Promoter Eddie Hearn says WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr. turned down “extra” than $1.5 million for a unification battle in opposition to IBF champ Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis.
Norman Jr’s dad, Brian Sr, says the primary supply was lower than one-third of what Boots made for David Avanesyan final July. “It was just a little bit greater than what you gave David Avanesyan, and my son is a world champion,” mentioned Brian Sr. on social media.
Hearn’s Ulterior Motives?
Brian Sr says Hearn didn’t wish to make the battle. He simply needed to undergo the motions to fake he was making an attempt to make the Boots-Norman Jr battle in order that he might return to Boots later and say that he tried.
Some followers imagine Hearn’s actual curiosity is making the Boots vs. Karen Chukhadzhian rematch. Additionally they imagine Hearn needs to match Boots in opposition to his fighter, Conor Benn, for an in-house Matchroom battle. That’s the silver tuna for Hearn—the Karen rematch.
Not an Remoted Incident
It looks as if Hearn isn’t going to have the ability to be too tight-fisted to get the unification fights that Boots Ennis (32-0, 29 KOs) wants for him to grow to be the undisputed champion. Norman Jr. isn’t the one one who has complaints in regards to the low cash provided to him by Hearn. WBA champion Eimantas Stanionis additionally talked about cash.
If Hearn doesn’t wish to pay the champions the going price, Boots might as nicely neglect about staying at 147 to attempt to grow to be undisputed as a result of it received’t occur.
He should transfer as much as 154 and neglect about turning into undisputed as a result of he’ll doubtless expertise the identical issues in that weight class. As a substitute of gathering belts, Boots ought to concentrate on preventing the very best guys at 154, be it Terence Crawford, Vergil Ortiz, Tim Tszyu and Israil Madrimov.
“The second supply was lower than half of what Boots made in his final battle,” mentioned Norman Sr. in regards to the cash Hearn provided him for a battle in opposition to Ennis. “The third supply was half of what Boots made in his final battle. So think about what Boots goes to make on this unification bout. Significantly greater than he made in his final battle.
“You [Hearn] didn’t wish to make this battle. The one motive you probably did was to inform Boots and his workforce that you simply tried to make the battle. You didn’t make the battle. I gave [Boots’ dad] Bozy the numbers. I informed Bozy what it was. Bozy is aware of that’s bull,” mentioned Norman Sr.
The champions aren’t going to simply accept $1 to 2 million to battle Boots, particularly in the event that they’re underdogs. They’re able the place they’re more likely to lose their titles, and the cash that Hearn is providing doesn’t make it worthwhile. Norman Jr and the opposite two champions are 147, are higher off making title defenses and holding onto their belts for so long as potential. In the long term, they’ll earn much more cash than they might get from preventing Boots Ennis.
