Self-introspection is a rare gem of quality, especially for athletes seeking course correction—to understand where they erred and how to rectify their approach. Jaron Ennis defeated David Avanesyan yesterday in front of his hometown. The title defense might have sealed an argument for bigger fights. By all means, it was an emphatic win. However, it appears the IBF titleholder isn’t too pleased with his performance.

‘Boots’ entered the ring after a gap of 12 months. He defended his interim championship by knocking out Roiman Villa in the tenth round. Subsequently, in November, he became a full champion as IBF stripped the incumbent belt-holder, Terence Crawford, of the title. Early this year, reports of a fight with Cody Crowley came, but the Canadian had to pull back on account of medical issues. The opportunity fell to David Avanesyan. But in his message, Ennis promised that fans will soon find him significantly improved and more focused.

Jaron Ennis: Self-Reflection after Success

In his tweet, Jaron Ennis shared that he saw the Avanesyan fight at the Wells Fargo Center again. It was, in his words, an ‘ok performance’. He felt that perhaps he was a bit out of form. But soon he expressed his eagerness to get back to his training regimen so that he could take his skills to the next level.

Not only that, he sounded quite enthusiastic about getting on to another fight. Terence Crawford? He stressed, “Ima be soo much better and sharper!” However, for the time being, it’s a break. After all, he’s just done with a fight. So Jaron Ennis seems to be planning not to visit the gym for at least a week.

But many fans and supporters didn’t agree with ‘Boots’ self-analysis. Eminent boxing analyst Al Bernstein was one of them. He told the welterweight champion to go a bit easy on himself. Cautioning that the break ahead of the next fight shouldn’t be a long one, the International Boxing Hall of Fame inductee said, “You were mostly fantastic even by your standards. And I’m sure most people felt royally entertained.”

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Even during the post-fight press conference, Jaron Ennis mentioned that perhaps his ‘timing was a bit off’. But Eddie Hearn shrugged it off. “I think he felt that his performance was quite average, Boots, and I said well, if that was an average performance, I mean you’ve just destroyed David Avanesyan; it was so one-sided….”

Next in line, please

But come to think of it, as he ups his game, Jaron Ennis will inevitably face tougher opposition. Already Terence Crawford’s name is making the rounds. Impressed with his latest feat, even His Excellency Turki Alalshikh expressed a keen interest in a potential matchup with the Nebraskan southpaw.

Mapping out the plan, Hearn said that Ennis’ might be going for the title unification next before the eventual move to 154 pounds. It could be Mario Barrios or Eimantas Stanionis. He believes Israil Madrimov will defeat Crawford when they meet on August 3 in LA. However, if it doesn’t happen, then “I would love to see Jon Ennis against Crawford. I think he beats him. I think he’s the biggest fight in boxing.”

Undoubtedly, fans would be waiting with bated breath to see how things turn up for ‘Boot’s in the coming months.

What’s your take on Jaron Ennis’ admission? Do you think that his performance, David Avanesyan, was subpar?