Promoter Bob Arum says he hasn’t given up trying to put together a fight between Teofimo Lopez and Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis in early 2025. He wants to stage the fight between Lopez and IBF welterweight champion Ennis (33-0, 29 KOs). ) at Madison Square Garden in New York.
The fight Arum wants
If Ennis-Lopez is going to happen, Arum will have to make a big offer to encourage Boots and his promoter, Eddie Hearn, to accept it. Philadelphia is still focused on fighting a union next against one of the champions of 147.
It must be a nightmare for Hearn, who signed Ennis to a multi-fight contract in April earlier this year. He has fought twice against David Avanesyan and Karen Chukhadzhian in low-level contests that have not generated much interest.
Boots rejected a move up to 154 to challenge WBC interim champion Vergil Ortiz Jr. on February 22, and he’s reportedly not interested in fighting Teofimo either, even though it would make a lot of money.
“We’re still pursuing that fight. We’d love for that fight to happen. Are people talking to Ennis’ people. We want to make as big a fight as possible for Teofimo after the beginning of the year,” Bob Arum told Fight Hub TV, about to set up a fight between Teofimo Lopez and IBF welterweight champion Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis for early 2025.
“If it’s Ennis, the best place for that fight is Madison Square Garden. He’s so good they don’t want to fight him [Teofimo]. We offered Haney the fight and Haney didn’t want it. We find a great match for Teofimo. He is a great talent and a great personality and will do very well at the box office and on PPV.
“We’re ready. It’s up to the opponent and his people. I’m here in Saudi Arabia so I’m not working on it, but the guys at home, Morrett and Jeremy are working on it every day. I like Telofimo because he is a great talent, but it’s definitely a fight that will be close odds that will generate a lot of interest,” Arum said of a fight between Boots Ennis and Ortiz.
If Arum can’t make the Ennis-Ortiz fight, he will have to consider options for Teofimo due to He hasn’t had an interesting fight since his 2020 fight against Vasily Lomachenko in 20.
“Maybe Haney, but he doesn’t seem like he has that much interest in the fight, Haney,” Arum said when asked what the biggest fight out there is for Teofimo. “We’ll see when we get back. We’re all going to get together and see what the best guy available is and that’s who we’re going to fight,” Arum said.