Jaron Ennis celebrates the victory (over Sergey Lipinets) that earned a Ring rating. Photograph by Amanda Westcott / Showtime
This Saturday is meant to loom one other take a look at for Jaron “Boots” Ennis, just like the earlier battle for the Philadelphia welterweight was imagined to be, and the battle earlier than that.
In April, Ennis, 24, plowed by former 140-pound titlist Sergey Lipinets with a sixth-round knockout.
On Saturday, Ennis (27-0, 25 knockouts) will tackle his most formidable opponent so far, 31-year-old fringe contender Thomas Dulorme within the 10-round co-main occasion from the Michelob ULTRA Enviornment at Mandalay Bay Resort and On line casino in Las Vegas, offered by Premier Boxing Champions.
It is going to be the co-feature beneath the Jamal James-Radzhab Butaev 12-round welterweight headliner on SHOWTIME Championship Boxing (10 pm ET/7 p.m. PT).
Dulorme (25-5-1, 16 KOs) has gained simply certainly one of his earlier 5 fights, coming off consecutive losses to James and Eimantas Stanionis. The sturdy Puerto Rican has been within the ring with Yordenis Ugas and Terence Crawford. He fought Jessie Vargas to a 12-round attract October 2018.
Ennis might be searching for his twenty sixth knockout in 28 fights. He is without doubt one of the rising stars in boxing, considered a future pound-for-pound entrant.
In making ready for Dulorme, this has been his most demanding coaching camp, that includes among the greatest sparring he’s acquired.
“It’s been an amazing camp, and it’s in all probability essentially the most sparring I ever bought in camp,” Ennis mentioned. “I really feel nice. It’s helped me really feel even sharper, due to all the sparring. If I can get yet another battle in earlier than the tip of the 12 months, I’ll, in all probability some in December.
“Subsequent 12 months might be a giant 12 months for me. No extra ready. I desire a shot at any title I can get. I might sleep within the health club if had been as much as me, and I might battle all the champions in a single evening. I really feel like I’m one battle away from being a world champion, and keep centered for Dulorme. I’m taking a look at 2022 for my title shot, and I don’t care who it’s towards.
“I don’t care if it’s the Unbelievable Hulk. I’ll be prepared.”
The longest Ennis has gone has been six rounds, which he did twice, stopping Lipinets and one other powerful out, Juan Carlos Abreu in September 2020. Ennis is aware of with additional steps up come higher challenges.
“I’m prepared for that,” he mentioned. “My purpose is to indicate the world my dominance and maintain displaying the world what I’m capable of do, which I’m going to do towards Dulorme. I by no means go right into a battle searching for the knockout. I’m going in and not using a recreation plan and we regulate from there.
“I’m not going for the knockout, however I’m going to get the knockout.”
Bozy Ennis, Boots’ father and coach, feels his son can battle any welterweight on this planet proper now. Dulorme has been in with top-10 fighters, and it’ll give Staff Boots a gauge to the place he’s. Boots is gaining some crossover enchantment. A number of the Philadelphia native media is lastly recognizing him, with a brand new wave of consideration.
Nothing has modified.
“We’re nonetheless working the identical coaching camp, we’re nonetheless pushing to get higher every single day,” Bozy mentioned. “Boots sparred with Brian Norman (21-0, 18 KOs) who got here up from Atlanta, and Chordale Booker (17-0, 7 KOs) from Connecticut and we bought some good work in.
“Elijah Williams got here down (from New York). We bought good sparring up to now, however not the standard of sparring we bought this time. We bought completely different work and the sparring companions gained one thing from it, too. We bought completely different appears to be like from completely different individuals.”
Staff Boots left for Las Vegas on Wednesday.
Who is aware of the place 2022 may lead after that?
Joseph Santoliquito is an award-winning sportswriter who has been working for Ring Journal/RingTV.com since October 1997 and is the president of the Boxing Writers Affiliation of America. He might be adopted on twitter @JSantoliquito.
