2024, 11:31

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑05 Jun 2024, 03:31 Who would you like to see him fight?

https://boxrec.com/en/box-pro/784147

can this guy be ready in 1 month notice? ...if not, fight anybody and then move up to 154 to chase Crawford

Would be an in-house fight.. shouldn’t be hard to make.

Matchroom Nearing Replacement to Match With 'Boots' Ennis

Matchroom hope to announce a new opponent for Jaron “Boots” Ennis as early as Wednesday evening.

Ennis, 26, had been on course to make the first defence of his IBF welterweight title against Cody Crowley, his mandatory challenger, on the occasion of not only his first fight since agreeing promotional terms with Matchroom, but his first fight in Philadelphia for almost six years.

An eye injury on Tuesday forced Canada’s Crowley to withdraw from what represented the biggest fight of his career, but Matchroom’s Eddie Hearn is determined to proceed with the date at the Wells Fargo Center, and is expecting to soon be able to announce Crowley’s replacement for July 13.

“We’re in negotiations with three opponents already,” the promoter said. “Hopefully tonight we’ll announce the replacement.

“We’ll have to go down the IBF rankings, because that’s a mandatory defence against Crowley, so we have to go to everybody and say, ‘Do you want the fight? Are you available?’, until we get someone that accepts it. You can look at the top 15 – it’ll be someone from those rankings.

“Alexis Rocha; Giovanni Santillan; David Avanesyan; Jin Sasaki; Shakhram Giyasov; Gabriel Valenzuela. Valenzuela’s good fun; Avanesyan’s a good fight; Shakhram Giyasov’s with us but he’s mandatory for the WBA. Alexis Rocha’s a good fight.

“With all due respect to Cody, no one had actually heard of him – but he was a good fighter. But it’s gonna be the same kind of fight, if not actually tougher.

“It doesn’t [matter who the opponent is, given it’s a ‘homecoming’ fight], but you want a good fight. If you’re gonna have 15,000 in there, you want a good fight. What you don’t want is a mismatch. So, for me, that’s quite important.”

Confirmation of Terence Crawford and Errol Spence joining Vergil Ortiz Jr in the light-middleweight division means that Ennis has already come to be seen as the world’s finest at 147lbs.

Hearn regardless intends on building him as an attraction in his home city – one with an admirable history in boxing – despite, at the highest level, Philadelphia’s fight scene increasingly becoming the victim of neglect.

“Unbelievable,” he responded when asked about the interest there in Ennis’ next fight. “You’re just concerned. ‘Why has no one done it?’ I look at ‘Boots’ and I think he’s a top pound-for-pound fighter in the world, but it’s, ‘Why has no one gone to Philadelphia with Boots Ennis before? Does he not sell? Is it a bad market?’

“I did a show there with Tevin Farmer and Katie Taylor, four, five years ago. We did 6,000, and it weren’t really a big show, so I’m like, ‘Let’s just do it’. We’ve done nearly 11,000 [tickets] already. I didn’t expect that. I thought we could do 6,000, 7,000, 8,000. We’re gonna do 14,000 or 15,000 [by fight night]. The Wells Fargo’s gonna be… and that’s exactly what we want when we’re pushing Ennis as a top talent.”

Boots can't catch a break with opps. Ppl don't wanna fight him, ppl don't see the upside to fighting him or guys can't pass the eye test to fight him lol.

If Boots can get any momentum going career-wise it'd be huge, but Boots gots more bad luck than a guy stepping on sidewalk cracks, under ladders with a herd of black cats crossing his path.

Decent..

"I'd like to thank Matchroom and my manager Neil Marsh for this great opportunity," Avanesyan told BoxingcScene. "I do not need asking twice to have a war with somebody, especially a fighter as highly rated as Jaron Ennis.

"I really respect Ennis and think he could become one of the best. I promise we will find out just how good he could become on July 13th."

Very solid late replacement..

On what grounds did Cody fail an eye exam? Is it just his vision isn’t great? Seems to be doing fine for him last 5 years… unless it’s like a specific injury let the man box.

Fight Week!!

Jaron Ennis
“Yeah, I’m ready man,” said Ennis. “I can’t wait man. It’s a blessing to be able to fight here. I’m ready to put on a show, look good doing it, beat him up, break him down and get the stoppage at the end of the night. I had my fun, [going] to put on a beautiful show.”

“I feel like I’m going to thrive here. Have my fun and put on a beautiful show. Fighting at home I’m comfortable. Being at home is like me being on the couch with my feet up. It’s going to be a great show. I can’t wait. I’m ready.”

