Jaron Ennis wants to lure the top welterweights into the ring. Instead, he might be scaring them away.
Ennis’s annihilation of supposedly capable Bakhtiyar Eyubov – two first-round knockdowns, fourth-round stoppage, utter domination – on the Claressa Shields-Ivana Habazin card Friday in Atlantic City was only the latest sensational performance from the rising young star.
Ennis is now 25-0, with 23 knockdowns. And 13 of those knockdowns have come in his last six fights. Whew.
“We knew he was coming to fight and bring pressure so we mixed it up,” said Ennis, who landed 47 percent of his power shots against Eyubov (14-2-1, 12 KOs). “He was a good fighter but he wasn’t really that strong. I was getting hit a little too much but that’s how we did it to get the knockout. We were just setting him up for power shots. I just had to calm down, that’s all. I was too hyped. Once I calmed down and got into my rhythm that was it.
“He was taking a lot of punishment. He definitely was a great fighter though. I appreciate him taking the fight because a lot of guys don’t want to fight me.”
Why would they?
Ennis is a classic example of great risk with relatively little gain, as he is still building his name and earning power. In other words, he might be too dangerous for the top 147-pounders at the moment.
If he continues to win, particularly in such an impressive manner, they’ll have to fight him eventually. And the Philadelphian has time even if he’s becoming impatient. He’s only 22 years old.
And promotional affiliations shouldn’t be an impediment when the time comes. Ennis is tied to respected manager-turned-promoter Cameron Dunkin, who presumably could work with anyone.
Ennis might not fight a Top 5 welterweight just yet but he’s likely to face a stiffer test next time out, which would be another step toward what seems to be inevitable stardom for the young fighter.
As he’ll tell you, he’s not going anywhere.
“We have been wanting all the guys,” Ennis said. “They keep running. They can’t run no more. I’m right here.”