Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis will defend his IBF world welterweight title against David Avanesyan at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on Saturday July 13, live worldwide on DAZN .
Ennis (31-0 28 KOs) defends his crown for the first time in a long-awaited Philly homecoming, fighting at home for the first time since November 2018.The 26-year-old, born and raised in Germantown, returns to action just over a year since his stylish 10th round KO win over Roiman Villa in Atlantic City. During that fight, Ennis successfully defended his interim title before being elevated to full champion.
Avanesyan (30-4-1 18 KOs) is aiming to become a world ruler for the second time, having been elevated to WBA king after winning the interim title in May 2016 in Arizona against ‘Sugar’ Shane Mosley, losing the strap by the finest of margins in his defence against Lamont Peterson in February 2017 in Cincinnati.
The 35-year-old has already had a crack at two-time by taking on Terence Crawford for the WBO crown in Omaha in December 2022, an opportunity that followed a long reign as European champion that included a pair of KO wins over Kerman Lejarraga and spiteful KOs over British duo Josh Kelly and Liam Taylor. The UK-based Armenian replaces Cody Crowley in the bout, after the Canadian was ruled out for medical reasons, and Ennis believes his new foe will serve up an even better night for the Philly fans.
“Now that Crowley is officially not my opponent, I actually like Avanesyan as a better opponent,” said Ennis. “He will put up a better fight which will be what I want. July 13, don’t miss this beautiful, outstanding performance!”
“I would like to thank Matchroom, Eddie Hearn, Frank Smith and Tom Dallas, the legal teams and my long-term manager Neil Marsh for this fantastic opportunity,” said Avanesyan. “Jaron Ennis is a world class boxer who I respect highly and is a potential huge star, and on July 13, we will find out if he is the real deal.
