Jaron Ennis retained his IBF welterweight title with a fifth-round TKO victory over David Avanesyan at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
Ennis, ranked third in the welterweight division by ESPN, fought in his hometown for the first time since 2018. In the fifth round, he floored Avanesyan with a counter right hand. Avanesyan did not continue the fight after that round.
"I felt a bit off, my timing was not perfect," said Ennis, for whom it was the first fight in a year. "I want to fight big names like Terence Crawford."
Ennis (32-0, 28 KOs) dominated the fight, delivering powerful combinations to Avanesyan's head and body. He outlanded his opponent 152 to 53, with an accuracy of 46% compared to Avanesyan's 30%. Avanesyan's face was badly swollen by the end of the fight.
"The future of Jaron Ennis is the future of boxing," said Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing, who signed Ennis to a multi-fight deal earlier this year. "I think he beats everyone. He is a special fighter who needs to be tested against the best in the world. He will be around in boxing for a long time."
Ennis was significantly bigger and stronger, with quick hands and reflexes, controlling the fight from the beginning with his southpaw jab.
Originally, Ennis was supposed to fight mandatory challenger Cody Crowley, but Crowley had to withdraw after undergoing double eye surgery. Avanesyan (30-5-1, 18 KOs) stepped in a month before the fight on short notice, which might have been a disadvantage.
The 35-year-old Armenian boxer from Pyatigorsk previously held the EBU championship belt but vacated it for a fight against Terence Crawford, which he lost by knockout.