Jaron Ennis’ Resume Under Scrutiny

Bernie Davis, Terence Crawford’s coach, has challenged Jaron Ennis to face elite opposition. 

Davis’ comments come as Ennis prepares to make his debut at 154 pounds against Uisma Lima on October 11. Ennis moved up after unifying at 147 in his last fight by stopping Emanuel Stanionis. That was Ennis’ biggest win of his career, but he has struggled to get the big bouts. He has been linked with the likes of Terence Crawford and Vergil Ortiz.

Crawford, though, is coming off his biggest win, beating Canelo Alvarez at 168 to become undisputed. Bud’s team have also dismissed a fight with Ennis. Meanwhile, talks with Vergil Ortiz Jr. broke down previously, although there is hope that a fight gets made next year. Bernie simply wanted to see Ennis face better opposition. 

“We’re talking about a guy that has got 30 fights, not two fights. When are we going to take the training wheels off of him?” Bernie Davis said 

The Reality

Despite Ennis’ 34-0 record, wins over fighters like Sergey Lipinets and Thomas Dulorme came against opponents who were past their prime. Crawford had already achieved big milestones by the time he turned 28 in 2015. He had secured the WBO Lightweight World Championship by defeating Ricky Burns and delivered a career-defining performance against the undefeated former Olympic gold medalist Yuriorkis Gamboa.

Ortiz, however, is a legitimate, undefeated knockout artist who is himself a proven challenger at the elite level. A victory over Ortiz would provide Ennis with the A-side name and the high-stakes validation that his current record lacks. However, Ennis must first get past Lima. The boxer has promised to deliver come fight night.

“What I’ve seen with Lima, he comes forward and throws a lot of punches. Whatever he brings, I’ll be ready. My mindset that I’ve picked up is that every fight needs to be locked in. I’m treating him like a big name. A statement is a knockout. The main goal is to have fun and put on a show. As long as I look good, there’s nothing to worry about,” Ennis said