Tag: JARON ENNIS
Ennis on win over Lipinets: ‘I think I graduated’
Jaron “Boots” Ennis (27-0, 25 KOs) finally got his big test on Saturday night, and he passed it with flying colors. Ennis scored a sixth-round knockout win over former world champion Sergey Lipinets (16-2-1, 12 KOs) in the main event from Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.(Showtime)
Before the stoppage, Ennis was in complete control and dropped Lipinets in the fourth round. It was Lipinets’ second time being knocked down in his career. As he has done often throughout his career, the 23-year-old switched effortlessly between an orthodox and southpaw stance and exhibited tremendous power from both sides.
“I’ll always be hard on myself when I look back at my performance,” said Ennis. “My goal is to keep getting better, sharper, faster, and stronger so I can become world champion. As long as I keep fighting top guys, I’m happy. I feel like I will be world champion by the end of this year or beginning of next year. Patience is the key, though.”
In the sixth round, Ennis poured it on Lipinets from all angles as he beautifully assembled combinations. He has yet to go past the sixth round in his professional career and registered in 17th consecutive stoppage victory.
“I think I graduated tonight,” stated Ennis. “It’s on the up and up now. It’s onto bigger and better fights now.”
Ennis is a dangerous fighter, and because of that, he will have a difficult time getting the top guys at 147 in the ring. At this point, Ennis is high risk, low reward, so he’s going to have to keep beating guys until he becomes a mandatory challenger for one of the belts, so while some believe he’s ready for a title shot now, don’t be surprised if it does not happen in 2021.
Photo: Amanda Westcott/SHOWTIME
Ennis on fight with Lipinets: ‘It will be the start of me being a pay-per-view star’
Undefeated rising welterweight star Jaron “Boots” Ennis(26-0, 24 KOs) has been the talk of the boxing world. Ennis clearly has a lot of talent and a lot of ability, which will be tested on Saturday night when he faces former world champion Sergey Lipinets(16-1, 12 KOs) in a 12-round welterweight clash at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.(Showtime)
Despite Lipinets being a former world champion, the 23-year-old Ennis, who has a 16-fight knockout streak, is not concerned.
“I’m not worried about what Lipinets is talking about,” he said. “At the end of the day, he still has to get in the ring with me on Saturday night. And we’re going to see. They don’t know what I’m going to bring. I’m an all-around fighter. You don’t know how I’m going to fight. I can fight several different ways. He just needs to know he’s gotta be ready.”
According to Ennis, Lipinets is the type of opponent he’s been waiting to fight for a long time.
“I’ve been trying to get these types of guys in the ring for about two-and-a-half years,” he said. “I’ve been trying to get former world champions and top ten guys. It just didn’t happen. I finally got my chance, and you guys are going to see a whole different animal. A whole different beast. It’s time for me to do my thing. I’m real excited.”
If he gets by Lipinets, which he believes he will, Ennis wants the big boys at 147 pounds.
“After I do my thing on Saturday night and I do it with a big statement, it’s only up from there,” he said. “On to bigger and better things. The elite fighters and the top three guys and then maybe a world title by the end of the year. This fight is just going to elevate my ranking, my superstardom, and it will be the start of me being a pay-per-view star.
Look, Ennis appears to have the goods, and if he looks spectacular on Saturday night, he might have a difficult time getting the big names in the ring, but he can worry about that later. Lipinets should test him, and we’ll see if Ennis can ace it.
Ennis: ‘I don’t think I have my man strength yet’
Undefeated welterweight Jaron “Boots” Ennis will look to cement his status as a rising star in the welterweight division when he takes on rugged former world champion Sergey Lipinets in a 12-round battle that headlines action live on SHOWTIME Saturday, April 10 from Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. in a Premier Boxing Champions event.
The 23-year-old Ennis will be facing the toughest competition of his career in Lipinets, as he enters the ring in his first SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING main event. Representing the fighting city of Philadelphia, Ennis has used sublime boxing skills and power in both hands to make his claim as the city’s next great champion.
