“BOXING IS WHAT I LOVE.”
Ring: After years of your career bogged down by contractual litigation, what’s it been like to finally get the accolades that have been promised through the years? How did that patience help you? JE: Patience is everything. I knew good things were going to happen. I waited my turn, and when you do that, good things happen. I think it’s a matter of believing in yourself. I knew once I got my chance to show what I could do, I would be a world champion. I didn’t want to win my first belt [the IBF welterweight title] the way I did. [Editor’s note: Ennis was the IBF interim tilteholder, but the undisputed Crawford had a conflicting obligation for a rematch with Errol Spence, which ultimately didn’t come to fruition. In the meantime, the IBF stripped Crawford and elevated Ennis to full titleholder status.] I wanted to win it in the ring. When I look back on that time, everything really went the way it should have. I eventually got my title; I got a chance to defend it. I can wait a little longer. In the next seven, eight months, I’ll be the undisputed junior
impressive seventh-round stoppage of Xander Zayas in June, the 29-year- old Ennis (36-0, 32 KOs), a former welterweight champion and now a unified titleholder at 154 pounds, is finally in a position of power. The Ring caught up with Boots in September to talk about what’s next, his comfort zone growing with stardom and his undying love of boxing. One subject that didn’t get explored during the 50-minute discussion was three-time undisputed champion Terence Crawford. “I’d rather keep it about the guys who are fighting instead of retired guys,” Boots said. The Ring: Let’s get right into it and talk about who you would want to fight next. Jaron Ennis: Our next fight should be against [IBF titleholder] Josh Kelly, and then after that [WBC beltholder Sebastian] Fundora. After that, whoever. The goal is Kelly either in December or January, and then Fundora sometime in the middle of
that I’m the best, a pound-for-pound great. These guys can’t do what I can do. I’m different. Ring: Does that confidence come with how much stronger you feel at 154 pounds? JE: I feel way, way, way better and way stronger. I was killing myself to make 147 there for a few years. I can’t wait to fill out more at 154. Beating Zayas was only my second fight at 154. I felt strong then, and my next fight at 154, I’ll be even stronger. I want to keep giving the fans explosive knockouts and great performances and doing what I want. Ring: What was rock bottom for you at 147? JE: Probably the [Karen] Chukhadzhian rematch. I wasn’t right. I would say I was fighting at around 80%. Making 147 was a lot. I’ve been 147 since 2016. That’s 10 years. How would you feel trying to make the same weight for 10, 12 years going against these guys who were playing around a
It beats your body up, your liver and kidneys. It was not worth killing myself cutting that weight for a fight or two. I had to do what was best for me. Going to 154 was probably the best decision I have ever made. Ring: Who has been your biggest challenge so far? JE: I would say everyone. I don’t want to disrespect anyone I fought. I want to give everyone I fought their props.
caught in that third round with a right and many thought it was the first time in your career that you were hurt. You maintain that you were not. Why? JE: Because I wasn’t hurt. (laughs) Think about it. Anytime someone is hurt, they go into retreat mode. I didn’t. Xander caught me good – I’ll give him credit for that. But I was never hurt. I never reached out and clinched him. I never backed up. I stayed in the pocket and punched back. Anyone who is hurt does not try to punch back. I was still in the pocket
slipping shots, throwing shots, and a few seconds later, I hurt him. I got hit and that was on me, because I thought I had enough space between me and him. I didn’t. (laughs) Xander shot a nice little right hand in and I didn’t have the space. I was being lazy. I was cool, despite what people thought. I will always appreciate Xander for taking that fight.
Ring: Including Zayas. You were
2027. In the meantime, I’m still in the gym every day, training and being a trainer. I don’t even know how much I weigh right now. I get up there [weight-wise] after fights and don’t really look at my weight between fights. All I know is I make weight for my fights. I never really had to train myself into shape. I go into camp in shape,
lot whether they wanted to fight me or not? And I was a big welterweight. It started to get harder and harder to make that weight. I didn’t cut out any piece of training. I still trained hard. When you break your body down like that, your body needs time to recover. Plus, I sat for a year when I was going through that contractual
Our next fight should be against [IBF titleholder] Josh Kelly, and then after that [WBC beltholder Sebastian] Fundora.
always trying to stay ready. We’ll work on a fight plan during training camp, not on cutting weight. Ring: The Ring currently has you ranked No. 9 pound-for-pound. Where do you think you belong? JE: I didn’t know where I was ranked. It’s a blessing to finally be on the pound-for-pound list. It’s the start of something big. I think that I’m already the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. I’ll just keep showing it and proving it every time out.
middleweight world champion. Ring: What is it like to have every viable contender between 147 and 160 coming after you, after years of everyone avoiding you? JE: Finally. It’s about time. It’s what I have been waiting for my whole boxing career. I’m going to continue knocking these guys down one by one. I’m not losing. My focus on that task is fighting the guy in front of me, get that guy out of the way, then focus on the next guy. My goal is to cement my legacy in this boxing game. I want to show the world
stuff. Staying at 147 was hurting my body. [Editor’s note: Ennis remained at 147 for one more fight after the victory over Chukhadzhian – an impressive stoppage of Eimantas Stanionis for the Ring championship.] [Now] I can cut the weight in a comfortable way. I feel like 154 pounds is a fresh start for me. The second Chukhadzhian fight convinced me to make the move up. I didn’t feel strong. People don’t realize cutting all that weight is not good for you. It’s why today guys are moving up in weight.
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