David Avanesyan
“100 per cent ,” said Avanesyan. “[If] I no believe I no sit down now here. I believe why I’m here, I’m happy my God give me chance, big chance. Listen, I know my opponent Ennis is good fighter. I happy. I want fight for only good fighter…”

“Listen, I have many big fights. This is again a good fight, good chance for me. I give everything.”

Fight Night!!

I wanna see Crawford - Ennis so badly

Date: Saturday July 13, 2024
Location: Wells Fargo Center - Philadelphia, PA
TV/Stream: DAZN

Start Times
Youtube: 6 pm ET | 3 pm PT | 11 pm BST (Preliminary Card)
DAZN: 8 pm ET | 5 pm PT | 1 am BST (Main Card)

Promoted by: Matchroom Boxing

Main Card

IBF Welterweight Championship
Jaron Ennis vs. David Avanesyan

10 Round Welterweight Bout
Jalil Hackett vs. Peter Dobson

WBC Featherweight Championship
Skye Nicolson vs. Dyana Vargas

Vacant USWBC Light Heavyweight Championship
Khalil Coe vs. Manuel Gallegos

WBA Continental Latin America Super Featherweight Championship
Henry Lebron vs. Christopher Diaz

Preliminary Card

8 Round Bantamweight Bout
Christian Carto vs. Carlos Buitrago

6 Round Welterweight Bout
Ismail Muhammad vs. Frank Brown

4 Round Bantamweight Bout
Dennis Thompson vs. Fernando Joaquin Valdez

Boots is just to big .too strong . Too fast for David got a feeling wete gonna see David quit here

Ennis has good offensive abilities, same can't be said for his defence.

Ennis wins as Avenesyan gets pulled out.
Avenesyan had clipped Ennis more than a few times to suggest they might want to match Ennis carefully, someone younger and stronger may well give him problems.
Ennis has some decent skills and sprays his shots all over the target, the body more especially in this fight he did well with.
Lets see what happens with him going forward.

Evander wrote: ↑13 Jul 2024, 23:23 Ennis wins as Avenesyan gets pulled out.
Avenesyan had clipped Ennis more than a few times to suggest they might want to match Ennis carefully, someone younger and stronger may well give him problems.
Ennis has some decent skills and sprays his shots all over the target, the body more especially in this fight he did well with.
Lets see what happens with him going forward.

Your correct there i said elswhere david shown jinks in the armor . Just not sure if theres anyone at that weight big and strong enough to expose them

Evander wrote: ↑13 Jul 2024, 23:23 Ennis wins as Avenesyan gets pulled out.
Avenesyan had clipped Ennis more than a few times to suggest they might want to match Ennis carefully, someone younger and stronger may well give him problems.
Ennis has some decent skills and sprays his shots all over the target, the body more especially in this fight he did well with.
Lets see what happens with him going forward.

It's quite possible though that Ennis didn't respect Avenesyan's power, and wasn't as careful as he would be against other more dangerous opponents.

I can't tell why but for some reason I've always disliked Boots Ennis. I'm glad Ava had his moments in this fight. By the way why is Ebanie Bridges the only one who is given shit in this forum for wearing those only fans banners? Is it a law of nature that hot females are always a threat to the average boxing fan...

Enis needs to fight a live body. Fighting washed up stiffs is not a sign of being a top fighter. WW division is poor as fuk atm, and the super WW division is becoming much stronger.

boots is a beast, offensively has everything. he gets hit but that's part of being an aggressive fighter and it's not like he's eating punches non stop, a lot are shots he rides with nicely too

probably peak crawford is better, but if thy ever fight timing will be on boots side

gilgamesh wrote: ↑14 Jul 2024, 04:57

Evander wrote: ↑13 Jul 2024, 23:23 Ennis wins as Avenesyan gets pulled out.
Avenesyan had clipped Ennis more than a few times to suggest they might want to match Ennis carefully, someone younger and stronger may well give him problems.
Ennis has some decent skills and sprays his shots all over the target, the body more especially in this fight he did well with.
Lets see what happens with him going forward.

It's quite possible though that Ennis didn't respect Avenesyan's power, and wasn't as careful as he would be against other more dangerous opponents.

Ennis was clearly on a seek and destroy mission to impress which is why he got caught.
Big crowd live on Dazn with an unbeaten record against a smaller older more ring worn opponent in his hometown is likely why he took the chances I would have thought.
Got what he wanted, maintained his unbeaten stretch and bought some attention, but left some lingering question about his defence.