Ennis put together a 16-fight knockout streak that included becoming the first person to stop Juan Carlos Abreu when he blasted out the longtime challenger in the sixth round in August 2020. Ennis was unable to extend that streak in December 2020, when his fight against Chris van Heerden was declared a no-contest after round one due to a clash of heads causing a severe cut on Van Heerden’s forehead.
Trained by his father Bozy Ennis, Ennis shared his thoughts on training camp, Lipinets and more below:
On headlining his first Showtime Championship Boxing card:
“It has made my schedule a little crazier. Being in the main event on SHOWTIME brings more attention, but I like it. I like being in the spotlight. I like to shine, so it’s nothing new to me. Now it’s fight time. I am locked in and ready to rock and roll.”
On training camp:
“We always do four-minute rounds in camp. I’ve been doing that since I was a baby. That’s another reason why I don’t sit down when I fight, because I am so used to the four-minute rounds. The three-minute rounds go by real fast on fight night. One thing we added this camp was the underwater treadmill work.”
On his final preparations:
“The week before the fight, we are winding it down and sharpening up. It’s been a great training camp. I have been getting better and better each and every day, and I can’t wait to perform next Saturday.”
On facing his first former world champion:
“He’s a good fighter, but it doesn’t mean anything to me. It’s just another day in the office. He’s a regular person just like anyone else.”
On Sergey calling him a ‘typical Philly fighter’:
“I guess he knows I’m tough, gritty and I’m ready to rumble. I’m coming there to take a win home to Philadelphia and look good doing it, by any means.”
On his knockout power:
“I don’t think I have my man strength yet. I feel it will be one or two more years until I fully have my man strength. The crazy part is, I feel like in a fight, I still haven’t thrown a real power shot and really sat down on a punch yet. Everything I’ve been knocking guys out with has been all natural strength.”
On how he views his knockout streak:
“Some people might look at a knockout on April 10 as the 17th consecutive knockout, some might view it as the start of a new knockout streak. For me, I don’t really care as long as I come out victorious. That’s all that matters to me. I’m not looking for a knockout but I’m going to take it if it comes.”
Photo: Amanda Westcott/SHOWTIME
Ennis on fight with Lipinets: ‘This is the type of fight I’ve been waiting for’
Rising welterweight star Jaron “Boots” Ennis faces his most difficult test in pursuit of a world title shot as he headlines his first SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® against former world champion Sergey Lipinets. These formidable contenders meet in a 12-round, crossroads fight with welterweight world title implications on Saturday, April 10 live on SHOWTIME at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT from Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. in a Premier Boxing Champions event.
In the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING co-feature, a pair of hard-hitting welterweights square off as Eimantas Stanionis takes another step up in class as he faces former world title challenger Thomas Dulorme in a 12-round WBA Welterweight Title Eliminator. The telecast opener features IBF Junior Bantamweight World Champion Jerwin “Pretty Boy” Ancajas defending his title against Jonathan Rodríguez in a 12-round bout.
Ennis (26-0, 24 KOs) is the latest in the pantheon of outstanding Philadelphia fighters, combining sublime boxing skills with natural power in both hands. After numerous appearances on ShoBox: The New Generation, the 23-year-old Ennis has graduated to headlining his first SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast. Heading into his last bout against Chris van Heerden, Ennis was riding a streak of 16 consecutive knockouts. That streak ended when the fight was stopped after the first round due to an accidental clash of heads that opened a severe cut on the forehead of Van Heerden.
“I’m excited to be back April 10,” said Ennis. “This is the type of fight I’ve been waiting for. I can’t wait to perform and put on a beautiful show. Y’all will see something special out of me come fight night. I’m excited to be the main event. It’s time for me to shine!”
The 31-year-old Lipinets (16-1-1, 12 KOs) established himself as a force at 140 pounds when he won the IBF world title with a victory over Akihiro Kondo in 2017. He lost the title to four-division world champion Mikey Garcia in 2018 and then moved up to welterweight in 2019. He served notice that he would be a contender at welterweight when he scored an impressive stoppage victory over two-division champion Lamont Peterson in 2019. Born in Kazakhstan and representing Russia, Lipinets now lives in Woodland Hills, California and is trained by renowned trainer Joe Goossen. Lipinets is coming off a hard-fought majority draw against undefeated Custio Clayton in October 2020.
