Boxing

Jaron 'Boots' Ennis Announces 154-Pound Debut On October 11

Former welterweight champion to officially make super welterweight debut against Uisma Lima
Jaren Kawada|
Jaron Ennis
Jaron Ennis | Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing

Jaron 'Boots' Ennis' quest to become a two-division champion will begin on Oct. 11 against IBO super welterweight title holder Uisma Lima.

Ennis, 28, announced his plan to move up to 154 pounds in July, three months after his sixth-round TKO victory over Eimantas Stanionis. After vacating his titles, Ennis now confirmed that his super welterweight debut will be another headliner in his hometown of Philadelphia.

"October 11th I'm back baby in the bity at the Wells Fargo Center," Ennis tweeted. "154 I'M HERE... New weight same goals THE TOUR CONTINUES! I CAN'T WAIT 35-0 31 KOs coming soon! #TeamEnnis #PIACTour THEY GOTTA SEE ME REGARDLESS NO IF ANDS OR BUTS! #2WeightDivisionChampLoading"

The fight will be Ennis' 154-pound debut. 'Boots' has yet to compete at a weight higher than 147 pounds, where he has amassed a record of 34-0 with one no-contest.

The weight change opens up more avenues in Ennis' career. While he did not fully dominate the welterweight division, bigger matchups await at 154 pounds. A handful of fans wanted to see Ennis face fellow 147-pound champions Mario Barrios or Brian Norman Jr., but the more lucrative opportunities for Ennis are in his new division.

The bout will not only be for Lima's IBO belt, but it will also serve as a WBA title eliminator. The winner would then likely face WBA super welterweight champion Xander Zayas to end the year. Zayas is coming off a 12-round decision victory over Jose Garcia Perez in July.

Jaron Ennis eyes big fights at super welterweight

Jaron Enni
IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

Ennis became the IBF welterweight champion in April 2023 with a dominant decision win over Karen Chukhadzhian. He defended the belt four times, most recently against Stanionis, in a win that added the WBA and The Ring 147-pound titles to his collection.

Although he has yet to compete in the weight class, Ennis is already a top-10 super welterweight in most organizations' rankings. He is already the No. 1 contender in the division in the WBC rankings, setting the table for a potential matchup against Sebastian Fundora or Vergil Ortiz Jr. in the near future.

Should he get past Lima, Ennis will be at the top of the list to either challenge Zayas, Fundora or Ortiz in his ensuing matchup. The IBF is the only organization that has yet to rank him in the super welterweight division.

Following his welterweight title vacation, the WBA anointed interim titleholder Rolando Romero to full champion. However, his former IBF and The Ring titles currently remain vacant.

The Latest Boxing News

Milestone UFC Paramount Deal Sparks Boxing World Debate On PPV's Future

Canelo Alvarez vs Terence Crawford Undercard Fights Announced

Why Chantelle Cameron Doesn't Think Katie Taylor Will Fight Her Again

Canelo Alvarez Ranked Below Bitter Foe By Terence Crawford

Published
Jaren Kawada
JAREN KAWADA

Jaren Kawada is a combat sports writer who specializes in betting, with over five years of experience in boxing and MMA. When he is not covering the sport, Kawada is an avid MMA, Brazilian jiu-jitsu and boxing practitioner. Kawada has previous bylines with ClutchPoints, Sportskeeda MMA, BetSided and FanSided MMA. Born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, Kawada has a B.A. in Sports Media from Butler University and now resides in Denver, Colorado.

Share on XFollow jarenkawada1