The super-talented Jaron "Boots" Avanesyan retained his IBF welterweight title with a punishing fifth-round TKO over David Avanesyan at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on Saturday. The fight was stopped in the corner before the beginning of round six.
WATCH: Jaron Ennis vs. David Avanesyan, live on DAZN
Ennis (32-0, 29 KOs) was making a hometown appearance, and he didn’t disappoint. The 27-year-old switch-hitter showcased his skills from start to finish, decking the challenger with a big left-hand counterpunch in the fifth. Avanesyan rose but absorbed horrific punishment before the bell ended the session.
“I felt good, but a little off with the ring rust,” said Ennis, who had been inactive for 12 months. “My timing was a little off, but it’s ok. I could have went 15 rounds.
“I just kept pressing him, I knew I was too strong for him. We prepare all the way around the board. I could have gone to the body a little more and used more angles.”
In round one, the champion displayed the type of variety and elite-level skills we’ve come to expect. The jab worked wonders, there was switch-hitting and some effective body punching. However, one body shot landed way below the belt and decked Avanesyan, who required several minutes to recover.
Avanesyan was in Philly to win, but it was a near-impossible task. The challenger came forward and let his hands go up close, but he was continually answered by a hail of furious fists that crashed home with regularity. Ennis was very aggressive early and he was enjoying his work.
The most impressive thing about Boots in the fight was the shot selection. There’s not a punch invented that he didn’t throw, and beautifully conceived combinations struck Avanesyan on all the target areas. There was a triple right uppercut (two to the head and one to the body) from the lefty stance in the third.
Blood poured from Avanesyan’s nose as Ennis attacked without mercy and stepped off the line to avoid return fire. A nice right hook nailed the champ in the fifth and Boots swung himself to the canvas with a right hook in response. The challenger showed soldier-like bravery in this session, but he paid a terrible price with the knockdown and a stunning follow-up barrage.
Boots has almost everything a young fighter could want – skills, punching power, ring IQ, charisma and an exciting fighting style. The one thing lacking is a big-name nemesis or at least a willing one. Pound-for-pound star Terence Crawford, who takes on WBA 154-pound champ Israil Madrimov on August 3 in Los Angeles, doesn’t look particularly interested and other options are limited.
“Let’s make [the Crawford fight] happen,” said Ennis. “I want the big names. Terence Crawford, anybody else at that weight that’s got a big name, let’s get it.”
Avanesyan is a tough fighter, but he found his ceiling a long time ago. The 35-year-old, who replaced mandatory challenger Cody Crowley, falls to 30-5-1.
Jaron 'Boots' Ennis vs. David Avanesyan fight card, odds
- Jaron 'Boots' Ennis (c) def. David Avanesyan via TKO 5 for the IBF welterweight title
- Skye Nicolson (c) def. Dyana Vargas via UD 10 (100-90, 100-90, 100-90) for the WBC featherweight title
- Khalil Coe def. Manuel Gallegos via TKO 2 (1:59); Light Heavyweights
- Jalil Major Hackett def. Peter Dobson via UD 10 (97-93, 97-93, 96-94); Welterweights