Stanionis (12-0, 9 KOs) has put together a string of impressive victories as he has climbed up the ranks from prospect to contender. He enters the match against Dulorme with four consecutive knockout victories. The 26-year-old from Lithuania, who now lives and trains in California, looked impressive as he picked up three solid victories in 2019, beating Samuel Figueroa via unanimous decision and scoring early stoppages against Julio Cesar Sanchez and Evincii Dixon. The undefeated welterweight has put the division on notice with back-to-back dominating main event performances in November and December 2020, when he notched ninth-round knockouts over Justin DeLoach and Janer Gonzalez respectively.
The 31-year-old Dulorme (25-4-1, 16 KOs) has amassed a solid resume at 140 and 147 pounds during his career, climbing into the ring with world champions Yordenis Ugas, Jessie Vargas and Terence Crawford. Born in Marigot, Guadeloupe but fighting out of and representing Carolina, Puerto Rico, Dulorme rebounded from a loss to Crawford for a 140-pound title by scoring back-to-back knockouts, followed by a narrow decision loss to top welterweight Yordenis Ugas. The world title challenger is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Jamal James in his last fight in August.
“I’m very excited for this fight on April 10,” said Dulorme. “I came up short in my last fight for the title, but a win against Stanionis will put me right back into the position I want. He’s young and strong, but I have a lot more experience and I will show it in the ring and it will lead me to victory.”
Representing the Philippines, Ancajas (32-1-2, 22 KOs) was only 15 years old when he was spotted by boxing legend Manny Pacquiao. The young fighter blossomed with Pacquiao’s guidance, becoming the first world champion under Pacquiao’s promotional banner when he outpointed McJoe Arroyo for the IBF World Junior Bantamweight title in September 2016. The 29-year-old southpaw hasn’t lost since and will be making the ninth defense of his title when he faces Rodríguez. In his most recent outing in December, Ancajas stopped Miguel Gonzalez in six rounds.
“I am really looking forward to returning to the ring on April 10 for my first fight on SHOWTIME,” said Ancajas. “Everybody knows the great rivalry between the Philippines and Mexico, and I look forward to adding another explosive fight to that history. Fight fans know where all the action fights are right now, and that’s the 115-pound division. I’m thankful for this opportunity and I plan to make the most of it.”
Mexico’s Rodríguez (22-1, 16 KOs) was given the nickname “Titan” because of his prodigious power. Since suffering a disputed split-decision loss to Jose Martin Estrada Garcia in March 2018, the 25-year-old has won six straight, including a first-round knockout victory over Julian Yedras last December. He will be making his U.S. debut against Ancajas.
“This is the opportunity of a lifetime for me,” said Rodríguez. “When I started boxing, it was my dream to fight for the world title and win it. On April 10, all of my dreams and hard work will come true when I hear ‘and the new IBF champion of the world.’”
Rodriguez on Gaballo: ‘It was a good fight, but he only won about two or three rounds’
Undefeated bantamweight Reymart Gaballo scored a controversial split-decision victory over former world champion Emmanuel Rodriguez in the main event of Saturday night’s SHOWTIME BOXING: SPECIAL EDITION from Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions. With the victory, Gaballo picked up the vacant interim WBC Bantamweight Title.
Saturday’s headliner in the last SHOWTIME BOXING event of 2020 was competitive from the opening bell. In only three of the twelve rounds were Rodriguez and Gaballo separated by more than three landed punches. Overall, Gaballo (24-0, 20 KOs) threw 148 more punches than Rodriguez (19-2, 12 KOs), but still managed to connect on 16 fewer power punches. The punches of the 28-year-old Rodriguez seemed to be cleaner, as he wobbled the Filipino Gaballo on more than one occasion. However, two of the judges favored Gaballo’s aggression over Rodriguez’s ring generalship.
SHOWTIME’s unofficial scorer Steve Farhood scored the fight 118-110 in favor of Rodriguez and SHOWTIME analyst and former world champion Raul Marquez was dismayed by the judges’ decision.
“There’s no way Gaballo could have won that fight,” said Marquez. “In the worst-case scenario, you could have maybe given him three rounds. I gave him no rounds.”
