Jaron 'Boots' Ennis can advance his career without restrictions.
The Ring has confirmed that Ennis has reached a settlement agreement with his estranged promoter, Now Boxing Promotions. This development comes seven weeks after the undefeated IBF welterweight champion filed multiple lawsuits alleging breach of contract.
Ennis sought relief in excess of $1 million in the lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. A settlement hearing was held Monday before Judge Jose R. Artega. The matter followed a decision Tuesday by District Judge Michael M. Beilson to end the case.
The charges were dismissed with prejudice.
The lawsuit centered on Ennis' inactivity compared to his contractually guaranteed number of games. Ennis signed in 2019 with NOW Boxing, formerly owned by Cameron Dunkin, who passed away in January. Kelly Dunkin, Cameron's widow, then claimed control of the company.
Ennis hasn't fought at all since Dunkin's death or last July.
According to a promotional contract obtained by The Ring, Ennis was to fight four times each in his first and second years, and three times each in his third and fourth years.
Ennis (31-0, 28 KOs), No. 2 in The Ring's welterweight rankings, has fought just 10 times during that span. The 2020 pandemic also had an impact, but the conditions were not met before or after the global crisis.
Concerns about Kelly Dunkin's ability to manage the company have been expressed in writing. Her inexperience and lack of communication were cited in both the original complaint and the March 15 amended version.
“[Ennis] “He is ready, willing and able to participate in the number of matches specified in his contract and has made the defendant aware of his willingness to do so,” attorney Arnold Joseph wrote on Feb. 7. argued on behalf of Ennis in the complaint. “To date, Defendant has not addressed whether Ms. Dunkin or Defendant is a licensed promoter. Plaintiff asserts that Mrs. Dunkin has no experience promoting professional boxing events.”
“Plaintiff's last match took place on July 8, 2023. Defendant has not provided any match opportunities since that date.”
According to the original complaint, Ennis was informed through an official letter on January 15 that Kelly Dunkin had assumed control of NOW Boxing. The notification came 13 days after Cameron Dunkin's death.
The complaint acknowledged that the 2019 contract included a clause that gave NOW Boxing the unilateral right to extend the contract if he won a major title.
Ennis defeated Karen Chookajian in Washington, D.C. on January 6 of last year to win the interim IBF 147-pound title. His only defense and final fight was a nine-round stoppage on July 8 against Royman Villa in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
The upgrade to full title status took place last fall. Ennis was ordered to face Terrence 'Bud' Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs), The Ring's 147-pound champion and No. 1 pound-for-pound ranked champion, in a title bout. The bout was ordered by the IBF immediately following Crawford's July 29 stoppage victory over Errol Spence for the Ring/Undisputed Championship.
Two days before the deadline, Crawford cited an existing rematch clause with Spence that would prevent him from participating in negotiations. Sanctioning bodies traditionally do not accept provisions other than mandated title fights.
This elevated Ennis to full IBF welterweight title status. He was recently ordered to face top-rated challenger Cody Crowley, but he was unable to meet the requirements for the mandatory title fight.
Existing promotional issues and the inability to negotiate terms with Crowley were cited in the amended March 16 complaint.
“Typically, the promoter of the titleholder (in this case the defendant) is the promoter of the mandatory match,” Ennis' lawyer argued. “[T]Promoters usually take steps to position their fighters in optimal conditions.
Positioning both in terms of money and other variables related to professional staging
boxing match.
“Defendant has failed to finalize a contract for the bout with the challenger's promoter. Defendant's failure puts Plaintiff's status as champion at risk.”
Ennis Crowley previously scheduled a purse bid on March 19th. The matter was adjourned for a week. Ring confirmed to IBF that Tuesday's rescheduled session has been completely removed from the schedule. The reason for the cancellation was not disclosed.
The question of Ennis returning to the ring still remains.
Unconfirmed rumors are circulating that he will be featured on the undercard of the Saul “Canelo” Alvarez vs. Jaime Munguia fight in Las Vegas on May 4th. This would be his most high-profile assignment to date and a much-needed career boost given his talent.
Much of Ennis's heyday has been wasted by periods of inactivity, including previous legal disputes. His latest falling out with NOW Boxing comes four years after Ennis was involved in a feud with Chris Middendorf and Victory Boxing. Victory Boxing had previously partnered with Dunkin, but their relationship with Ennis fell apart after their split.
Ennis claimed at the time that his relationship with Middendorf was through Dunkin. He argued that Middendorf was under a legally binding contract and that the dispute could put Ennis' promising career on hold.
Even after the lawsuit was resolved in June 2021, there was little movement in his career. He lasted only four games, including one game in Round 2 in 2022.
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for The Ring and vice president of the Boxing Writers Association of America.
Follow @JakeNDaBox
