A former unified world champion has accused promoter Eddie Hearn of lying about offering him a fight against unbeaten star Jaron Ennis.
‘Boots’ Ennis made an empathic return to the ring last weekend as he stopped Portugal’s Uisma Lima in the opening round of their clash in Philadelphia, capturing the vacant WBA interim super-welterweight title in the process.
The 28-year-old had been out of the ring since he unified the WBA and IBF world welterweight titles back in March, stopping Eimantas Stanionis in the sixth round of their bout at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City before then vacating those belts and moving up to 154lbs.
It has been speculated that Ennis could have faced former unified world welterweight champion Keith Thurman instead of Lima last weekend, but a fight between the American duo failed to come to fruition according to Matchroom’s Hearn, who claims ‘One Time’ was offered the chance to face Ennis.
Speaking to Fight Hub TV, Thurman said that Hearn was lying about making a bout against Ennis, before hinting that he would still be interested in a clash with his countryman in the near future.
“No he didn’t, stop lying, Eddie, stop lying all right? Come on now, fake news, this America baby, I’m going to call you out like Trump, fake news alert, 100% fake … I’m an easy guy to talk to, talk to me! Make it happen, don’t talk about me, talk to me all right?”
Thurman made a comeback to the sport back in March after taking a several year hiatus, stopping Australia’s Brock Jarvis in the third round of their super-welterweight clash at the Hordern Pavilion in Sydney.
The 36-year-old from Florida had been pencilled in to challenge WBC super-welterweight champion Sebastian Fundora on October 25, but the bout has now been postponed after the reigning champion pulled out with an injury to his hand.
