Tag: Jonathan Rodriguez

Jaron Ennis turned a good, durable fighter into his personal pinata on Saturday.

The welterweight contender battered Sergey Lipinets for most of five-plus rounds before a right-left combination put the former 140-pound titleholder down and out in Round 6 in Uncasville, Conn.

If that was a test – which is how it was described beforehand – what’s better than an A+?

Ennis (27-0, 25 KOs) has now stopped 17 consecutive opponents, not counting a no-contest in his previous fight.

“Most definitely I feel like I graduated. Like I said before, it’s on [to] bigger and better fights now,” Ennis said in the ring afterward.

“Boots” opened the fight by showing off his boxing prowess, jabbing, following with power shots and moving out of range before the shorter, slower Lipinets could get near him.

But it didn’t take long for Ennis to test the waters inside, as he typically does. That allowed tLipinets to land punches here and there but it was the bigger, longer man who landed the meaningful blows.

Ennis started connecting on mind-numbing shots in Round 3 and didn’t let up for any length of time. Lipinets suffered a knockdown in Round 4, although it appeared to be the result of a trip and not one of Ennis’ big shots.

The real knockdown would come in the fifth. With about 50 seconds left in the round, Ennis hurt Lipinets with a right hook and followed with a straight left between the guard that knocked Lipinets onto his back.

Referee Arthur Mercante Jr. didn’t bother to count. It was clear to him and everyone watching that the Kazakhstani – his face bruised and swollen — had taken enough punishment from a huge puncher. The official end came at 2:11 of Round 6.

Ennis landed 53% of his power shots, according to CompuBox. And all of them, it seemed, did damage.

“That’s just what we work on in the gym,” he said, “a lot of power shots, a lot of speed, having fun doing my thing. And that’s what I did.”

He went on: “I knew I hurt him but I knew he was going to be durable and stuff like that. So I was like, ‘Take my time, coast it out, keep touching, keep touching, and I knew eventually I’d break him down.”

So what are the bigger and better fights?

Ennis wants to face one of the top fighters in a deep division. And no one is excluded, not Errol Spence Jr., not Terence Crawford, not Manny Pacquiao, no one. The question is: Will any of the above want to fight him?

He was asked whether it might be difficult to get a title fight after the latest in a series of dominating performances.

“No … well, maybe,” he said with a laugh. “Maybe, maybe. Who knows? One of them might want to fight me. We’ll see. I definitely think I’m ready for a Top 5, Top 3 guy. …

“I think [Yordenis Ugas] is going to fight Spence, something like that is coming up. Hopefully, I can get the winner of that. That would be a great fight for me.”

But would it be a great fight for Spence or Ugas?

[lawrence-related id=19306,19303]

Jaron Ennis turned a good, durable fighter into his personal pinata on Saturday.

The welterweight contender battered Sergey Lipinets for most of five-plus rounds before a right-left combination put the former 140-pound titleholder down and out in Round 6 in Uncasville, Conn.

If that was a test – which is how it was described beforehand – what’s better than an A+?

Ennis (27-0, 25 KOs) has now stopped 17 consecutive opponents, not counting a no-contest in his previous fight.

“Most definitely I feel like I graduated. Like I said before, it’s on [to] bigger and better fights now,” Ennis said in the ring afterward.

“Boots” opened the fight by showing off his boxing prowess, jabbing, following with power shots and moving out of range before the shorter, slower Lipinets could get near him.

But it didn’t take long for Ennis to test the waters inside, as he typically does. That allowed tLipinets to land punches here and there but it was the bigger, longer man who landed the meaningful blows.

Ennis started connecting on mind-numbing shots in Round 3 and didn’t let up for any length of time. Lipinets suffered a knockdown in Round 4, although it appeared to be the result of a trip and not one of Ennis’ big shots.

The real knockdown would come in the fifth. With about 50 seconds left in the round, Ennis hurt Lipinets with a right hook and followed with a straight left between the guard that knocked Lipinets onto his back.

Referee Arthur Mercante Jr. didn’t bother to count. It was clear to him and everyone watching that the Kazakhstani – his face bruised and swollen — had taken enough punishment from a huge puncher. The official end came at 2:11 of Round 6.

Ennis landed 53% of his power shots, according to CompuBox. And all of them, it seemed, did damage.

“That’s just what we work on in the gym,” he said, “a lot of power shots, a lot of speed, having fun doing my thing. And that’s what I did.”

He went on: “I knew I hurt him but I knew he was going to be durable and stuff like that. So I was like, ‘Take my time, coast it out, keep touching, keep touching, and I knew eventually I’d break him down.”

So what are the bigger and better fights?

Ennis wants to face one of the top fighters in a deep division. And no one is excluded, not Errol Spence Jr., not Terence Crawford, not Manny Pacquiao, no one. The question is: Will any of the above want to fight him?

He was asked whether it might be difficult to get a title fight after the latest in a series of dominating performances.

“No … well, maybe,” he said with a laugh. “Maybe, maybe. Who knows? One of them might want to fight me. We’ll see. I definitely think I’m ready for a Top 5, Top 3 guy. …

“I think [Yordenis Ugas] is going to fight Spence, something like that is coming up. Hopefully, I can get the winner of that. That would be a great fight for me.”

But would it be a great fight for Spence or Ugas?

[lawrence-related id=19306,19303]

Eimantas Stanionis relied on perseverance as anything else to remain unbeaten on the Jaron Ennis-Sergey Lipinets card Saturday.

