Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis vs Karen Chukhadzhian II: Free boxing tips, best bets, undercard and where to watch
- Lewis Oldham
- 6 November 2024
A rematch no one asked this weekend as Jaron Ennis defends his IBF world welterweight title against Karen Chukhadzhian, who was dominated in a unanimous decision defeat against ‘Boots’ last year.
‘Boots’ Ennis – who signed with Matchroom Boxing in April 2024 - has been left frustrated in recent years as he’s been unable to secure a marquee fight against a big-name opponent or fellow world champion.
Ennis is coming off a stunning fifth-round stoppage win over David Avanesyan in his Matchroom debut.
Before this bout, he targeted a clash with Terence Crawford as this fight was ordered after the pound-for-pound great’s emphatic win over Errol Spence Jr in April 2023. However, this did not happen as ‘Bud’ stepped up in weight and vacated his IBF belt.
Ennis was subsequently upgraded to full IBF champion after initially holding the interim strap and is targeting unification bouts against Mario Barrios (WBC), Eimantas Stanionis (WBA) and/or Brian Norman Jr (WBO).
His plans to unify at welterweight have been put on hold until 2025, though. This is because the IBF ordered their champion to defend his belt against Ukrainian contender Chukhadzhian.
The first fight between Ennis and Chukhadzhian was for the vacant interim IBF welterweight title in January 2023.
Renowned for his lethal punch power, Boots was taken the distance with a notoriously resolute Chukhadzhian as he failed to break down his opponent in a sub-par performance.
He was far from his best on the night, but he still managed to earn a clean sweep on the cards in a unanimous decision victory.
Chukhadzhian’s back-foot style meant the first fight wasn’t a thriller, but Ennis will be looking to make a statement en route to adding more belts to his collection in 2025.
Below, we will provide our fight prediction and suggested bets for the main event and standout bouts on the undercard, which includes Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez’s defence of his WBC super flyweight title against Pedro Guevara in the co-main event slot.
Ennis vs Chukhadzhian verdict
Lewis Oldham (Planet Sport)
As mentioned, Ennis vs Chukhadzhian is a fight no one (barring the IBF) had been calling for and this bout’s lack of appeal is made clear by the inclusion of fellow big names Bam Rodriguez, Ray Ford and Ammo Williams on the undercard.
Ennis may be irritated at being made to rematch Chukhadzhian, but he needs to keep hold of his belt if he’s to unify, so this unwanted bout is a necessary evil for what could come next year.
Chukhadzhian showed his bravery and wiliness in the previous bout as he was able to stick with a naive Ennis, who surely would have expected to steamroll past his opponent.
Ennis – who is unbeaten in 33 professional bouts (including one no contest) and has 29 wins by TKO/KO – doesn’t have any blots on his record, but he’ll look back regretfully on his bout with Chukhadzhian knowing he could and should have done more.
He gets the opportunity to right that wrong this weekend and could earn a late stoppage as he looks to make a profile-boosting statement before bigger tests come next year. But another frustrating points win cannot be ruled out either.
Jaron Ennis vs Karen Chukhadzhian II tips
Jaron Ennis to win - Rounds 9-12
Jaron Ennis to win – Points decision
Jaron Ennis vs Karen Chukhadzhian II undercard
With Rodriguez, Ford and Williams, there are some recognisable names on the Ennis vs Chukhadzhian undercard but the matchups are not overly exciting.
Ford and Williams are looking to bounce back from their respective defeats on the Eddie Hearn vs Frank Warren 5v5 card against Nick Ball and Hamzah Sheeraz respectively.
They should do so without much trouble as Orlando Gonzalez (Ford) and Gian Garrido (Williams) have been lined up as beatable opponents in their comeback fights.
The inclusion of Bam Rodriguez provides a much-needed boost to this card and his WBC super flyweight defence against Guevara should be the fight of the night.
The super flyweight division is far from the most glamorous in boxing. Still, must-watch knockout artist Rodriguez has earned pound-for-pound status as the 24-year-old has taken on all-comers and is already a two-weight world champion.
Former WBC world light flyweight champion Guevara – who has four losses on his record – is not at the same level as Rodriguez’s recent eye-catching run of opponents, but he still provides a potential banana skin and can punish his superior foe if he’s off his game.
Guevera has contended at world level in his career, but Rodriguez’s trajectory is on another stratosphere and should add another emphatic knockout to his resume this weekend before – like Ennis – sterner tests next year.
Undercard tips
Jesse Rodriguez to win – Rounds 4-6
Where can you watch Jaron Ennis vs Karen Chukhadzhian II?
The Ennis vs Chukhadzhian card will be broadcast globally on DAZN and the card is available as part of your regular subscription.
For the second fight in a row, Ennis is fighting in his home state of Philadephia at the Wells Fargo Center.
The main card is scheduled to get underway at 12am (UK) and 7pm (ET), while the main event is due to start at 4am (UK) and 11pm (ET).
