Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis and Shakur Stevenson are the two most talented young fighters on the planet, and on Saturday night, you are going to see one of them emerge into a superstar. The term “generational talent” gets thrown around willy-nilly nowadays. It should refer to someone whose talent level is only seen once in a generation. From my era (I am a late-90s baby), just two names fall into that category.
At the 2015 US Junior Open & Youth National Championships, I witnessed a crop of young American boxers emerge. The list includes Devin Haney, Edgar Berlanga, Marc Castro, Brandun Lee, and Jared Anderson. But two names, in particular, stood out amongst the crowd: Jaron Ennis and Shakur Stevenson.
That same year, he won the Pennsylvania Golden Gloves and looked to punch his ticket for the plane to Rio 2016. However, at the Olympic Trial Box-Off, he suffered defeat in the deciding contest at the hands of his amateur rival, Gary Antuanne Russell.
Although his Olympic dream had been crushed, he was only eighteen so, theoretically, could have stuck around for a second Olympic cycle. Instead, he made the bold choice to turn professional in April the following year. Despite his immense talent and amateur pedigree, Ennis was not thrust under the limelight or given primetime television slots.
The Philadelphian boxed on small-hall shows and often fell towards the bottom of the show running order. After eventually being picked up by Showtime Sports, he built his brand by brutalising everyone on the ShoBox circuit.
In 2020, he graduated to the Showtime main broadcast, destroying Juan Carlos Abreu inside six rounds with one of the most perfect counter uppercuts I have ever witnessed. A couple of months later, he was pitted against the former contender, Chris van Heerden. However, an unfortunate, accidental clash of heads saw the fight ruled a no-contest after just one round.
This Saturday, Ennis will headline his first Showtime bill against former 140-pound titleholder and welterweight championship campaigner, Sergey Lipinets (16-1-1).
Enough about his journey. I put my neck on the line in the opening stanza by stating that Ennis is the best fighter under 25 in the world. When you consider the talent coming out of the U.S. at the moment, that is quite a statement. To support my case, I have picked out six key attributes that not only make him special but will also see him flourish into one of the elite pound-for-pound fighters in the sport.
Experience
In the amateur ranks, he shared the ring with some of the most talented young fighters in the States. Facing the likes of Richardson Hitchins and Gary Antuanne Russell during his teens, as well as sparring other members from Team USA, will no doubt have moulded him into the fighter we see today.
Now switching focus to his paid career; at just twenty-three, Boots has 26 professional bouts to his name, which is pretty damn impressive. Admittedly, the opposition was overmatched but it has enabled him to gain valuable experience by dealing with a variety of opponents and styles.
Physicality & Athleticism
Turning professional young meant Ennis became accustomed to facing physically stronger men almost immediately. Those experiences has toughened him up and enhanced his own physicality, which is one of the reasons he looks so comfortable on the inside. He employs his strength at close quarters to bully and manipulate his opponent’s positioning, creating openings for him to facilitate his own attacks.
Standing at 5ft 11inches, with a 188cm wingspan, Ennis is huge for the 147lb limit. Whilst his body may not have fully developed like Errol Spence, Terence Crawford or Yordenis Ugas, he would enter as the naturally bigger man against all three of the current welterweight champions.
His natural size opens a variety of doors for his progression. It means we can expect him to climb through the weights gradually over the coming years. I predict that Boots will retire having picked up legitimate world titles at welterweight, light middleweight and middleweight, eventually.
To compare someone to Roy Jones Jr athletically is almost blasphemous. His reflexes, his speed, his explosiveness was almost inhuman. However… Ennis possesses some of those traits. To the same level? No. But having 75-80% of the athleticism that RJJ boasted would place any fighter in good stead. Boots relies on his cat-like reflexes to avoid his opponent’s shots and his blistering speed to make them pay.
Switch-hitting
In the latest episode of the Punch Perfect Podcast, I used the words: “Switch-hitting is a fine art in boxing”. It is a tough skill to utilise effectively, let alone make look easy. Currently, Bud Crawford and Tyson Fury are the prime examples of being able to effortlessly alter between stances. Despite his age, Ennis stands right beside those two names. Beating someone with the size and skills of Ennis is difficult enough. But throw the fact that he can switch to the opposite stance and differ his approach at any given moment into the equation, it makes him one of the toughest assignments in boxing.
Engine
We are yet to see Ennis go the championship distance, so you might question me highlighting his engine. From what I have read and watched from Ennis, his team put their trust in conditioning. Jaron doesn’t jog for miles each day, he RUNS miles. There is a huge difference. Fellow Philly boxer and current WBO super bantamweight champion, Stephen Fulton Jr, is cut from the same cloth. People always question how a young fighter will respond when dragged into the latter stages of a championship contest. But I firmly believe that if Boots is dropped in at the deep end, he will comfortably swim to shore.
Power
Ennis boasts an 89% knockout ratio, with 24 of his 26 fights ending early. Not only does he have the ability to school, but he also carries the power to switch your lights off. Just another factor that makes him so dangerous. It will be interesting to see whether that power translates as his the level of opposition improves and he jumps up in weight. This will tell us whether he is naturally heavy-handed or his raw athleticism allows him to be an explosive puncher.
Youth
When flicking through all the points that I have outlined, please consider that Jaron Ennis turns twenty-four in June. TWENTY-FOUR! The kid from the City of Brotherly Love has 10/12 more years in the sport and is already operating at this level. Superstardom, world titles and healthy paydays await him.
#TeamEnnis Stand Up
Before I go, I encourage you to check out these two videos to learn more about Boots and his potential. Firstly, check out “The Downside to Jaron Ennis” by Con10der Regime Boxing. In this video, he breaks down what makes him a generational talent and why he could be the future of the sport.
Secondly, respected Philly boxing coach Stephen “Breadman” Edwards joined the Barbershop Conversations Podcast and when asked “who is the next superstar in boxing?” it took the esteemed trainer a split second to respond with “Jaron Ennis.” Breadman formerly worked the corner of former undisputed 154lbs champion, Julian Williams, and said that “J-Rock had to be in the right mood to spar with Boots”.
Lastly, we previewed Ennis vs Lipinets – amongst other upcoming fights this weekend – on the latest episode of the Punch Perfect Podcast. If you are just looking for boxing content to set the mood for Saturday night, we encourage you to check it out.
The Neutral Corner 