Brutal new start for “Boots” Ennis: The US star celebrates an explosive semi-middleweight debut in Philadelphia and sends Uisma Lima home with a thunderous knockout in round one.
Ennis (35-0, 31 knockouts) thus secured the WBA interim world title at half-middleweight (154 pounds) – and impressively proved that the step up to the higher limit was exactly right. “I knew the higher I went, the stronger I would get,” said Ennis in the DAZN interview after the fight. “I’ve fought almost my entire professional career at 147 pounds. It was just time to move on.”
Lima (14-2, 10 knockouts) had no chance from the start. Ennis switched to a left jab early on and scored with a huge uppercut that shook Lima badly and sent him to the mat for the first time. Although the Portuguese fighter got back to his feet, the dominance of the local hero was unmistakable. After another series of punches, Lima found himself on the ground again. Shortly afterwards, Ennis attacked uncompromisingly – Lima’s corner threw in the towel while referee Shawn Clark was already trying to intervene.
With this victory, Jaron Ennis sent a clear signal to the entire half-middleweight scene. The reigning WBA world champion Abass Baraou from Berlin, who was promoted to regular champion in August after a clear points victory over Yoenis Tellez, is likely to have watched the performance closely.