Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis Vs. Karen Chukhadzhian II: Odds, Records, Prediction

by · Forbes
WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 07: Jaron Ennis punches Karen Chukhadzhian in their Interim IBF ... [+] Welterweight Championship bout at Capital One Arena on January 7, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)Getty Images

If you’re expecting an exciting fight filled with eye-catching combinations and plenty of action, the Jaron “Boots” Ennis vs. Karen Chukhadzhian on Saturday might not fulfill your expectations. Especially considering what happened the first time they fought. Here’s everything you need to know about Jaron “Boots” Ennis vs. Karen Chukhadzhian, including the odds, their records and a prediction on who will win.

It was clear from the moment the sanctioning body that is affiliated with Ennis’ welterweight title made Chukhadzhian the mandatory opponent for that belt, Ennis and his team were not interested. The two fought in January 2023, and it was a brutal bout to watch, mainly because Chukhadzhian didn’t engage in action for much of the fight.

It wasn’t remotely competitive (Ennis won a shutout on all three scorecards), and from Ennis’ perspective, there’s absolutely no reason for the two to meet again. That’s why Ennis’ team offered unification fights to the other 147-pound belt-holders, including Brian Norman, Eimantas Stanionis and Mario Barrios.

Negotiations, though, could not be worked out with any of them, leaving Ennis with two options: either abandon his title and move up to 154 pounds or fight Chukhadzhian again. He chose the latter.

Now, he’s trying to make the best of it.

“I’m not going to lie, he’s getting knocked out on Saturday,” Ennis said. “We’re going to have some fun; we’re going to put on a show. It doesn’t matter what he does; we’re going to put on a show and make a big statement Saturday night. We’re going to have a party.”

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Chukhadzhian countered that by saying he’s worked hard to improve in the last 22 months. And he is on a three-fight winning streak. But Ennis is one of the best young fighters in the sport. If he goes into this fight hungry for a stoppage, there’s a good chance he’s going to get it—even if Chukhadzhian is a better boxer today than he was in 2023.

“My main focus right now is Karen Chukhadzhian, and after I make a big statement Saturday night in knockout fashion, it’s undisputed,” Ennis said. “Bring me my belts.”

Here’s more info on the Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis vs. Karen Chukhadzhian showdown that U.S. viewers can watch on DAZN beginning at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday.

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - NOVEMBER 07: Jaron 'Boots' Ennis and Karen Chukhadzhian face off during ... [+] a Press Conference ahead of their IBF World Welterweight title at 2300 Arena on November 7, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing/Getty Images)Getty Images

Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis vs. Karen Chukhadzhian odds

Unsurprisingly, Ennis is a big betting favorite at -3500 (bet $3,500 to win $100). Meanwhile, Chukhadzhian is the underdog at +1300 (win $1,300 on a $100 wager). I don’t see value in either money line bet, but if you like Chukhadzhian, I’d take him to win by stoppage at +2200 and pray Ennis does something to get himself disqualified. That’s just about the only path to victory I see for Chukhadzhian. Otherwise, maybe take Ennis to win by stoppage at -500 (though I don’t think there’s much value there), or if you’re looking for a long shot, maybe grab him to win by stoppage in the first round at +2500 and hope for the best.

If you were looking for a fun parlay for this weekend’s action of boxing (and this is only for entertainment purposes), I might take Ennis to beat Chukhadzhian at -3500, Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez to beat Pedro Guevara at -2000 and Ray Ford to beat Orlando Gonzalez-Ruiz at -1200. If you hit all those, well, you’d make only $17 on a $100 wager. But it might be kind of fun to win a parlay for once.

Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis vs. Karen Chukhadzhian records

In the first defense of his welterweight title, Ennis (32-0, 29 KOs) blasted through solid veteran David Avenesyan and stopped him in the fifth round in July. It was probably the most significant fight of Ennis’ career. Although Ennis has yet to meet an A-level fighter, he has a solid win vs. Sergey Lipinets and a first-round KO of Thomas Dulorme.

After losing to Ennis 22 months ago, Chukhadzhian (24-2, 13 KOs) has won three-straight fights against opponents who have a combined record of 60-10-1. So, he wasn’t exactly testing himself against the best of the best. Aside from Ennis, there aren’t really any recognizable names on Chukhadzhian’s resume, which is a pretty rare occurrence for a fighter who’s competing for a world title.

Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis vs. Karen Chukhadzhian prediction

Sure, there’s isn’t any point to this contest, especially with how Chukhadzhian performed in their first meeting. That said, I imagine Ennis will look to end this bout early just to say he stopped Chukhadzhian. Say, Ennis by stoppage in the eighth round.