Jaron “Boots” Ennis, held on to his Interim IBF Welterweight Title. He outclassed the formidable 147-pound contender Roiman Villa, delivering a brilliant 10th-round TKO in the main event. The fight, held at the Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J., saw Ennis flooring Villa with a powerful left-right combination, effectively ending the battle.
Close to his hometown, Philadelphia, Ennis (31-0, 28 KOs) engaged his loyal fans with an exceptional performance against the tenacious Villa (26-2, 24 KOs). He asserted control early on, carefully selecting his shots, initially overpowering Villa with strategic jabs before escalating to a flurry of powerful blows.
The initial rounds were closely contested, but by round six, Ennis took the lead, destabilizing Villa with a heavy overhand right. Villa, known for his resilience, fought on, though his power seemed to diminish after that substantial hit.
Ennis maintained the pressure in the subsequent rounds, raining punishing blows on Villa, drawing blood. Despite thorough scrutiny from the ringside doctor after each round, Villa persevered, hoping to turn the tables. But it was Ennis who had the last laugh, delivering a swift one-two punch early in round 10, leading to the referee’s intervention to stop the bout.
Ennis dominated in terms of CompuBox statistics, with a remarkable 164 to 57 advantage in power shots, reaffirming his intention to stay in action against the top names in the welterweight division.
The co-feature of the night saw middleweight contender Marquis Taylor (15-1-2, 1 KO) defeating the hitherto undefeated Yoelvis Gomez (6-1, 5 KOs) after 10 rounds. Taylor, who had pledged a victory during the fight week press conference, stayed true to his word, maintaining his dominant form against his fifth undefeated opponent.
In another fixture, the rising lightweight contender Edwin De Los Santos (16-1, 14 KOs) sealed a one-sided victory over Joseph Adorno (17-3-2, 14 KOs) after 10 rounds. De Los Santos exhibited excellent boxing skills and maneuverability, outperforming Adorno 144 to 37 in punches landed.
Before the main telecast, the SHOWTIME BOXING COUNTDOWN streamed live on the SHOWTIME SPORTS YouTube channel and SHOWTIME Boxing Facebook page. The highlight was the 2020 Dominican Olympian Euri Cedeño (5-0, 5 KOs) claiming a quick first-round victory over William Townsel (5-1, 4 KOs) after referee Eric Dali called off the action 1:41 into the round.
The live stream also featured the undefeated heavyweight Steven “XXL” Torres (6-0-1, 6 KOs) earning a third-round stoppage over the previously unbeaten James Evans (6-1-1, 6 KOs). In the opening bout, super welterweight prospect Dwyke Flemmings (4-0, 4 KOs) dominated Henry Rivera (2-1, 1 KO) and clinched a third-round stoppage.