Jaron Ennis put Custio Clayton away with one punch in the second round Saturday in Carson, California.
Jaron Ennis continues to do his thing.
The welterweight contender stopped Custio Clayton at 2:49 of the second round of a scheduled 12-round bout on the Jermell Charlo-Brian Castano card Saturday in Carson, California.
Ennis landed a straight right above the ear, which put Clayton on his face. The Canadian was able to get up but was unsteady on his feet, which prompted referee Ray Corona to stop the fight.
Ennis (29-0, 27 KOs) has stopped his last 19 opponents.
The fearsome Philadelphia fighter controlled the fight from the start with his jab, following with power shots only occasionally in the early going.
However, it was enough to get the attention of Clayton (19-1-1, 12 KOs), who did little except cover up. It was as if he knew something big was coming.
And then it came. Ennis jabbed twice and followed with a straight right as Clayton was lowering his head, which put him down and ended the fight.
Jaron Ennis put Custio Clayton away with one punch in the second round Saturday in Carson, California.
Jaron Ennis continues to do his thing.
The welterweight contender stopped Custio Clayton at 2:49 of the second round of a scheduled 12-round bout on the Jermell Charlo-Brian Castano card Saturday in Carson, California.
Ennis landed a straight right above the ear, which put Clayton on his face. The Canadian was able to get up but was unsteady on his feet, which prompted referee Ray Corona to stop the fight.
Ennis (29-0, 27 KOs) has stopped his last 19 opponents.
The fearsome Philadelphia fighter controlled the fight from the start with his jab, following with power shots only occasionally in the early going.
However, it was enough to get the attention of Clayton (19-1-1, 12 KOs), who did little except cover up. It was as if he knew something big was coming.
And then it came. Ennis jabbed twice and followed with a straight right as Clayton was lowering his head, which put him down and ended the fight.
Jaron Ennis said ahead of his bout with Custio Clayton on Saturday: “I’m ready to take over (the welterweight) division.”
Jaron Ennis doesn’t hide his ambition. The gifted, powerful Philadelphian plans to become the top welterweight on the planet, whether or not he has to beat Terence Crawford and Errol Spence Jr. to get there.
“Boots” must tend to some important business first, however. He faces unbeaten Custio Clayton on the Jermell Charlo-Brian Castano II card Saturday in Carson, California (Showtime).
Ennis (28-0, 26 KOs) understands that there is no room for slip-ups as he pursues his destiny.
“I’m looking to make a big statement come May 14,” he said. “I’m coming to win in dominating fashion and get the knockout. I’m ready to take over this division.”
He went on: “I’m feeling great. Camp has been going very well and I can’t wait to shine on May 14. I’m ready to rock and roll. We’ve been running a lot more sprints this camp and focusing a little more on conditioning each day, about a half an hour more every session.
“A lot of it are the normal things we do, like the underwater treadmill and chopping wood. We’re just working 10 times harder.”
Ennis had a big 2021, stopping durable Sergey Lipinets in six rounds in April and taking Thomas Dulorme down in less than two minutes in October.
He has knocked out 18 consecutive opponents, not counting a no-contest against Chris van Heerden in December 2020. And he said he expects to continue to improve.
“I feel like I’m getting better at taking my time and being more relaxed in the ring,” he said. “I believe that the better the competition I face, the better I’m going to be. We’ve been working on jabbing more and being even more alert and sharper.”
He plans to demonstrate his progress against Clayton (19-0-1, 12 KOs) on Saturday.
“This fight is everything to me,” he said. “This is a big stage and it’s time for me to shine. From here on out, it’s only getting bigger and better. After I do my thing on May 14, we’re just going to keep going up and up. I’m looking to show everyone everything that I’m capable of. My speed, power, defense, ring IQ and footwork.
“At the end of the night, I’m coming for the knockout. That’s what the fans are coming to see. I’m going to show them what I can do and close the show with a knockout.”
Then comes even bigger and better things.
Of course, no one knows how the 147-pound championship picture will look in the coming months. Spence and Crawford could end up fighting one another to unify all four titles. Ennis would then be a candidate to face the winner, although both Spence and Crawford have talked about moving up to 154.
Ennis’ mission is to be ready for whatever comes.
“It doesn’t matter to me if Spence and Crawford decide to stay in the division and face me,” he said. “I’d love to take the belts away from the champion, but if I have to fight for a vacant belt, I’ll see Spence and Crawford at 154 pounds. They can’t go too far.”
Jaron Ennis said ahead of his bout with Custio Clayton on Saturday: “I’m ready to take over (the welterweight) division.”