“I am very happy and blessed to win this belt,” said the 24-year-old Gaballo. “I was always moving forward and controlling the pace, so I thought it was a close fight that either of us could have won.
“I’m waiting for my team to tell me what they have planned for me next. I’m going to keep training hard so I’m always ready for the opportunity when it comes.”
“It was a good fight, but he only won about two or three rounds,” said Rodriguez. “There were two punches from me for every punch he landed. He knows he lost. Everyone knows we won. My team told me to go out and keep boxing him in the late rounds. We knew he needed a knockout in the twelfth round. That was his only chance to win.”
In the co-main event, Philadelphia’s undefeated welterweight sensation Jaron Ennis (26-0, 24 KOs) saw his impressive 16-fight knockout streak come to a disappointing end after an accidental headbutt in the first round caused a brutal cut to the forehead of his opponent, Chris van Heerden (28-2-1, 12 KOs). Watch the clash of heads HERE: https://twitter.com/
With only two minutes and thirty-nine seconds inside the ring to showcase his skills, Ennis was still able to flash glimpses of his championship potential as he landed 22 of 57 punches, 19 of them power shots as he appeared destined to stop the South African van Heerden and keep his KO streak alive before the clash of heads.
“Before the headbutt I had already cut him and I felt strong,” said a disappointed Ennis. “I knew he was ready to go. I feel like I’m getting better and better. Now I’ll just get back in the gym. As you could see from the first round, I was handling him easily. I feel like everyone is still sleeping on me, but I’m ready for anyone. Bring on the big names.”
In the telecast opener, bantamweight contender Gary Antonio Russell (18-0, 12 KOs) kept his unblemished record intact with a technical decision victory over former world champion Juan Carlos Payano (21-5, 9 KOs). After an accidental headbutt caused a bad cut to the left brow of Payano, referee David Fields stopped the fight after the sixth round at the advice of the ringside physician. The fight went to the scorecards, where Russell led on all three cards (58-56, 59-55, 59-55).
Before the injury, Russell and Payano were engaged in a scrappy brawl that saw multiple exchanges of power punches. In the closing seconds of the sixth, and ultimately final round, Russell caught Payano with a counter-shot that hurt Payano. Russell landed 86 of 243 punches while Payano landed just 58 of 268 punches. Russell flashed excellent body work throughout the fight, out landing Payano 40 to 17 on body shots.
Photo: Amanda Westscott/SHOWTIME
Jaron Ennis: ‘I will be a world champion in 2021!’
Exciting unbeaten welterweight Jaron “Boots” Ennis will look to continue his 16-fight knockout streak when he faces veteran Chris van Heerden in the 12-round co-main event live on SHOWTIME (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) Saturday, December 19 from the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn., in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions.
Ennis (26-0, 24 KOs) faces the all-action South African native van Heerden (28-2-1, 12 KOs), who is on a bit of a roll himself winning 14 of his last 15 fights since his first professional defeat in 2010.
Ennis, who made his SHOWTIME debut in 2018 on ShoBox: The New Generation, is trained by his father Bozy Ennis at Bozy’s Dungeon in Philadelphia, Pa.
“I’ve been sparring with some of my dad’s fighters, but we’ve had trouble finding guys to spar because of the virus,” said Ennis. “We just want to keep everyone safe and healthy. But we’re definitely ready. I’m ready to rock and roll and keep my knockout streak going with No. 17 on December 19.”
Ennis is currently ranked WBO No. 7, IBF No. 10 and WBC No. 11 at 147 pounds. He knows he competes in boxing’s glamour division with superstars like Errol Spence Jr., Terence Crawford, Manny Pacquiao, Shawn Porter, Keith Thurman and Danny Garcia.
“I just want to fight the world champions,” said the power-punching Ennis, who has recorded 16 knockdowns in his last seven fights. “I want to fight the top five guys. I’m ready, and I’ve been ready to make a big statement. I just have to stay focused and do what I have to do and handle my business and then it’s on to bigger and better things.”
Even though his last seven fights were scheduled for 10 rounds, Ennis has only gone six rounds once in his professional career. “We prepare ourselves for 12, 15 rounds,” he said. “I can go all day long. I get stronger as the fight goes on. I know people haven’t gotten to see that side of me yet. If it goes past six rounds, then I’m in shape for it. I’m always in shape, and I’m ready to go. No matter many rounds I have to go.”
