Barao says he’s ready to fight Jaron “Boots” Ennis next

WBA junior middleweight champion Abbas Barao said he “would be ready to fight” against Jaron “Boots” Ennis after watching him capture the interim 154-pound title with a first-round knockout of Uisma Lima last Saturday night in Philadelphia.

(Credit: Emma Brawley Matchroom Boxing)

Barrow throws his name into the “Shoes” hat.

Barao (17-1, 9 KOs) would like to test his skills against unbeaten Ennis (35-0, 31 KOs) if the bout can be negotiated. He says it causes a lot of stress, and is looking forward to seeing how Boots handles that.

“I’ll be ready for a fight like this. I’m ready to fight in Boots,” said WBA junior middleweight champion Abbas Barao. Professional boxing fans He turned his interest to defending against Jaron “Boots” Ennis.

Eddie Hearn watches Ortiz, but Barao waits

Both Ennis and his promoter, Eddie Hearn, mentioned Abbas’s name in the post-fight press conference last Saturday night after he delivered a first-round demolition of Lima (14-2, 10 KOs) at the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. However, both have announced that they would like to fight Virgil Ortiz Jr. next if possible.

Abbas said: “I am looking forward to a great fight. I bear a lot of pressure. I would love to see how he deals with a fighter like me. He will be a competitor for me to prove that I am the best.”

Barrow was promoted to WBA 154 Champion from 21 to 23 September 2025. This was shortly after the previous champion, Terence Crawford, vacated the title on 13 September. To put himself in line for promotion, Barrow defeated interim WBA middleweight champion Eunice Tellez via a 12-round unanimous decision on August 23, 2025, in Orlando, Florida.

“Top Rank has reached out to Xander. Vergil Ortiz is also an opponent I want to test myself against. We are looking forward to making the next great fight happen. I love the Xander fight,” Barao said.

Can Barao tempt Ennis into a title fight?

It would be a wise move for Barao to head towards a unification fight against WBO champion Xander Zayas to pick up his belt to use as a lure to entice Ennis “Butts” to face him. Having just one title might not be enough for Barao to interest Boots and Hearn.

Dan Ambrose has been covering the sport of boxing since 2011, providing fans with insight into the biggest fights in the sport.