Jaron Ennis doesn’t hide his ambition. The gifted, powerful Philadelphian plans to become the top welterweight on the planet, whether or not he has to beat Terence Crawford and Errol Spence Jr. to get there.
“Boots” must tend to some important business first, however. He faces unbeaten Custio Clayton on the Jermell Charlo-Brian Castano II card Saturday in Carson, California (Showtime).
Ennis (28-0, 26 KOs) understands that there is no room for slip-ups as he pursues his destiny.
“I’m looking to make a big statement come May 14,” he said. “I’m coming to win in dominating fashion and get the knockout. I’m ready to take over this division.”
He went on: “I’m feeling great. Camp has been going very well and I can’t wait to shine on May 14. I’m ready to rock and roll. We’ve been running a lot more sprints this camp and focusing a little more on conditioning each day, about a half an hour more every session.
“A lot of it are the normal things we do, like the underwater treadmill and chopping wood. We’re just working 10 times harder.”
Ennis had a big 2021, stopping durable Sergey Lipinets in six rounds in April and taking Thomas Dulorme down in less than two minutes in October.
He has knocked out 18 consecutive opponents, not counting a no-contest against Chris van Heerden in December 2020. And he said he expects to continue to improve.
“I feel like I’m getting better at taking my time and being more relaxed in the ring,” he said. “I believe that the better the competition I face, the better I’m going to be. We’ve been working on jabbing more and being even more alert and sharper.”
He plans to demonstrate his progress against Clayton (19-0-1, 12 KOs) on Saturday.
“This fight is everything to me,” he said. “This is a big stage and it’s time for me to shine. From here on out, it’s only getting bigger and better. After I do my thing on May 14, we’re just going to keep going up and up. I’m looking to show everyone everything that I’m capable of. My speed, power, defense, ring IQ and footwork.
“At the end of the night, I’m coming for the knockout. That’s what the fans are coming to see. I’m going to show them what I can do and close the show with a knockout.”
Then comes even bigger and better things.
Of course, no one knows how the 147-pound championship picture will look in the coming months. Spence and Crawford could end up fighting one another to unify all four titles. Ennis would then be a candidate to face the winner, although both Spence and Crawford have talked about moving up to 154.
Ennis’ mission is to be ready for whatever comes.
“It doesn’t matter to me if Spence and Crawford decide to stay in the division and face me,” he said. “I’d love to take the belts away from the champion, but if I have to fight for a vacant belt, I’ll see Spence and Crawford at 154 pounds. They can’t go too far.”
10 hardest punchers in boxing today. Where does Gervonta Davis rank?
Bad things happen to Gervonta Davis’ opponents when he punches them.
The best example of his destructive power might be a left uppercut from hell that removed four-division titleholder Leo Santa Cruz from his senses in the sixth round in October of last year.
But Davis has made a habit of producing early endings. Twenty-four knockouts in 25 fights speak for themselves.
And he has stopped his last 14 opponents, most of whom were ranked. He’ll be gunning for 15 in a row and 25 overall when he takes on Isaac Cruz in a pay-per-view bout on Sunday in Los Angeles.
So where does Davis rank among the biggest punchers today? Here’s the Top 10, in reverse order.
10 hardest punchers in boxing today. Where does Gervonta Davis rank?
Bad things happen to Gervonta Davis’ opponents when he punches them.
The best example of his destructive power might be a left uppercut from hell that removed four-division titleholder Leo Santa Cruz from his senses in the sixth round in October of last year.
But Davis has made a habit of producing early endings. Twenty-four knockouts in 25 fights speak for themselves.
And he has stopped his last 14 opponents, most of whom were ranked. He’ll be gunning for 15 in a row and 25 overall when he takes on Isaac Cruz in a pay-per-view bout on Sunday in Los Angeles.
So where does Davis rank among the biggest punchers today? Here’s the Top 10, in reverse order.
Good, bad, worse: KOs courtesy Jose Zepeda, Jaron Ennis and Radzhab Butaev.
A critical look at the past week in boxing
GOOD
If you like knockouts, you had a good Saturday night.
Three fighters delivered brutal stoppages in high-profile events, two inside two minutes of the first round and one in the ninth. All of them left a strong impression.
Jose Zepeda and Jaron Ennis did the quick, breathtaking work.
The oddsmakers thought that Zepeda vs. Josue Vargas was a 50-50 fight but a chilling left hand to the jaw that put Vargas on his face in the first round initiated a wipe out. Vargas got up but couldn’t survive a subsequent series of shots, which ended the fight after only 1 minute, 45 seconds.
