Jaron “Boots” Ennis returned to the ring on Saturday night in his hometown of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The former welterweight champion was moving up to junior middleweight. His opponent? Uisma Lima, a player who has only suffered one defeat and is now making his American debut. While Ennis’ 34-0 victory was largely expected, Lima’s 14-1 result was largely an unknown commodity, putting a question mark on the DAZN-broadcast affair.
In the first round, a thunderous combination put Lima on the mat. He got up, but Ennis immediately went to work to end the fight early. Seconds later, Lima fell again. He bravely stood up again, but was clearly in stern trouble. A final furious wave prompted the referee to step in and end the fight. Ennis looked absolutely phenomenal in his junior middleweight debut. Lima was an unknown, but he was a ranking contender with an excellent record. On Saturday night, it was difficult not to be impressed with Philadelphia’s Ennis team.
Ennis currently holds the WBA interim junior middleweight belt. This means he has a chance to win the world title. I did what I had to do,” Ennis said later. “I feel like the more I climb up, the stronger I’ll become.” So what will be the future of man? “You know what time it is,” Ennis said. “You know who I want next… I want Virgil Ortiz.” Promoter Eddie Hearn couldn’t have been happier with Ennis’ performance.
“This is the future of boxing,” he said of Ennis. Needless to say, Ennis backed up his promoter’s claim. “Bring them all. 154 is mine,” Ennis added. The question, of course, is whether Ennis will get a chance to fight bigger names. After all, it’s boxing 2025. It’s not uncomplicated to organize substantial fights. In fact, organizing substantial fights is downright hard. Let’s hope Ennis gets the chance to fight a substantial battle against a high-profile, high-quality opponent.
Crawford is great because his prime is behind him, and Canelo is great because his prime is past him, so the audience is clearly looking to the future to see who can become the next king of the sport. Suffice it to say, Ennis is definitely in line for the throne. Of course, time will tell everything.
Bradley says Roach’s experience against pressure players and southpaws will give him an advantage on August 1
Tim Bradley thinks Lamont Roach Jr. he is the player best placed to make William Zepeda lose. In a speech on his YouTube channel, Bradley selected Roach as the winner of the vacant WBC lightweight title on August 1 and cited the fight’s stylistic advantages as a key factor.
“I’m picking Roach to win this fight,” Bradley said on his channel. “I think it’s a perfect match in style. I think Roach fights southpaws better than orthodox fighters.”
Roach comes into the fight coming off a draw with Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz and a contentious draw with Gervonta Davis, as well as two physically demanding fights against high-pressure fighters that Bradley says has prepared him for Zepeda’s relentless approach.
“I think he fought one of the best southpaws in the world in Tank Davis. And he did damn well against him,” Bradley said. “He wasn’t scared by the force of the impact.”
Bradley believes Roach has the tools needed to neutralize Zepeda’s pressure.
“When guys who like to get forward and be aggressive, nine times out of 10 they don’t like being tackled,” Bradley said. “Roach has the ability to do it. He has the knowledge and the IQ to be able to do it. And if he does it, he will win this fight.”
Bradley also cautioned that Roach cannot afford to leave matters in the judges’ hands, arguing that he needs to create more separation than in recent draws with Isaac Cruz and Gervonta Davis.
Dan Ambrose is a boxing journalist at Boxing News 24, respected for his direct analysis and extensive coverage of the global fighting landscape. His reports focus on the most vital fights, division development and the most discussed stories in sports.
Roy Jones Jr has announced his price and is demanding an eight-figure purse if he is to make it through the ropes.
At his peak, the American became one of the best players to ever grace the sport, and his breathtaking speed and overall physical prowess made him seem almost unbeatable.
After winning world titles at middleweight, super middleweight and airy heavyweight, Jones even moved up to heavyweight and dethroned John Ruiz to win the WBA belt in 2003.
The pound-for-pound legend retired in 2018, when many thought his best days were behind him, only to take it to the next level exhibition match with Mike Tyson in 2020
Although it was a non-contest, many believed that Tyson outplayed Jones, who then returned professionally against Anthony Pettis and lost an eight-round decision to the former UFC champion in 2023.
Since then, the 57-year-old has remained on the safer side of the competition, but is now eyeing another comeback, this time against Misfits boxer Tommy Fury.
Having delved into the power side of the sport following previous professional victories over Jake Paul and KSI, Fury is now preparing to face former World’s Strongest Man Eddie Hall.
I’m talking to Betting showroomJones said he would only be willing to challenge the 27-year-old if he was handsomely rewarded for his troubles.
“Is me vs. Tommy Fury dead? Nothing is dead forever. Roy Jones is still alive. Tommy Fury is still alive. Who knows? For the right money, it would make me go to the gym to get ready.”
“If they give me $10 million of course. Ten and more, yes. If they don’t give me $10 million and more, then no, I’m not wasting my time.”
Fury’s six-round exhibition match with Hall will take place later today at the Manchester Arena, although the result will not affect his professional record of 11-0 (4 KO).
“There are a confined number of fights and he can’t fight every fighter. So why don’t you consider that [Iglesias and Sheeraz] think about who wants to be at the front of the line,” Kellerman said on InsideRingShow.
Kellerman rejected the idea that Canelo was firing any of the fighters.
“He’s not saying he’s ignoring Sheeraz and Iglesias. In fact, he just gave them a path. He said, ‘I’m fighting Mbilli.’ You are fighting each other. This is not a duck. This is about business,” Kellerman said.
Sheeraz has already made it clear that he has no interest in following the route proposed by Canelo. Responding to a suggestion from an earlier interview, the British fighter said he respected Alvarez but would not allow another boxer to dictate his career decisions.
A fight between Sheeraz and Iglesias could answer many of the remaining questions about both men.
Canelo is preparing to fight Mbilli, a fighter widely viewed as one of the most threatening fighters in the division due to his constant pressure and furious attacks. Meanwhile, Sheeraz has had two fights since moving up to 168 pounds, a fight against Edgar Berlanga, who he stopped in July 2025 after Canelo had already beaten him a year earlier, and 39-year-old Al Begic for the vacant WBO title.
A fight between Sheeraz and Iglesias could eliminate many of the questions that still haunt both men. Sheeraz would have the opportunity to silence critics who believe his super middleweight resume is slim, while Iglesias could reaffirm a growing reputation that has led some fans to consider him the division’s boogeyman.
The winner would pose a bigger and more marketable challenge. Instead of facing Sheeraz immediately after his victory over Begic, Alvarez could face an opponent who had a decisive victory over another world champion, adding more significance to what could be one of the final marquee fights of his career.
Max Kellerman reacts to Canelo Álvarez’s comments about Hamzah Sheeraz and Osleys Iglesias 👀#InsideTheRing | The latest episode LIVE NOW on YouTube The Ring 📺 pic.twitter.com/tfOhDtjgit
Dan Ambrose is a boxing journalist at Boxing News 24, respected for his direct analysis and extensive coverage of the global fighting landscape. His reports focus on the most essential fights, division development and the most discussed stories in sports.
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