Unbeaten Welterweight contender Jaron “Boots” Ennis (27-0-1, 25 KOs) believes he’ll be a champion sooner rather than later, but he also knows he has more work to do at 147 pounds before he gets the chance to prove himself as one of the elite.
Through 28 professional fights, the 23-year-old Boots has continuously garnered the boxing world’s attention thanks to his tantalizing blend of skill, speed, and power. He can fight from either stance and has often shown the ability to finish his opponents as well.
But despite how impressive he’s been thus far, he doesn’t feel as if he’s shown all that he has to offer.
“I haven’t shown the world my full potential, I’ve shown like 30%, 40%,” said Ennis on a recent edition of the Last Stand Podcast. “I feel like I really haven’t had to go into my bag yet to show my full potential, and in my last fight, I was just warming up, and I end up getting a knockout.”
Ennis faced the toughest test of his career in former 140-pound titleholder Sergey Lipinets (16-2-1, 12 KOs) in his last outing. However, he passed that test with flying colors, stopping Lipinets in the sixth round of a Showtime Championship Boxing main event on April 10 at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut.
With that win under his belt, Ennis is undoubtedly ready to take on the top names in the Welterweight division, and that’s exactly who the Philadelphia native is aiming for in his next fight. However, he also knows how boxing works, and it may not be so easy to get the division’s best to agree to fight him.
“I want a top three or top five guy (the Keith Thurmans, Shawn Porters, Yordenis Ugas) that way it will put me in line for a world title by the end of the year or the beginning of 2022,” said Ennis. “I just want all the great fights and fight all the best fighters, and that’s the goal.
“That’s the goal, fight the best, work my way up, I know I got to work my way up, I know they’re not just going to pick me and fight me, and I respect it,” he added. “I’m going to continue to work my way up to the world title, keep beating everybody they put in front of me, and eventually I’ll be a world champion. I figure it will be the end of this year or beginning of 2022.”
Those who have kept a close eye on Ennis throughout his rise share the sentiment that he’ll be a world champion at some point. When he receives that shot is, of course, unclear, as many factors could end up playing a role.
But when the time does come, Ennis has no doubts that he’ll be ready to show what he’s known all along.
“I can box, I fight on the inside, I’m strong, fast, powerful, everything you need, I have it, and I’m well rounded in everything,” said Ennis. “I think this division, they’re only good at one thing or two things, but I’m good at everything.”
THE LAST STAND – JARON ENNIS INTERVIEW
