By Ken Hissner: Saturday night at the Convention Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Philly’s IBF Interim champion Jaron “Boots” Ennis once again made a major impression.
IBHOF inductee and Showtime commentator Al Bernstein couldn’t have said any more than he did in praising Ennis.
Though Philly has unbeaten WBC and WBO World Super Bantamweight champion Stephen “Cool Steph” Fulton, 21-0 with 8 stoppages, whose looking to move up in weight it is Ennis, 31-0 with 28 stoppages, who electrifies the boxing audience.
After knocking out Venezuela’s WBO No. 2 ranked contender Raimon Villa on Showtime in ten rounds, you knew why IBF, WBA, WBC World Welterweight champion Errol “The Truth” Spence, Jr., 28-0 with 22 stoppages and WBO World Welterweight champion Terence “Bud” Crawford, 39-0 with 30 stoppages signed a two-fight deal for their July 29th unification bout. On top of that, both said they would be moving up to super welterweight after they fight.
Ennis is the most “avoidable” boxer in the welterweight division and one of the most, if not the most, in boxing today. He’s now looking forward to meeting WBA Welterweight champion Eimantes Stanionis, 14-0 with 9 stoppages.
His father “Bozy” added to the possible future opponent’s former WBA Welterweight champ Yordenis “54” Milagros Ugas, 27-5 with 12 stoppages, and former WBA and WBC Welterweight champ Keith “One Time” Thurman, 31-1 with 22 stoppages.
He had trained the “New” Ray Robinson for Ugas, so he knows him well. It looks like Vergil Ortiz, Jr., 19-0 with 19 stoppages is moving up to super welterweight and having problems making weight, but if not, he’s another possibility.
“Boots” will be back in the gym Monday as usual after a fight, so he has no need to be fighting at super welterweight, making weight with no problem. Besides, it’s the welterweight belt he wants with all the organizations.
Philly had some very good welterweights in the past that were not champions, like “Gypsy” Joe Harris, who beat champion Curtis Cokes in a non-title fight but never got a rematch. Others were Gil Turner, Garnet “Sugar” Hart, Dick Turner, Percy Manning, and Stanley “Kitten” Hayward, who did get a title fight at super welterweight but lost.
The future for Jaron “Boots” Ennis is bright, and a champion at welterweight is just a matter of time.
