After the fights: Jaron Ennis should scare the welterweight division

Jaron Ennis continues to dominate fights in a fashion that has to scare other boxers in the welterweight division. What’s next for the rising star? 

The welterweight division is one of the deepest in boxing. After his performance on Saturday, Sept. 19, Jaron Ennis looks like a top-five contender.

He blasted out Juan Carlos Abreu in six rounds via TKO. Abreu isn’t an elite boxer, but he brought power and durability to the table. Ennis’s skills made Abreu look out of place and chiseled away Abreu’s usually stout chin before knocking him down three times in quick succession before winning the fight.

Before meeting Ennis, Abreu went the distance with Alexander Besputin, Egidijus Kavaliauskas, Jamal James, and Humberto Soto. He lost those bouts, but he made it to the finish line every time.

Abreu didn’t stand a chance against Ennis.

“Tough” is the word that best describes Abreu, and Ennis beat the machismo out of Abreu until his balance was shot and standing became a difficult task.

Ennis (26-0, 24 KOs) is only 23 years old and is closing in on 30 fights while posting an unblemished record. He’s never been past the sixth round. Ennis checks every box on the list of desirable attributes for a boxer.

He possesses fast hands, switches between orthodox and southpaw, packs power in both hands, and lets his hands go. Ennis shows very few flaws at this stage of his career, but he’s still not receiving the credit he deserves. Maybe that will change after his TKO win over Abreu.

According to Boxrec.com, Ennis is rated as the 25th-best welterweight in the world. That’s ludicrous. Looking at their rankings, Ennis is good enough pencil into the top 10, and he already looks better than many of the boxers listed.

The one thing working against Ennis is his résumé. He lacks notable opposition. Without commanding performances over established names, Ennis won’t receive the respect and notoriety he deserves.  There are two reasons why landing better opponents prove to be troublesome for Ennis.

Jaron Ennis is betting on his talent to land a title shot eventually. His approach is unorthodox but may pay off in the long run.

Ennis doesn’t have a long-term contract with a big promoter. He does fight-by-fight deals and remains independent of a significant promotional outfit. That’s admirable but could also hold him back. The business of boxing sees promoters grow boxers and carefully handpick their fights to guide them to a title with the path of least resistance.

During a recent press conference, Ennis stated that he doesn’t intend to sign a longterm contract with a promoter. He used the word “never.” Time will tell if that’s a smart move, but he’s young, and  Ennis is planning his career for the longterm.

Ennis feels he’s ready for a title shot right now.

“Most definitely, I’m ready for a title shot,” said Ennis during the press conference for the Abreu fight. “I’ve been ready. After Saturday night, I’ll probably get a title eliminator, and then sometime in 2021, I’ll be world champion.”

Becoming a champion in 2021 will be incredibly difficult without the allegiance of a robust promoter.  Dealing with Showtime who’s aligned with PBC, is a smart move. PBC holds managerial rights to a majority of the elite welterweight talent.

The other reason Ennis isn’t fighting better opposition is that he’s being avoided. He doesn’t just win. Ennis embarrasses his competition. He doesn’t do it maliciously, but Ennis is just that good that he’s outclassing opponents to a high degree.

Ennis knows what he’s in for without the backing of a major promoter. His recent comments to Boxingscene.com show that.

“I think I might have to get into a mandatory position because I don’t think any of the champs are gonna call me out,” Ennis said to BoxingScene.com. “I don’t feel like one of the champs are gonna be like, ‘Oh yeah, I’m just gonna fight this guy.’ I’m ranked for the belts, but I don’t think they’re gonna just pick me. They’re gonna skip all around me and pick the easier fights.”

With youth, Ennis has the gift of time. Manny Pacquiao, Terence Crawford, and Errol Spence Jr. hold all the belts in the division. They’re probably not looking to give Ennis a shot because he’s high risk, low reward. Ennis needs to continue winning and picking off gradually more prominent names along the way.

Ennis is doing things his way. If it works, then he’s a genius. Ennis certainly has confidence in his boxing abilities. Based on what he did to Abreu, he’s undoubtedly going to make many new fans. Ennis needs a shot to compare his skills to the current champions.