Jaron Ennis vs. Roiman Villa is a head-to-head matchup of top-10 boxers at 147 tonight. This marks a positive step in the right direction as the dominos begin to fall to determine who will rule the welterweight division in the coming years now that Spence vs. Crawford is signed and sealed.
I had previously finished an article for Stanionis vs. Ortiz; unfortunately, yet another setback has been postponed that can’t miss scrap. Let’s get right to the nuts and bolts of this Showtime main event.
Much has been made about the last outing for Boots Ennis, even though he won most of the rounds versus Karen Chukhadzhian. Yes, Ennis did have an issue cutting off the ring and, at times, took return fire a bit too much, especially for the folks that rate him as a boxer with elite potential.
Boxing is a fickle sport. As the saying goes, what have you done for me lately? However, in this pairing against Villa, Boots won’t have to go chasing him around the ring. Let’s keep in mind every boxer has their share of bad rounds or overall performances. It’s how you bounce back that counts.
The similarities between Marcos Maidana and Roiman Villa have been thrown out on podcasts and boxing Twitter in the lead-up to this fight. Although I see what some are talking about from the standpoint of power, ruggedness, and the fact he’s inflicted damage of some sort on every opponent he’s faced. At this point, the major difference is Maidana was tested at the very highest with his admirable effort vs. the great Floyd Mayweather. Even before that, win or lose, he had faced top-level talent resulting in a variation of success.
Roiman Villa will have to throw a jab to set up his power punches, something we saw Maidana employ once he teamed up with trainer Robert Garcia. By the way, this boxing podcaster doesn’t see Villa as gung-ho nor as ruthless with his style as Maidana. Regardless it will be his time to shine under the bright lights facing a boxer in Boots who many think is next up as the kingpin
at the 147-division.
Jaron Ennis is heavy on the offensive end, in general, willing to throw rapid-fire combinations at any time. Defensively he has shown flaws both coming forward and getting dragged into exchanges at close range. His footwork overall isn’t elite; however, how much of that weakness, given Villa’s fighting style, will Roiman be able to exploit? To this point, Boots hasn’t faced a murders row but certainly better comp than Villa. Speaking of defense liabilities which both men have, Villa’s right hand could turn the tables to his side if he’s able to land it repeatedly. Ennis will need to use his jab and be patient as he attempts to time Villa coming inside.
Boots should be in no rush to throw 3 or 4 punch combos until he’s 100 % confident he can land clean without taking unprotected shots. Boots will have to stop Villa in his tracks at some point and as the fight goes on, be able to push Villa to his back foot at times. In that scenario, Ennis can throw more freely, looking for the knockout punch. Villa, in that spot, can’t just shell up as he’s shown a habit of doing because Boots will find the openings to the head and/or body. Another interesting note is both the height and size on paper of Villa compared to the face-off and weigh-in. Villa is listed at 5’7, while Boots is at 5’10, but seeing them up close, it’s obvious it basically even.
In the early goings, this boxing junkie expects some adversity for Ennis, with the Philly native relying on his defense and patience not to get in a firefight. This is a great test for Boots, and don’t be completely shocked if he gets buzzed or full-on hurt at any part of the fight. Picking against Roiman is definitely not downgrading a solid fighter in Villa who will be able to learn from this and get right back on the horse. When push comes to shove, the more skilled boxer will come out on top, getting his hand raised in victory.
My Official prediction is Jaron Ennis by late TKO.
Side Note: Edwin De Los Santos is back in action in a good matchup in the co-feature versus the always-tough Joseph Odorno. Also, rising prospect Yoelvis Gomez vs. Marquis Taylor opens up the tripleheader Showtime Broadcast.
Written by Chris Carlson, Host/Producer of The Rope A Dope Radio Podcast Available at www.blogtalkradio.com/ropeadoperadio Follow on Twitter @RopeADopeRadio