Jaron “Boots” Ennis responded to Ryan Garcia’s comment about wanting to fight him on social media by saying, “He’s food.”
Kingley is looking to continue his career momentum after his big win over Devin Haney, and he looks to IBF welterweight champion Boots Ennis (31-0, 28 KOs) as a way to do that. If Saudi Arabia were involved, it would be even more advantageous for Ryan.
Garcia targets Ennis and Ben
I don’t think it will be a fair fight. Boots Ennis is a better fighter than Ryan and has fought at 147 throughout his pro career. Ryan will need to move up to welterweight and gain experience in the division before fighting Boots Ennis.
Ryan (25-1, 20 KOs) listed Boots and Conor Benn as his next possible fights after defeating Devin Haney by 12-round majority decision last night in New York.
Ennis (31-0, 28 KOs) is at the top of Garcia’s list of targets, and this fight could be a mistake for him next.
Ryan looked in good shape after defeating previously undefeated WBC light welterweight champion Haney (31-1, 15 KOs), but had stamina issues and was only able to fight hard in short spurts. .
Garcia will need better conditioning for the boot fight. Ennis forced a fast pace, forcing Ryan to fight hard for three minutes of each round, and even in his fight with Gervonta Davis, he landed shots he had never experienced at the professional level. Boots packs a bigger punch than the WBA “regular” lightweight champion’s tank.
Ryan’s Alternative Path
Ryan’s father, Henry, and promoters at Golden Boy Promotions may move Ryan toward a rematch with Haney or Gervonta “Tank” Davis. Such a battle would bring ample reward.
Negotiations for a fight with Tank could become difficult if the PBC-managed fighter insists on weight regulations and a bigger share of the prize money, as was the case last year. Now that Ryan has reached the pinnacle of the sport with his win over Haney, he has no intention of asking for catch weights, hydration restrictions or pay cuts.
Perhaps Tank Davis will end his hopes for a rematch by playing the A-side card with Ryan again, leaving him empty-handed. An easier fight for Ryan would be a rematch with Haney or a matchup with Conor Benn.
These are winnable fights for Ryan, and negotiating them would be far from the same nightmare as setting up a rematch with Tank Davis.
