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Jaron Ennis: Talent and Tenacity Highlighted as Pound-for-Pound Top 10 Remains Elusive
Jaron “Boots” Ennis keeps climbing WBN’s pound-for-pound rankings, but the door to the Top 10 remains firmly shut.
Ennis moved up one place to number eleven following his seventh-round stoppage of previously unbeaten Xander Zayas in Brooklyn, adding the WBA and WBO super welterweight titles to his collection.
It was another significant step forward for the Philadelphia star, but not enough to dislodge Sebastian Fundora from the final place in WBN’s latest pound-for-pound rankings.
Fundora Holds His Ground
Fundora’s victories over Tim Tszyu and Keith Thurmancoupled with the dominant fashion in which he won both fights, are enough to keep him as WBN’s leading super welterweight.
Against Tszyu, Fundora captured the unified championship in one of the division’s defining fights before returning to produce a clinical performance against former unified champion Keith Thurman.
The towering Californian barely absorbed a meaningful punch as he systematically broke Thurman down before the referee intervened.
Fundora’s body of work at 154 pounds remains just robust enough to hold him ahead of Ennis.
That isn’t a slight on Ennis. It reflects where both fighters stand today.
Ennis Keeps Rising
Ennis deserves enormous credit for defeating Zayas and unifying titles in only his second fight at 154 pounds.
However, the performance wasn’t flawless.
Despite dropping Zayas early, Ennis was badly hurt during a breathtaking third round that will rank among the best of the year. For a brief spell, the unified champion looked close to being stopped before regrouping impressively to take control and eventually force the stoppage.
Zayas deserves immense credit for that effort despite slipping from number nineteen to twenty-eight on the latest WBN list.
One More Win
The gap between Fundora and Ennis has become increasingly narrow.
If Ennis wants to force his way into the pound-for-pound top ten, another signature victory may be required.
A showdown with Fundora would settle the debate once and for all. If that fight cannot be made, victories over Vergil Ortiz Jr. or IBF champion Josh Kelly would also strengthen his case.
Until then, the pound-for-pound debate continues.
Ennis keeps knocking, but Fundora’s résumé still holds the Top 10 door firmly shut.
About the Author
Phil Jay is the Editor-in-Chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a veteran boxing reporter with 15+ years of experience. He has interviewed world champions, broken international exclusives, and reported ringside since 2010. Read full bio.
“I had deals from different people. I had deals from DAZN, the network itself. Golden Boy, we spoke to. Top Rank was reaching out. I also was in talks about signing back with Eddie, but it didn’t get to happen,” said Hitchins to Mr. Verzace.
Zuffa ultimately separated itself from the competition with both its financial offer and its long-term vision for his career.
“To be sincere, Zuffa gave me an offer I couldn’t refuse. A lot of zeros,” Hitchins said. “They see my career the way I see it for myself.”
Hitchins explained that one of his biggest frustrations during his time with previous promoters at Matchroom was never being allowed to establish himself in his home market despite being one of Modern York’s top fighters.
“Being in a meeting with Dana White and Nick Khan, I was vocal and see-through about how I never really got promoted the way I wanted to get promoted,” Hitchins said. “You see a lot of fighters like Shakur Stevenson when they were coming up, they’d be fighting a lot on the East Coast. Boots Ennis is always on the East Coast, Philly, Atlantic City.”
“I felt like when I was with different promoters, they had me all around the United States, but never really home, around the tri-state area to build my name. Zuffa gave me their word to lend a hand me build my name, especially around my home area and eventually around the world.”
Hitchins acknowledged that Matchroom attempted to repair the relationship before he entered free agency, but negotiations ultimately stalled after a planned January bout against Jermaine Ortiz was scrapped and another proposed fight with Oscar Duarte never materialized.
“We tried to reconcile,” Hitchins said. “We spoke. We sat down. We was in agreement, and things kind of got weird.”
Hitchins will make his Zuffa Boxing debut on July 26 when he faces Ricardo Salas at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in Modern York. The bout marks his first appearance since moving up to the welterweight division after vacating the IBF airy welterweight title.
With Dana White and Nick Khan promising to build the promotion around recognizable stars, Hitchins believes the move finally gives him the opportunity to become a major attraction in the city where his professional career began.
The latest rankings leave Emiliano (18-0, 15 KOs) as the organization’s highest-rated available contender behind the champion.
The son of former world champion Fernando Vargas has built his reputation with an aggressive, fan-friendly style and knockout power, stopping 15 of his 18 opponents. His most recent victory came last Saturday, when he halted Bryce Mills in four rounds, continuing the momentum that has carried him steadily up the rankings.
While becoming the WBO’s No. 1 contender does not automatically guarantee an immediate title shot, it places Vargas in prime position should the organization decide to enforce a mandatory defense or if Shakur elects to face the unbeaten contender. Shakur won the WBO delicate welterweight title by defeating Teofimo Lopez in January and has since become one of boxing’s biggest names across four weight classes.
For Vargas, the timing could hardly be better.
At just 22 years ancient, he is still one of the youngest contenders in the division, yet his ranking now puts him alongside established championship-level names. A fight with Shakur would represent a massive leap in competition, but it would also provide the kind of career-defining opportunity few prospects receive this early.
Top Rank could choose to give Vargas another developmental fight before matching him with Stevenson. At 22, Vargas has plenty of time, and a title fight against one of boxing’s most technically skilled champions would represent a significant jump in class.
Still, Vargas has already cleared one of the biggest hurdles in boxing.
Vargas has now climbed as high as he can in the WBO rankings without holding the title. If Stevenson fulfills his obligations as champion and the WBO orders a mandatory defense, Vargas is now in position to be called.
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