Coach Stephen Edwards says Bakhram Murtazaliev is the “most dangerous” fighter at 154 for Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis due to his ability to “counter-punch.” He notes that Ennis’s tendency to fight aggressively will make him vulnerable to IBF junior middleweight champion Murtazaliev (23-0, 17 KOs).
Ennis’ promoter Eddie Hearn mentioned Bakhram as one of the fighters he’s interested in him fighting next. He wants ‘Boots’ (35-0, 31 KOs) to capture some titles at 154 to build up the Terence Crawford fight.
Why Bakhram Is So Dangerous
“Bakhram is the most dangerous because he can counter-punch, and ‘Boots’ gets a little offensive. He’s shown a good chin so far, but anybody can go if you get hit right,” said Stephen Edwards to MillCity Boxing about Bakhram Murtazaliev being the most dangerous fighter for Jaron Ennis at 154.
A Risky Matchup at 154 Pounds
There are some big punchers at 154, but none that can compare to Murtazaliev. He’s in his own special class. What makes him especially dangerous is how quickly he is with his whip-like left hook. It’s hard to time because it’s so fast.
Ennis would have to fight a lot more conservatively against Bakhram than he’s accustomed to, as he’ll be getting hit with his left hook counter-shot all night. If he gets nailed as often as he was in his rematch with Karen Chukhadzhian on November 9, 2024, he’s going to sleep. Karen was landing all night on Ennis and making him look bad in front of his fans at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
Bakhram’s One-Shot Precision
“Bakhram showed that he has a big left hook. He’s quick-minded with one shot. He’s not fast if we’re doing flurries. Watch his fight with Tszyu. That one hook, that one little catch-and-counter that he does. He’s quick. With one shot, he’s quick with that shot. You can tell, he’s practiced that one shot over and over again,” said Edwards about Murtazaliev.
Tim Tszyu was getting hit with Bakhram’s murderous left hook repeatedly in their fight on October 19, 2024. He went down four times in the fight. Normally, Murtazaliev’s right hand is one of his best weapons, but it was reportedly injured, and he had to rely on his left hook.
What Ennis Must Change to Win
Ennis couldn’t afford to fight as aggressively against Bakhram as he did in his first-round knockout of Uisma Lima. If he tried to flurry on him like he did against Lima, he could get caught. You could see that Lima was still looking to catch ‘Boots’ despite being hurt and being unloaded on. Ennis could get clipped if he fights like a wild man against Murtazaliev.
Will Arons has followed boxing’s rise and reinventions since 2015, writing feature pieces, fight previews, and post-fight analysis that capture the pulse of the sport.
