Boots Ennis’ next step – former world champion breaks it down

On October 11, live on DAZN from the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, PA, Jaron Ennis made his 154-pound debut with a first-round stoppage of Uisma Lima. 

Ennis was roundly criticised for taking this fight against Lima, due to Lima’s relatively unknown reputation. It was mainly seen as a warm-up fight that “Boots” should win with ease, and he did. Ennis has now been praised by former cruiserweight world champion Tony Bellew, who has spoken to Football Blog and broken down what he believes Ennis needs to move on to the next level.

Tony Bellew breaks down what Jaron Ennis needs next

Jaron Ennis (35-0, 31 KOs) did what he needed to against Lima, scoring two knockdowns before the referee waved the fight off at 1:58 in the opening round. Regardless of the opposition, it was an impressive display of power and precision.

When speaking to Football Blog, Bellew discussed what Ennis needs to reach the top tier in boxing:

“Eddie blows more smoke than Fireman Sam, but he’s not wrong on this one. You know, when it comes to Jaron Boots Ennis, he’s phenomenal. I’ve said this for quite a while. Unbelievably good. He just needs the caliber of opponents stepped up. We’ve seen him do one round blowouts and destruction. But every top fighter needs a dance partner. He needs one and he needs one ASAP.

“Step up the calibre. I can’t understand why the Ortiz fight hasn’t been made. I know Eddie wants to make it and I don’t know what the hold up is. I think he beats Virgil Ortiz, but Ortiz, once again, is another brilliant fighter. That fight is a match made in heaven in my opinion. I don’t blame Ortiz for that one. I’m sure. I think it’s down to Boots to be fair. We’ll find out soon.”

Eddie Hearn praises Jaron Ennis

When recently speaking to The Stomping Ground, Eddie Hearn was full of praise for his fighter after the October 11 win over Lima:

“You can try and downplay it, but I don’t give a f**k, Jaron “Boots” Ennis is the best fighter in boxing today. I keep saying about Vergil (Ortiz). I respect those guys. I love Robert Garcia. The same thing will happen to Vergil Ortiz. It might take a few rounds longer, but he will absolutely slice him up.

“There’s no one in the 154-pound division that’s going to touch him. If you look at the finish and the combinations. The hand speed is blistering. The power is frightening. Lima was like, you know, and it was just…I just wanted a statement, and that was the statement of all statements.

“But we’ve got to prove it with the resume. He’s 28 years old. He’s 10 years younger than Terence Crawford. We haven’t even touched the surface yet. This is the most special fighter I’ve ever worked with by a mile, and we are just getting started, and I can’t wait for him to be in these fights,” said Hearn.

Whatever comes next, it looks like the next stage for Jaron Ennis will likely begin with a potentially brilliant fight against Vergil Ortiz in 2026.