Eddie Hearn Eyes Ennis – Norman Jr. Unification After Tonight’s Bout, However WBA Necessary Giyasov Darkens the Horizon, Threatening Undisputed Desires

Promoter Eddie Hearn needs IBF welterweight champion Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis to face WBO champ Brian Norman Jr. subsequent if he’s victorious tonight in his unification combat in opposition to WBA belt-holder Eimantas Stanionis in Atlantic Metropolis, New Jersey.

(Credit score: Matchroom)

Nonetheless, Hearn says his fighter, Shakhram Giyasov, who’s WBA necessary, deserves his shot on the Ennis-Stanionis winner. Giyasov (16-0, 9 KOs) has stepped apart to permit Stanionis to combat Boots tonight. It will likely be troublesome for him to step apart a second time for Boots to combat a unification with WBO champion Norman Jr.

Giyasov’s Value

It’s doable with the correct step apart quantity. If Giyasov is obtainable a bundle of cash he can’t refuse, he is likely to be keen to permit Ennis to go forward with the unification conflict in opposition to Brian Jr. if he wins tonight in opposition to Stanionis.

“It’s troublesome as a result of we symbolize Shakhram [Giyasov] as nicely, and he understood the dimensions of this combat for the game,” stated Eddie Hearn to YSM Sports Media about WBA-mandatory challenger Shakhram Giyasov stepping apart to permit WBA welterweight champion Eimantas Stanionis to combat IBF belt-holder Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis in a unification match tonight.

That is the entire downside with Boots wanting to remain at 147 till he accomplishes his superficial objective of changing into the undisputed champion. It’s going to take eternally for Ennis to finish that objective, and there’s little or no to achieve popularity-wise from capturing all 4 titles.

Boots’s protection in opposition to Giyasov will eat up the second half of 2025. Then there’s the wait time for Ennis, who’s making an attempt to arrange a unification combat in opposition to WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios, who may very well be preventing 46-year-old Manny Pacquiao subsequent. That’s extra time down the drain for Ennis.

“He [Giyasov] now has the winner. So, is there a possibility to combat Brian Norman and Shakhram waits once more? It’s troublesome as a result of he’s acquired his shot. We’ve acquired to supply him with a possibility as nicely. I don’t know. I do know that initially, we have been Boots transferring as much as 154 sooner or later.”

If Stanionis wins tonight, he’ll probably go forward with the protection in opposition to Giyasov reasonably than paying him a step apart. Finally, it’ll come right down to the cash that’s at stake for a match in opposition to Norman Jr. or a rematch with Ennis. Hearn isn’t going to need Stanionis to get away with out pushing for a direct rematch if he beats Ennis tonight.

Hearn’s Precedence

“If he wins [against Stanionis], I believe he’s going to need to win the lot. I’m listening to rumors about [WBC welterweight champion Mario] Barrios in opposition to Pacquiao. I imply, what’s that for the WBC world title? However Brian Norman, for me, is the combat,” stated Hearn.

“That for me is a superb combat, however we’ve [Boots] acquired to get previous [Stanionis]. That is the hardest combat within the division. So, if we get by way of, we’re unified #1, then we’ll see what’s subsequent,” stated Hearn.