The Lithuanian got off to a slow start against an inspired Thomas Dulorme but kept the pressure on the Puerto Rican to win a unanimous decision in the welterweight title eliminator in Uncasville, Conn.

The scores were 117-111, 116-112 and 115-113. Boxing Junkie scored it 115-113 for Stanionis.

Dulorme (25-5-1, 16 KOs) was at his best in the fight, courtesy of new trainer Ismael Salas, whose strategy was to have his protege stick and move. And he did it beautifully much of the fight, forcing Stanionis (13-0, 9 KOs) to chase him down.

The problem for Dulorme is that he began to tire by mid-fight, at which time Stanionis was picking up steam. Stanionis began to cut off the ring and land punishing shots, which forced Dulorme to hold at times.

Dulorme stayed with the game plan until the final bell; he simply couldn’t do it as effectively down the stretch. That allowed Stanionis to pull away on the scorecards.

Stanionis said afterward that he believes he belongs in the Top 10 in a deep division but acknowledged that he still has a lot to learn after only 13 professional fights.

Dulorme might argue that Stanionis has learned quite a bit already.

Eimantas Stanionis relied on perseverance as anything else to remain unbeaten on the Jaron Ennis-Sergey Lipinets card Saturday.

The Lithuanian got off to a slow start against an inspired Thomas Dulorme but kept the pressure on the Puerto Rican to win a unanimous decision in the welterweight title eliminator in Uncasville, Conn.

The scores were 117-111, 116-112 and 115-113. Boxing Junkie scored it 115-113 for Stanionis.

Dulorme (25-5-1, 16 KOs) was at his best in the fight, courtesy of new trainer Ismael Salas, whose strategy was to have his protege stick and move. And he did it beautifully much of the fight, forcing Stanionis (13-0, 9 KOs) to chase him down.

The problem for Dulorme is that he began to tire by mid-fight, at which time Stanionis was picking up steam. Stanionis began to cut off the ring and land punishing shots, which forced Dulorme to hold at times.

Dulorme stayed with the game plan until the final bell; he simply couldn’t do it as effectively down the stretch. That allowed Stanionis to pull away on the scorecards.

Stanionis said afterward that he believes he belongs in the Top 10 in a deep division but acknowledged that he still has a lot to learn after only 13 professional fights.

Dulorme might argue that Stanionis has learned quite a bit already.

Jerwin Ancajas held onto his junior bantamweight title but had to work harder than at any time in his career.

Ancajas, making his ninth defense, landed more big punches than Jonathan Rodriguez and put the challenger down to win a unanimous decision on the Jaron Ennis-Sergey Lipinets on Saturday in Uncasville, Conn.

However, Rodriguez, a relative unknown, made the case in defeat that he’s an elite 115-pounder but pushing Ancajas to the limit.

Ancajas (33-1-2, 22 KOs) got the better Rodriguez (22-2, 16 KOs) when he fought behind his jab and used his superior boxing skills, which he did at times.

However, the Filipino chose to stand toe-to-toe — or was forced to do so — much of fight, which made for an exciting battle and allowed Rodriguez to get in his licks.

The fight was essentially a back-and-forth war, with both boxers landing hard shots to both the head body. Many of the rounds were close for that reason.

Nothing had changed much by the middle of Round 8. Then a flurry of punishing blows from Ancajas forced Rodriguez to take a knee, which made it a 10-8 round.

The referee and Rodriguez’s cornermen asked him after the round whether he wanted to continue. He answered by getting the better of the champion from Round 9 to 12.

In the end, the knockdown didn’t matter. Ancajas, who hasn’t lost since 2012, won by scores of 117-110, 116-111 and 115-112. Boxing Junkie scored it 116-112, eight rounds to four.

Ancajas said he hoped the fight would lead to showdowns with the biggest stars in the division, Juan Francisco Estrada, Roman Gonzalez and Srisaket Sor Rungvisai.

The victory puts him in a position to get those opportunties.

Jerwin Ancajas held onto his junior bantamweight title but had to work harder than at any time in his career.

Ancajas, making his ninth defense, landed more big punches than Jonathan Rodriguez and put the challenger down to win a unanimous decision on the Jaron Ennis-Sergey Lipinets on Saturday in Uncasville, Conn.

However, Rodriguez, a relative unknown, made the case in defeat that he’s an elite 115-pounder but pushing Ancajas to the limit.

Ancajas (33-1-2, 22 KOs) got the better Rodriguez (22-2, 16 KOs) when he fought behind his jab and used his superior boxing skills, which he did at times.

However, the Filipino chose to stand toe-to-toe — or was forced to do so — much of fight, which made for an exciting battle and allowed Rodriguez to get in his licks.

The fight was essentially a back-and-forth war, with both boxers landing hard shots to both the head body. Many of the rounds were close for that reason.

Nothing had changed much by the middle of Round 8. Then a flurry of punishing blows from Ancajas forced Rodriguez to take a knee, which made it a 10-8 round.

The referee and Rodriguez’s cornermen asked him after the round whether he wanted to continue. He answered by getting the better of the champion from Round 9 to 12.

In the end, the knockdown didn’t matter. Ancajas, who hasn’t lost since 2012, won by scores of 117-110, 116-111 and 115-112. Boxing Junkie scored it 116-112, eight rounds to four.

Ancajas said he hoped the fight would lead to showdowns with the biggest stars in the division, Juan Francisco Estrada, Roman Gonzalez and Srisaket Sor Rungvisai.

The victory puts him in a position to get those opportunties.