Interim IBF welterweight titleholder Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis 31-0 (28) made his intentions clear after stopping Romain ‘Flaco de Oro’ Villa 26-2 (24) in 10 rounds at The Ballroom in Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey on Saturday night.
The 26-year-old from Philly was at his slick and powerful best, displaying quick hands and feet along with a tight defence. Ennis was equally effective whether he was boxing out of the orthodox or southpaw stance.
Venezuelan Villa, 30, showed toughness and even had pockets of success in the first half of the bout, but never enough to win a round.
Ennis took full control in the sixth and never took his eye off the prize, breaking down Villa and dropping him in the 10th before eventually scoring the knockout at the 1:27 mark.
“My performance was good, I could have listened to my corner a little more,” Ennis said.
“My dad wanted me to throw more body shots and give him more angles and not stand in front of him. I was getting hit with shots I wasn’t supposed to get hit with.
“I appreciate Villa taking this fight. Hats off to him and his family. I appreciate him for coming in and being a warrior.
“I was breaking him down and I came out victorious. I knew he was a tough kid. I just had to be smart and take my time and keep touching and touching and eventually I was going to get him. I was setting him up.
“I hit him with a big left hand and I knew he was going down. So I was waiting for the left shot and I threw a hook and I knew he was going so I just threw one more and that was it. I knew they were going to stop it.”
On the same weekend Vergil Ortiz Jr 19-0 (19) was supposed to face Eimantas Stanionis 14-0 (9) but the bout was cancelled when Ortiz fainted ahead of the weigh-in.
On the last Saturday of this month WBC, WBA and IBF 147-pound champion Errol ‘The Truth’ Spence Jr 28-0 (22) will clash with WBO counterpart Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford 39-0 (30) at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Ennis says bring on all comers.
“I want the winner of Errol Spence and Terence Crawford,” said Ennis. “Let’s make it happen. I’ll take on Eimantas Stanionis in a heartbeat. I want to get into the ring one more time before the end of the year to make it three fights. Stanionis, Keith Thurman, Yordenis Ugas, all the top guys out there. Let’s make these fights happen.”
Both Spence and Crawford have flagged a move up to junior middleweight after their unification bout, which has a rematch clause attached. That bout could take place at 154-pounds.
“Hopefully it’s a one-sided fight and nobody gets a rematch and we will be next,” Ennis said.
