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Mike CoppingerESPN
Jaron “Boots” Ennis is inching closer to a title shot.
The rising star and Custio Clayton have reached a deal for an IBF welterweight title eliminator that will take place in the spring in the United States, sources told ESPN on Tuesday.
The winner of the PBC on Showtime bout will be guaranteed a 147-pound title shot and avoids a purse bid ordered by the IBF earlier Tuesday.
Errol Spence Jr., who holds the IBF title along with the WBC version, meets WBA champion Yordenis Ugas on April 16. The winner of that bout will be mandated to defend the welterweight championship against the Ennis-Clayton winner.
Ennis (28-0, 26 KOs) was No. 7 on ESPN’s list of the top 25 boxers under the age of 25 (he’s ESPN’s No. 5 welterweight). The 24-year-old Philadelphian has impressed with his blend of speed, precision punching and power, most notably in a sixth-round knockout of former champion Sergey Lipinets in April.
However, Ennis has encountered difficulty luring the best welterweights into the ring. A victory over Clayton would change that.
Clayton, a 34-year-old Canadian, was held to a disputed majority draw against Lipinets in 2020, his lone notable bout. Clayton is aligned with PBC but Ennis isn’t.
Ennis is coming off a first-round KO of Thomas Dulorme in October.
Clayton (19-0-1, 12 KOs) scored a 10-round unanimous-decision victory over Cameron Krael in December.