Ennis believes that a big fight against a top 147-pounder is in his near future. “At the end of the day people are seeing that it’s not my fault I’m not getting these big fights,” he said. “These guys are hopping around me and don’t want to fight me. I can only fight who they put in front of me. I definitely think I need to make a big statement on December 19 so that in 2021 I can start getting the big fights. I will be a world champion in 2021!”
Ennis is a natural right-hander who fights from the southpaw stance. “Everybody knows I love to fight southpaws,” he said. “Early in my career I fought four or five southpaws back-to-back. I love it. It’s easy for me and they don’t give me any problems. I know southpaws don’t like fighting other southpaws, but I love fighting them.”
Lubin on Charlo: ‘I’m ready for a rematch if he can take care of business like I did’
Erickson “The Hammer” Lubin out-classed Terrell Gausha in a WBC Super Welterweight Title Eliminator to set up a matchup with the winner of the Jermell Charlo vs. Jeison Rosario unification bout, part of next week’s CHARLO DOUBLEHEADER on SHOWTIME PPV. Lubin won via unanimous decision (115-113, 116-112, 118-110) in the main event of an exciting night of boxing live on SHOWTIME Saturday night from Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions. (For highlights, click HERE)
After a slow start to the SHOWTIME BOXING: SPECIAL EDITION® tripleheader main event, the 24-year-old Lubin (23-1, 16 KOs) did enough to win after a more action-packed fight broke out in the eighth round. Lubin, who was wobbled in the tenth round, pressed to close the show in the final round against a game Gausha, who refused to go down. Orlando’s Lubin landed an average of 12 out of 48 punches per round to 9 of 40 for Gausha (21-2-1, 10 KOs), and landed 47 percent of his power punches in the fight.
If Charlo is victorious in next week’s unification bout, Lubin will get his much-desired rematch of his only career loss, a devastating one-punch knockout in October 2017.
“I definitely made a statement,” said Lubin, who is trained by Kevin Cunningham. “I beat one of the top guys in the division, and that’s always a statement. I feel like I beat one of the top 154 pounders and I’m going to keep doing that. I’m going to stay in the gym and keep getting better. I know I hurt him in the last round. I was trying to get him out of there, but still be cautious. He was game. He’s an Olympian with good experience, so I didn’t want to get too wild.
“I think Jermell Charlo is going to come out on top against Jeison Rosario. I’m ready for a rematch if he can take care of business like I did. I changed up a lot since the first fight. I have a master trainer in my corner in Kevin Cunningham, along with my longtime trainer Jason Galarza. I’m just all around a better fighter since the first time we fought.”
In the co-main event, a 12-round WBC Featherweight Title Eliminator, Mongolian Olympic silver-medalist Tugstsogt Nyambayar (12-1, 9 KOs) rode two early knockdowns to win a highly competitive split-decision over Barbadian Cobia Breedy (15-1, 5 KOs), setting up a possible rematch with WBC Featherweight World Champion Gary Russell Jr. The judges scored the fight (114-113, 114-112, 111-115).
Nyambayar dropped Breedy twice in the opening two rounds, once with his right hand and once with his left, but the gutsy Breedy climbed his way back into the fight after the early setbacks. Breedy was the busier fighter, throwing 62 punches per round compared to 47 for Nyambayar. “King Tug” landed the harder punches and connected on 51 percent of his power punches in the fight.
“It was a tough fight,” said the 28-year-old Nyambayar. “I have a lot of respect for Breedy. He’s a great boxer. I thought I won the fight and did well to get the knock downs early. I thought I got the job done and I’m ready for the next step. I knew it was a close fight, but I wasn’t thinking about the score. I was surprised it was a split decision, but I thought I did enough to get the win.”
In the opening bout of the telecast, Philadelphia’s welterweight phenom Jaron Ennis (26-0, 24 KOs) continued his rapid ascent up the 147-pound charts by recording his 16th straight KO, this time against durable veteran Juan Carlos Abreu (23-6-1, 21 KOs), who had never been stopped before in his career.
