On July 13th in Philadelphia, reigning IBF welterweight world champion Jaron Ennis will defend his title against David Avanesyan.
Before this crucial fight, we spoke with David Avanesyan. In his interview with Sportball24.com, he talks about how the opportunity for a fight with Jaron Ennis came about, reflects on his previous match with Terence Crawford, and shares his plans for preparing for the upcoming bout.
Jaron Ennis (31-0, 28 KOs, USA) vs David Avanesyan (30-4-1, 18 KOs, Armenia), IBF welterweight championship fight.
Exclusive interview with David Avanesyan for Sportball24.com.
— How did the opportunity for a championship fight against Ennis come about?
— I'll tell you how it all started. I wasn't supposed to fight for the IBF title because I'm ranked fourth by the WBC and was supposed to fight for the WBC Silver title. It had been exactly a year since my fight with Crawford when I got a call from the WBC, saying I needed to fight or I'd be dropped from the rankings. My team and I couldn't afford that since we were waiting for a good opportunity for a title fight. Within ten days, I flew to the UK, and while I was flying, my opponent was changed about twenty times. Eventually, they gave me an opponent I fought back in 2016 [Serge Ambomo (11-56-3)]. At that time, he was quite a dangerous boxer, but now he's more of a journeyman, though he still breaks young opponents' records. Initially, I didn't want to fight him after my fight with Crawford, but my manager explained that no one wanted to fight me. I eventually agreed because I understand that this is a business, and that's how the system works. I fought, won, and secured my ranking. However, the WBC Silver title fight was given to another boxer. My manager broke the news to me, and of course, I was very upset since I had been waiting for that fight for a long time.
— David, let me interrupt you for a moment and ask a leading question. After you didn't get the promised WBC Silver title fight, did you and your team think about returning to the European Championship (EBU)?
— Yes, my manager had those thoughts, but I didn't want to anymore. After winning the EBU title, I defended the champion's title five times. I needed to strive for other championship titles. I decided to take a break and made plans to rest, intending to go to Armenia, where I hadn't been in a long time. I got a call while I was in Rostov-on-Don, and they offered me a fight with Ennis for the IBF title. At that time, his opponent had dropped out of the fight, and I quickly agreed. Ennis is a good and dangerous opponent, and it was a great opportunity to win the IBF title.
— David, was the fight with Crawford also on short notice?
— With Crawford, it was much more interesting. Many might think this is from the realm of fantasy. We were preparing for the sixth defense of the EBU title. During training, I suddenly had the thought that I would fight Crawford. This thought was firmly lodged in my mind, and I shared it with my coach. Three weeks before the title defense, my manager called and said Crawford's team had proposed a fight. They were rushing for an answer and didn't allow me to defend the title for the sixth time. I refused to defend the title and started preparing for the fight with Crawford for the WBO title.
— Did you expect to get a championship fight so quickly after the loss to Crawford?
— Honestly, I didn't think about it. At that time, I was very focused on Crawford, who was the number one regardless of weight class. After the fight with him, I couldn't imagine I'd get another chance to fight for a title.
— Will a short-notice challenge against such a strong boxer like Jaron Ennis be a problem for you?
— Of course, a bit more time to prepare wouldn't hurt, but I wasn't going to refuse the offer because of the short notice. The IBF title is a serious one, and the opponent is strong and undefeated, which could open many opportunities afterward.
— Have you been analyzing and studying your opponent? Is his fighting style convenient for you and your technique?
— You know, he has several styles. I haven't watched his fights closely, but I know he hits hard and throws combinations. Sometimes he can box in a playful manner. After a fight by a girl from our gym, my coach and I plan to study his fight style more thoroughly. From experience, I can say that watching a fight from the sidelines and stepping into the ring are two different things. I try to listen to my corner as much as possible because the picture is clearer from the outside.
The second part HERE.