IBF welterweight champion Jaron “Boots” Ennis (31-0, 28 KOs) is coming home; this time, he’s a champion. The Philadelphia native will defend his title against Cody Crowley (22-0, 9 KOs) on Saturday, July 13, at Wells Fargo Center in South Philadelphia.
On Friday, Ennis went face-to-face with Crowley at a press conference at Wells Fargo Center.
It’s not always been easy for Ennis to find opponents willing to step up and take a fight against him, and he’s excited that Crowley did.
“Look, I’m glad you accepted the fight,” Ennis said. “July 13 at the Wells Fargo Center; I’m very excited. It’s the first big fight here, and it’s a blessing. I’m glad I’m going to be able to be here and put on a show. I want to look good and retain my belt in a beautiful, knockout fashion in front of my friends, family, and supporters.
“Listen, there’s really no pressure on me. I’ve been in this game since I was a baby. There’s no pressure. It’s normal for me. My brother has been at the top, and I’ve seen all this stuff before. This is like being at home in my house right now. It’s natural for me, and it’s normal.”
It can be hard fighting in your hometown. There’s a lot of pressure, a lot of media obligations, and fighters want to put on a show, but according to Ennis, the pressure is not on him; it’s on Crowley.
“He [Crowley] has got more pressure than me, I’ll tell you that right now,” Ennis said. “He’s going to have 20,000 fans against him, and that’s way more pressure on him than me. For me, being here will be like sitting at home with my feet up.
“You know, he’s definitely a good fighter and a tough guy. But on July 13, it’s going to get nasty, and I’m telling you that now. I’m going to put on a beautiful show, and I’m going to look good. We’re going to do it in a knockout fashion.”
After Crowley, Ennis wants to clean out the 147-pound division and do the same at 154 pounds.
“My main focus right now is Cody Crowley,” Ennis said. “My eyes are on him. After this? Definitely undisputed, for sure. I want to go and collect all the rest of the belts, then go up to 154 and do the same thing there. ”
The 26-year-old Ennis, who recently signed with Matchroom Boxing, is one the more talented fighters in the sport of boxing, and this is an opportunity for him to showcase that talent on the big stage.
Photo: Andrew Maclean/Matchroom
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