“I was in there having my fun, then my dad said to stop playing with him, and that it’s time to take him out, so that’s what I did,” said Ennis, who goes by the nickname “Boots”. “I know he’s fought some tough guys in the past. Compare what I did to what they did. It shows the different skill level and attributes that I have. I made a statement tonight and stopped someone who’s never been stopped. Bring on the top 10 and top five guys or title eliminators. I’m coming for the championship next year.”
The switch-hitting Ennis landed his first meaningful punch in the fifth round, sending Abreu to the canvas with a vicious right-handed uppercut. Abreu beat the referee’s count and survived the round, but the end was imminent. In the next round, the 23-year-old Ennis knocked Abreu down for the sixth and seventh times of his career, forcing referee John Callas to stop the bout at 1:06 of round six. Ennis, who was pushed into the sixth round for just the third time of his career, now has 16 knockdowns in his last seven bouts. (Watch the first knockdown HERE)
Welterweight contender Jaron Ennis expects to be a champion in 2019(VIDEO)
Philly’s Jaron Ennis is a guy that many are talking about at 147. He has talent, he has a fan-friendly style, and right now he is slowly building a name for himself.
Recently at 2300 Arena in Philly, Ennis knocked out Raymond Serrano in two. With the victory, Ennis moved to 22-0, including 20 by knockout. The 21-year-old Ennis has now stopped 12 consecutive fighters.
“I feel like I can do it all,” Ennis said. “I know I can do it all. I can box right-handed, southpaw, strong, fast, slick; I can do it all.”
Ennis wants to keep moving up the ranks, and he believes that he will have a shot at a title near the end of 2019.
After defeating Serrano, we caught up with Ennis, who discussed his plans for the future, and how stacks up against the best at 147.
Take a listen:
Ennis-Serrano set for November 16 in Philly
Highly touted unbeaten welterweight prospect Jaron Ennis will square off against 11-year professional Raymond Serrano in a Philadelphia vs. Philadelphia 10-round bout in the main event of ShoBox: The New Generation, Friday, November 16 live on SHOWTIME® at 9:35 p.m. ET/PT from 2300 Arena in Philadelphia.
Ennis (21-0, 19 KOs) has knocked out 11 consecutive opponents including a third-round stoppage of Armando Alvarez in his ShoBox debut in July (Click HERE for video). The 21-year-old Ennis, who compiled an amateur record of 58-3 and was the 2015 National Golden Gloves Champion before turning professional in 2016, faces a stern test in fellow Philadelphia native Raymond Serrano (24-5, 10 KOs), a 29-fight veteran who’s five losses have come against opponents with a combined record of 89-1-1 at the time of their meeting.
The three-fight telecast features five ShoBox veterans and three fighters who call Philadelphia home. In the co-feature, a pair of ShoBox veterans meet when Chicago’s Kenneth Sims Jr. (13-1-1, 4 KOs) takes on Philadelphia’s Samuel Teah (14-2-1, 7 KOs) in an eight-round super lightweight bout.
Also on the card, undefeated Ukrainian Arnold Khegai (13-0-1, 9 KOs) faces New Jersey’s Jorge Diaz (19-5-1, 10 KOs) in an eight-round super bantamweight bout.
Tickets for the show, which is promoted by Victory Promotions in association with Hard Hitting Promotions are priced $50, $75 and $125 and can be purchased at2300arena.com and hardhittingpromotions.com.
Ennis returns to ShoBox for his second consecutive fight following a statement third-round knockout of then-unbeaten welterweight prospect Armando Alvarez in July. Making a name for himself in Philadelphia with his power and come-forward mentality,Ennis has scored 11consecutive KO victories including two at 2300 Arena. A standout amateur who was ranked No. 1 at 141 pounds and won the 2015 National Golden Gloves tournament, Ennis narrowly missed the opportunity to represent the U.S. in the 2016 Olympics after losing a box-off to Gary Antuanne Russell at the Olympic Trials.