It was a strong statement from Zepeda, who was only two fights removed from his Fight of the Year against Ivan Baranchyk. If anyone forgot that Zepeda (35-2, 27 KOs) has big-time power, he provided a reminder in New York.
Ennis (28-0, 26 KOs) has otherworldly power, as he demonstrated again on the Radzhab Butaev-Jamal James card in Las Vegas. A right to the head and moments later a straight left hand left veteran Thomas Dulorme wondering what hit him and ended their fight only 1:49 into the action.
I’ll say it again: Ennis reminds me of Roy Jones Jr., whose speed, athleticism and punching power made him an all time great. We’ll see how this plays out.
And Radzhab Buteav took a more circuitous route to stopping Jamal James in the main event in Las Vegas. The Las Vegas-based Russian broke down a respected, but physically overmatched opponent to win by a ninth-round stoppage and possibly earn a welterweight title shot. Big night for Butaev.
Three fights, three knockouts. That’s entertainment.
***
BAD
Thomas Dulorme undergoes a post-fight exam. AP Photo / David Becker
Knockouts come with knockout victims.
One must feel for Vargas, Dulorme and James, although their setbacks won’t necessarily have the same impacts on their careers.
Vargas (19-2, 9 KOs) might be in the best position to bounce back. The talented Puerto Rican is only 23. He can say legitimately, “Hey, I got caught with a big shot. I’ll learn from it.” He probably has many more victories in his future.
Dulorme (25-6-1, 16 KOs) might be in trouble. On one hand, he’s only 31 and gave a solid performance against Eimantas Stanionis in his previous fight. On the other hand, he has now lost three consecutive fights to elite opponents.
And the loss on Saturday was his worst since he was stopped in six rounds by Terence Crawford in 2015. He didn’t even know what hit him.
The good news for Dulorme is that he didn’t take a prolonged beating, which normally means a relatively quick recovery. However, we’ll see whether he can get another big fight after three consecutive disappointments.
James (27-2, 12 KOs) absorbed a lot of punishment against Butaev and is 33, which might not bode well for his future. And while James’ heart can’t be questioned, Butaev might’ve exposed his physical limitations.
That said, James had been on a nice run going into the fight. And maybe a 14-month layoff worked against him.
I suspect James will get another opportunity or two on a big stage before he’s finished.
***
WORSE
The name Cuthbert Taylor is lost to history for all but the most thorough historians, which is a heartbreaking injustice.
Taylor, a Welshman, was a 1928 Olympian and one of the better pros in Europe in the 1930s and ’40s but was denied a chance to fight for a British championship because of a color line that existed until 1948, which was similar to barriers faced by black fighters in the United States.
The British Boxing Board of Control actually enforced a rule that stated only fighters “with two white parents” could compete for titles, according to The Guardian. Taylor’s father was Caribbean, his mother white.
Thus, the slick lightweight with more than 200 pro fights was never allowed to fulfil what might’ve been his destiny.
Well, family members of Taylor, who died in 1977, and a member of the British Parliament are doing what they can to right the wrong: They’re demanding an apology from the BBBofC, which continues to oversee the sport in the U.K.
“Due simply to the fact that his parents were of different ethnic backgrounds, Cuthbert Taylor would never have the recognition and success at professional level that his remarkable talent deserved,” said Gerald Jones, the politician.
“That was all because of a rule that left a stain on the history of one of our country’s most popular and traditional sports, one that has otherwise been known for bringing people from many different backgrounds and communities together.”
He added in an address to Parliament: “This blatantly racist, discriminatory and shameful policy prevented many people from achieving their potential and, unbelievably, the British Boxing Board of Control has yet to apologize.”
That’s the least the BBBofC could do for Taylor.
