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By: Hans Themistode
Although the record of Jaron Ennis, consisting of 27 wins and 25 knockouts, was impressive, most viewed his resume as shallow. Never before had the Philadelphia product faced anyone in the top 15 of the welterweight rankings and questions surrounding his ability to keep up with the best began to surface.
Still, by all accounts, Ennis appeared to be the real deal. He was flashy, strong and fast – just unproven. Heading into his showdown with former 140-pound champion and current 147-pound contender Sergey Lipinets, many were the under impression that the Kazakhstan native would push the 23-year-old to his limits at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville Connecticut.
However, after making it look easy against the former belt holder in the early going, Ennis ended his night with a right hook, left uppercut combination that left him flat on his back and their contest officially over subsequently after in the sixth round.
Despite Lipinets possessing by far the best credentials of anyone he’s ever faced, Ennis simply shrugs when asked if Lipinets gave him his toughest night at the office.
“No, it wasn’t my hardest fight,” said Lipinets following his knockout win. “I was in there having fun and doing what I wanted to do. I don’t take anything away from Sergey Lipinets but I was in there doing me and putting on a show.”
From the very beginning, it was clear that Ennis held the advantage in roughly every category. He was simply faster, sharper and more elusive than his much older opponent. Normally, when the switch-hitting contender gets his engine going, his opponents crumble under the pressure of his deleterious power shots. In the case of Lipinets however, he pushed forward. At no point did frustration set in for Ennis though. After watching Lipinets take on some of the best fighters in the world and reach the final bell, Ennis knew he was dealing with someone who had an iron-clad chin.
“I wasn’t surprised, he been in there with the best. He fought Mikey Garcia and Lamont (Peterson) and they couldn’t stop him and I did. I knew he was going to be durable, that’s why I really didn’t step on the gas like I wanted to. I just coasted, took my time, and broke him down.”
Not wanting to waste any time basking in the glory of his victory, Ennis revealed that he plans on lacing up his bootstraps and heading into the gym this upcoming week. Although another fight date isn’t available to him just yet, he simply wants to remain sharp.
While Ennis repeatedly looked down at his phone to answer text messages during his time on the post-fight podium, the rising star knows good and well that although his performance has put the rest of the welterweight division on notice, it could ultimately work against him.
“Hopefully these guys want to take me on. I just want to fight the best fighters.”
