By: Hans Themistode
Shawn Porter does not back up an iota.
The former two-division world champion caused a stir earlier this week when he discussed the overall talent of 147-pound rising contender Jaron “Boots” Ennis. While many have hailed Ennis as the next heavyweight, Porter believes people should slow their pace before anointing him.
“Boots are overrated,” Porter said on The Porter Way Podcast Clips. “This is why I say he is overrated. Everyone appreciates him but he is yet to be in the ring with any world champions.”
Since making those comments, Ennis has shot back at himself, even daring to let the newly retired two-time champion brush off his gloves and face him in the ring. Despite the public’s attention, Porter seemed uninterested in Ennis following his offer. However, he did try to clarify his comments.
“That might be the wrong term to use,” Porter said when discussing whether Ennis is overrated on Fight Hub TV. “I said what I said and I mean what I said. Everything we know about Ennis is true but what people say, I don’t completely agree. I completely agree that he is next.
“What I disagree with is when people say, ‘he’s going to wash that fighter, that fighter, that fighter, that fighter.’ I was like this, this guy is going to be in for some really, really cool boxing fights. Let those fights go, don’t just put a stigma about him washing away whoever he’s in the ring. He’s next but I don’t think he can wash the top three to four in the heavyweight division. ”
Ennis, 24, is having the most impressive year of her young career. In the first quarter of 2021, the Philadelphia-born player took on former 140-pound champion, Sergey Lipinets. While on paper Lipinets seemed to be his most serious test yet, the Kazakh fighter was defeated and stopped in the sixth round.
To close out his year, Ennis was up against a rough and tough opponent Thomas Dulorme. The 32-year-old has built his career on tenacity and toughness and hasn’t succumbed to a knockout since facing Terence Crawford in 2015. However, despite his believably normal chin his trust, Dulorme was roughly stopped in the first round.
By all accounts, Porter did not deny that Ennis was extremely talented. That said, he refuses to award him the best weightlifter in the world.
“Honestly, he’s a problem and he can beat all those top four men but people just say ‘ah he’s washing them, he’s washing them,’ I can’t fight with that.”