***
RABBIT PUNCHES
One criticism of Ennis’ performance: He was reckless when he went in for the kill after hurting Dulorme. As a result, he took a hard right that might’ve stopped some fighters. The fact he absorbed the punch without blinking says something about his chin. At the same time, a bigger puncher than Dulorme might’ve seriously hurt Ennis with that shot. … Zepeda seems to be in a good position to challenge undisputed 140-pound champion Josh Taylor, assuming Taylor defeats Jack Catterall on Feb. 26. That would be Zepeda’s third shot at a title, after losing to Terry Flanagan (as the result of an injury) and Jose Ramirez (by majority decision). “I won’t accept anything else. It’s been promised to me too many times. We’re ready,” Zepeda said of another title shot. … I don’t have a problem with the Butaev-James stoppage by referee Celestino Ruiz. James was still competitive only moments earlier, which made the stoppage seem abrupt. However, he had no answer to a series of hard shots in the final seconds and had taken a great deal of punishment over eight-plus rounds. Ruiz did James a favor. … James was losing on two cards (77-74 and 77-74) and winning on the third (76-75) after eight rounds. And he probably would’ve lost Round 9, which would’ve made it difficult for him to win a decision had he survived. Patricia Morse Jarman gave each fighter four rounds, which gave James a one-point lead as the result of a point deducted from Butaev. I think she was too generous to James but her card wasn’t outrageous. …
Lightweight contender Michel Rivera (22-0, 14 KOs) defeated Jose Matias Romero (24-2, 8 KOs) by a shutout decision in a 10-round junior welterweight bout on the Butaev-James card. The talented Dominican outboxed and outworked Romero from beginning to end, which led to the conclusive decision. However, he couldn’t hurt a naturally smaller opponent who stood toe-to-toe with him much of the fight. Was that because Romero is particularly tough? Or was there some deficiency on Rivera’s part? It was probably a combination of both factors. … Rolando Romero is almost certainly out as Gervonta Davis’ opponent on Dec. 5 in Los Angeles because of a sexual assault allegation against Romero, according to multiple reports. Issac Cruz reportedly is a leading candidate to step in as Davis’ opponent. Also, 140-pounder Regis Prograis threw his hat into the ring. I love a Davis-Prograis matchup but the matchup seems to be too big to put together on short notice.
Good, bad, worse: KOs courtesy Jose Zepeda, Jaron Ennis and Radzhab Butaev.
A critical look at the past week in boxing
GOOD
If you like knockouts, you had a good Saturday night.
Three fighters delivered brutal stoppages in high-profile events, two inside two minutes of the first round and one in the ninth. All of them left a strong impression.
Jose Zepeda and Jaron Ennis did the quick, breathtaking work.
The oddsmakers thought that Zepeda vs. Josue Vargas was a 50-50 fight but a chilling left hand to the jaw that put Vargas on his face in the first round initiated a wipe out. Vargas got up but couldn’t survive a subsequent series of shots, which ended the fight after only 1 minute, 45 seconds.
It was a strong statement from Zepeda, who was only two fights removed from his Fight of the Year against Ivan Baranchyk. If anyone forgot that Zepeda (35-2, 27 KOs) has big-time power, he provided a reminder in New York.
Ennis (28-0, 26 KOs) has otherworldly power, as he demonstrated again on the Radzhab Butaev-Jamal James card in Las Vegas. A right to the head and moments later a straight left hand left veteran Thomas Dulorme wondering what hit him and ended their fight only 1:49 into the action.
I’ll say it again: Ennis reminds me of Roy Jones Jr., whose speed, athleticism and punching power made him an all time great. We’ll see how this plays out.
And Radzhab Buteav took a more circuitous route to stopping Jamal James in the main event in Las Vegas. The Las Vegas-based Russian broke down a respected, but physically overmatched opponent to win by a ninth-round stoppage and possibly earn a welterweight title shot. Big night for Butaev.
Three fights, three knockouts. That’s entertainment.
***
BAD
Thomas Dulorme undergoes a post-fight exam. AP Photo / David Becker
Knockouts come with knockout victims.
One must feel for Vargas, Dulorme and James, although their setbacks won’t necessarily have the same impacts on their careers.
Vargas (19-2, 9 KOs) might be in the best position to bounce back. The talented Puerto Rican is only 23. He can say legitimately, “Hey, I got caught with a big shot. I’ll learn from it.” He probably has many more victories in his future.
Dulorme (25-6-1, 16 KOs) might be in trouble. On one hand, he’s only 31 and gave a solid performance against Eimantas Stanionis in his previous fight. On the other hand, he has now lost three consecutive fights to elite opponents.
And the loss on Saturday was his worst since he was stopped in six rounds by Terence Crawford in 2015. He didn’t even know what hit him.
The good news for Dulorme is that he didn’t take a prolonged beating, which normally means a relatively quick recovery. However, we’ll see whether he can get another big fight after three consecutive disappointments.
James (27-2, 12 KOs) absorbed a lot of punishment against Butaev and is 33, which might not bode well for his future. And while James’ heart can’t be questioned, Butaev might’ve exposed his physical limitations.
That said, James had been on a nice run going into the fight. And maybe a 14-month layoff worked against him.
I suspect James will get another opportunity or two on a big stage before he’s finished.
***
WORSE
The name Cuthbert Taylor is lost to history for all but the most thorough historians, which is a heartbreaking injustice.
