Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis will be taking his time to transition from 147 to 154 to get acclimated to the new weight class before fighting Vergil Ortiz Jr. This week, the WBO installed ‘Boots’ Ennis (34-0, 30 KOs) at #4 at junior middleweight.
The fighters at 154 hit harder and possess more talent than the fighters Ennis has faced during his nine-year career. So, it makes sense for him to take his time before fighting any of the top guys in the weight class.
Ennis’s 154-lb Top Threats
– Vergil Ortiz Jr.
– Sebastian Fundora
– Terence Crawford: *if he returns to 154
– Israil Madrimov
– Bakhram Murtazaliev
It will be interesting to see how well Boots can handle the power of the fighters in the junior middleweight division. Ennis hasn’t been hard to hit, and that could get him in trouble if he continues to have leaky defense.
Ennis’ punching power is another thing that will need to be gauged. When Terence Crawford recently moved up in weight from 147 to 154, he didn’t have the same pop in his punches. The same could happen to Boots.
It’s unclear if the two tune-ups will help Jaron. If he can’t handle the power and the better talents in this weight class, he’s not going to go far. When he was fighting at 147, he was a big fish in a small pond.
Boots Facing Top 154-lb Talent
Once Terence Crawford cleared out, the weight class was barren of talent. Ennis was able to briefly thrive as the top dog until he finally grew out of the weight class. Now, Boots is no longer alone. There are other fighters with equal or greater talent than his. That’s why the tune-ups might not be of any use.
That high ranking will make Ennis’ job easier when it comes time for him to seek a world title shot. If the Top Rank-promoter, Xander Zayas, captures the vacant WBO 154-lb title in his fight against Jorge Garcia Perez this Saturday, he’s not likely to fight Ennis unless he were his mandatory.
