A mandatory title fight between a pair of unbeaten welterweights will head to a purse bid hearing.

The Ring has confirmed that the negotiation period for the ordered Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis-Cody Crowley welterweight title clash ended without a deal in place. The sanctioning body informed both camps and all IBF-registered promoters of a scheduled March 19 hearing, to be conducted via Zoom.

The winning bid must be accompanied by a ten-percent deposit. Another ten percent and with signed agreements provided to the IBF no later than five business days after the hearing to validate the session.

The development came after the March 1 deadline passed without a deal in place for the mandatory title fight. Philadelphia’s Ennis (31-0, 28 knockouts), The Ring’s No.2 welterweight, is represented by his father and head trainer Derek ‘Bozy’ Ennis. TGB Promotions’ Tom Brown was the point of contact in negotiations for Canada’s Crowley (22-0, 9 KOs), No. 4 at 147.

Ennis was elevated to full titlsit from interim last November 28. The sanctioning body informed him at the time that his next mandatory would be due by March 28. The scheduled purse bid will obviously push back that deadline but for the moment does not provide Ennis with room for a voluntary defense.

Per IBF rule 9C, Ennis and Crowley are now required to honor the ordered purse bid hearing to avoid disciplinary action handed down by the sanctioning body. Any fighter who abandons the purse bid process or does not honor the outcome will receive a demotion in the rankings plus a six-month probation period where they cannot participate in an IBF-sanctioned fight.

Interestingly, Crowley found himself in position to challenge for this title after he previously violated those very terms.

The 30-year-old Canadian southpaw, who now trains in Las Vegas, was ordered to face England’s Ekow Essuman in a title eliminator. Queensberry Promotions won a purse bid hearing for the bout last September with a paltry $63,000 bid. It was never believed that Crowley would go through with the fight, though another opportunity was speculated at the time.

Essuman (19-1, 7 KOs) went on to lose to countryman Harry Scarff (13-2, 3 KOs) via unanimous decision in their IBF title eliminator last November 18 in Manchester, England.

Scarff is now on course to next face former interim title challenger Karen Chukhadzhian (23-1, 13 KOs) in a final elimination bout later this spring.

Ennis won the interim title in a dominant twelve-round, unanimous decision over Chukhadzhian last January 6 in Washington, D.C. He made one successful defense, a ninth-round stoppage of Roiman Villa (26-3, 24 KOs), No. 10 at 147, last July 8. The Showtime-headlined bout took place in Atlantic City, an hour or so from Ennis’ hometown.

The hope for the 26-year-old Ennis at the time was to land a shot at the full IBF title. Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) fully unified the division and won the Ring championship when he stopped No. 1 Ring contender Errol Spence Jr. (28-1, 22 KOs) in the ninth round last July 29 in Las Vegas.

Crawford was immediately ordered to next face Ennis in an IBF title consolidation bout. The negotiation period ended with Crawford being relieved of the full title due to his contractually bound Spence rematch that never materialized.

Ennis was previously on course to face interim WBC welterweight titlist and Ring No. 7-rated Mario Barrios (28-2, 18 KOs). Those plans were parked for a variety of reasons, including this ordered defense which should be resolved in two weeks or less.

Jake Donovan a senior writer for The Ring and vice president of the Boxing Writers Association of America.
Follow @JakeNDaBox

SUBSCRIBE NOW (CLICK HERE - JUST $1.99 PER MONTH) TO READ THE LATEST ISSUE