Taylor, a Welshman, was a 1928 Olympian and one of the better pros in Europe in the 1930s and ’40s but was denied a chance to fight for a British championship because of a color line that existed until 1948, which was similar to barriers faced by black fighters in the United States.
The British Boxing Board of Control actually enforced a rule that stated only fighters “with two white parents” could compete for titles, according to The Guardian. Taylor’s father was Caribbean, his mother white.
Thus, the slick lightweight with more than 200 pro fights was never allowed to fulfil what might’ve been his destiny.
Well, family members of Taylor, who died in 1977, and a member of the British Parliament are doing what they can to right the wrong: They’re demanding an apology from the BBBofC, which continues to oversee the sport in the U.K.
“Due simply to the fact that his parents were of different ethnic backgrounds, Cuthbert Taylor would never have the recognition and success at professional level that his remarkable talent deserved,” said Gerald Jones, the politician.
“That was all because of a rule that left a stain on the history of one of our country’s most popular and traditional sports, one that has otherwise been known for bringing people from many different backgrounds and communities together.”
He added in an address to Parliament: “This blatantly racist, discriminatory and shameful policy prevented many people from achieving their potential and, unbelievably, the British Boxing Board of Control has yet to apologize.”
That’s the least the BBBofC could do for Taylor.
***
RABBIT PUNCHES
One criticism of Ennis’ performance: He was reckless when he went in for the kill after hurting Dulorme. As a result, he took a hard right that might’ve stopped some fighters. The fact he absorbed the punch without blinking says something about his chin. At the same time, a bigger puncher than Dulorme might’ve seriously hurt Ennis with that shot. … Zepeda seems to be in a good position to challenge undisputed 140-pound champion Josh Taylor, assuming Taylor defeats Jack Catterall on Feb. 26. That would be Zepeda’s third shot at a title, after losing to Terry Flanagan (as the result of an injury) and Jose Ramirez (by majority decision). “I won’t accept anything else. It’s been promised to me too many times. We’re ready,” Zepeda said of another title shot. … I don’t have a problem with the Butaev-James stoppage by referee Celestino Ruiz. James was still competitive only moments earlier, which made the stoppage seem abrupt. However, he had no answer to a series of hard shots in the final seconds and had taken a great deal of punishment over eight-plus rounds. Ruiz did James a favor. … James was losing on two cards (77-74 and 77-74) and winning on the third (76-75) after eight rounds. And he probably would’ve lost Round 9, which would’ve made it difficult for him to win a decision had he survived. Patricia Morse Jarman gave each fighter four rounds, which gave James a one-point lead as the result of a point deducted from Butaev. I think she was too generous to James but her card wasn’t outrageous. …
Lightweight contender Michel Rivera (22-0, 14 KOs) defeated Jose Matias Romero (24-2, 8 KOs) by a shutout decision in a 10-round junior welterweight bout on the Butaev-James card. The talented Dominican outboxed and outworked Romero from beginning to end, which led to the conclusive decision. However, he couldn’t hurt a naturally smaller opponent who stood toe-to-toe with him much of the fight. Was that because Romero is particularly tough? Or was there some deficiency on Rivera’s part? It was probably a combination of both factors. … Rolando Romero is almost certainly out as Gervonta Davis’ opponent on Dec. 5 in Los Angeles because of a sexual assault allegation against Romero, according to multiple reports. Issac Cruz reportedly is a leading candidate to step in as Davis’ opponent. Also, 140-pounder Regis Prograis threw his hat into the ring. I love a Davis-Prograis matchup but the matchup seems to be too big to put together on short notice.
Watch it: Jaron Ennis’ awesome display of power against Thomas Dulorme on Saturday in Las Vegas.
Jaron Ennis has many gifts but his power stands out most.
The Philadelphian demonstrated that once again on Saturday, when he stopped veteran Thomas Dulorme only 1 minute, 49 seconds into their fight Saturday in Las Vegas.
The beginning of the end was an overhand right above Dulorme’s left ear that put him down. He got up but was then met by an enormous straight left that deposited him on his back.
Watch it: Jaron Ennis’ awesome display of power against Thomas Dulorme on Saturday in Las Vegas.
Jaron Ennis has many gifts but his power stands out most.
The Philadelphian demonstrated that once again on Saturday, when he stopped veteran Thomas Dulorme only 1 minute, 49 seconds into their fight Saturday in Las Vegas.
The beginning of the end was an overhand right above Dulorme’s left ear that put him down. He got up but was then met by an enormous straight left that deposited him on his back.
