Matchroom Wins Purse Bids For Ennis vs. Crowley; Fight Targeted For July

Matchroom Boxing won the purse bids for Jaron Ennis vs. Cody Crowley.

Ennis, the IBF Welterweight Champion, will earn a staggering 85/15 split, earning him $3.315 million. His opponent will pocket $585,000, double what he would have gotten had he faced Souleymane Cissokho in a WBC Welterweight Title eliminator. If Crowley agreed to those terms, boxing fans could see Ennis fight in July for his homecoming in Philadelphia. Ennis has not boxed there since stopping Raymond Serrano in 2018. 

Ennis’ last boxing bout was a tenth-round knockout win over Roiman Villa in July 2023. The champion has struggled to get into the ring due to various factors. Boots targeted a fight with Terence Crawford, who chose to chase the Errol Spence Jr. rematch. While the rematch never happened, Bud is on course to box Israil Madrimov on August 3. 

Ennis also had to deal with promotional issues. He filed a lawsuit against NOW Boxing, claiming that his contract had been breached. Jaron claimed he had a four-year agreement, allowing him to fight four times in the first year. This was followed by three fights every year for the rest of the agreement. Those terms were not honored, forcing Ennis to take action. 

Ennis’ Future

“By reason of the foregoing, a justiciable controversy exists between adverse parties, which involves a substantial legal right of Plaintiff-to wit the right to engage in his chosen livelihood and earn a living; and Plaintiff therefore seeks a Declaratory Judgment that the Agreement is void ab initio. Plaintiff seeks an order and judgment in favor of Plaintiff and against Defendant declaring that the Agreement is void,” Ennis team

Ennis resolved those issues by signing with Matchroom Boxing. It was a major step on Ennis’ part since he had been fighting on PBC shows without having a formal contract with them. However, his decision to work with Hearn shows that Ennis intends to make the biggest fights, given Matchroom’s close ties with Saudi Arabia. 

“I’m excited for this partnership with Eddie Hearn, Matchroom and DAZN. I can’t wait to continue making my mark and becoming undisputed World champion. I’ve been out of the ring for a year, and I cannot wait to get back in and do what I do best; entertain the fans and put on clinics. There are blockbuster fights on the horizon for me, and I am ready to deliver them,” Ennis said 

Ennis’ Opponent

And yet, Crowley has avoided a fight with Ennis. They had a deadline to agree terms for Boots’ IBF mandatory defense by March 1. That failed as purse bids were set for March 19. However, Crowley pulled out, seeking to face Cissokho instead. Crowley’s previous bout was a majority decision victory against Abel Ramos last year. If Crowley avoids a fight again, the WBC Interim Welterweight Champion Mario Barrios could step in. The news shows Ennis’ decision has paid off, as he will secure a good-sized purse for not facing the biggest names.