“Serrano is just another opponent on my way to my ultimate goal – a world championship,” said Ennis. “I am focused and I’m just going to keep working hard until I am able to accomplish that main goal. I can’t wait to display my talent once again onShoBox.“
The 21-year-old Ennis currently trains under his father Derek “Bozy” Ennis Sr., who also trained his other sons Derek Jr. and Farah, both ShoBox veterans.
The 29-year-old Serrano turned professional in 2007 and rattled off 18 consecutive wins to start his career. Serrano, who will appear on ShoBox for the first time since his 2013 meeting with Emmanuel Taylor, will face his third consecutive unbeaten opponent after a No Contest against Gerome Quigley Jr. and a unanimous decision loss to 22-year-old welterweight prospect Malik Hawkins. Serrano, also from Philadelphia, had an impressive amateur career, winning the national and international Junior Olympic tournaments in 2005 and the Pennsylvania State Golden Gloves in 2006.
“I am excited – this is Philly vs. Philly,” said Serrano. “We are two of the best welterweights going at it. I believe my experience with my new trainer Shadeed Saluki will help me in this fight and I do not think he has been in the ring with anyone like me. I am excited to be on ShoBox because the world will see my talents. With a win, this will lead me to even bigger fights.”
Sims, a Chicago native, returns to ShoBox after his action-packed split-draw with unbeaten prospect Montana Love in July. Sims suffered the first and only loss of his career against Rolando Chinea via close majority decision on ShoBox a year prior but got back to his winning ways with a unanimous decision over Andrew Rodgers on October 13. The 24-year-old, who has sparred with Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, was a 2013 U.S. National Amateur Champion and a 2012 Olympic Trials semifinalist.
“I am ready to fight,” said Sims. “I just fought on October 13 and got right back in the gym, so I am already in good shape. Teah is a good fighter but he is nothing special and certainly nothing that I haven’t seen before. I am happy to be back on ShoBox. I know they liked my last fight because it showed that I am only getting better and better every fight.”
Teah, born in Liberia and fighting out of Philadelphia, has had mixed luck on ShoBox.A two-fight veteran of the developmental series, Teah scored a unanimous decision over previously undefeated O’Shaquie Foster in 2015 but dropped a majority decision to Montana Love in February, an opponent who Sims Jr. drew with. Teah, who did not start boxing until the age of 19, scored an impressive first-round knockout of Zach Ramsey his last time out in August at 2300 Arena.
“I will be ready to fight come November 16,” said Teah. “I have seen Kenneth Sims fight. He is fast and was a good amateur. He just fought a draw against the last fighter who beat me, Montana Love. I am excited about fighting him and I am also excited to be on ShoBox. I always face a higher level of opposition when I am on and ShoBox is always a great showcase.”
The aggressive, come-forward Khegai made his U.S. debut at the 2300 Arena onShoBox in May, registering the most impressive result of his career with a unanimous decision over Adam Lopez. The undefeated Khegai, who is a former Ukraine national amateur champion and two-time world champion in Thai boxing, made the switch to professional boxing in 2015 and has since compiled a near-perfect record while competing mostly in Russia. Born to Korean parents in Lymanske, Ukraine, the all-action Khegai will make his second ShoBox appearance in search of another statement win.
“I am excited to be fighting in the U.S. on SHOWTIME,” said Khegai. “I look forward to putting on a memorable performance and cementing myself as a top name in the division. November 16 can’t come soon enough!”
Jorge Diaz Jr., from New Brunswick, New Jersey, is coming off a significant victory over then once-beaten Adam Lopez, an opponent Khegai also beat via decision. The 31-year-old Diaz, who last fought in November 2017, also boasts impressive victories over Olympic gold-medalist Yan Barthelemy and former title challengers Alejandro Lopez and Emmanuel Lucero. Diaz’s five professional losses have come against opponents that hold a combined record of 88-1-4.
“I feel very confident,” said Diaz. “My opponent is a good fighter, who is strong, aggressive, and throws sharp punches but I will be in tip-top shape. This is a very important fight for me. I have this great opportunity, so I will be dedicated and will give my best effort.”
Hall of Famer Barry Tompkins will call the ShoBox action from ringside with fellow Hall of Famer Steve Farhood and former world champion Raul Marquez serving as expert analysts. The executive producer is Gordon Hall with Chuck McKean producing and Rick Phillips directing.