Jaron Ennis hopes to simply be known as ‘Boots’ someday

In boxing, it’s a badge of grant to beryllium known lone by a nickname. Nobody calls Canelo Alvarez by his archetypal name, Saul. Gervonta Davis is simply “Tank.” To galore fans stateside, Naoya Inoue is conscionable “The Monster.”

Soon, determination volition beryllium different nickname successful that mix. But it’s not arsenic menacing arsenic you mightiness think.

Boots.

Welterweight Jaron “Boots” Ennis, who fights Thomas Dulorme connected Saturday nighttime astatine Michelob Ultra Arena, could beryllium boxing’s adjacent pound-for-pound star. But arsenic helium readies for his Las Vegas debut, he’s inactive an chartless to galore extracurricular the sport’s hardcore instrumentality base.

Ennis-Dulorme volition service arsenic the co-feature to the welterweight combat betwixt Jamal James and Radzhab Butaev, airing Saturday astatine 7 p.m. connected Showtime.

Boots was ne'er expected to beryllium Boots. His ma initially nicknamed him “Boops,” but everyone successful the gym misheard and started calling him Boots. It conscionable stuck, for immoderate reason. Now, cipher calls him Jaron.

Ennis grew up successful the gym successful Philadelphia, with his brothers and dada having been pro fighters. His dad, Derrick “Bozy” Ennis, present serves arsenic his trainer. He watched his older brothers combat professionally but ne'er execute big-time success, and helium wants to marque definite helium doesn’t marque the aforesaid mistakes.

“They’d get a telephone oregon thing similar that, and they weren’t successful signifier and they had to suffer value and worldly similar that,” helium said. “Partying, worldly similar that. I don’t bash nary of that. No partying, nary of that. I conscionable enactment successful the gym, conscionable enactment connected getting amended each and each day.”

Ennis, 24, began his pro vocation successful 2016 with an unthinkable spell of activity. He fought 8 times successful 2016, 9 times successful 2017 and 5 times successful 2018. That got the attraction of Stephen Espinoza, president of Showtime Sports. Ennis’ brothers had fought connected Showtime, and Espinoza wanted to diagnostic Boots, too.

“It became wide that Boots was special,” Espinoza said. “It wasn’t conscionable that helium was finishing guys rapidly and walking done them, it’s that helium was doing it truthful easily. As we accrued the level of the opposition, helium continued to execute the same.”

Promotional issues slowed his activity, though. When Ennis (27-0, 25 knockouts, 1 nary decision) steps successful the ringing against Dulorme, it volition beryllium lone his 2nd combat this year. His archetypal was a knockout triumph implicit erstwhile 140-pound titlist Sergey Lipinets successful April, easy the champion triumph of his career.

Dulorme (25-5-1, 16 KOs) has fought a who’s who of the 147-pound division, including titlists Terence Crawford and Yordenis Ugas. While Ennis is simply a monolithic favorite, it’s inactive an accidental to marque a connection to the remainder of the division.

Ennis has his sights acceptable connected bigger and amended things, though. He doesn’t attraction who it’s against, but helium expects to beryllium successful a satellite rubric combat adjacent year. Espinoza is assured helium tin present that for him. Eventually, though, Ennis plans to determination up arsenic precocious arsenic 168 pounds.

“I consciousness like, I privation to beryllium undisputed champion successful 3 oregon 4 antithetic value classes,” helium said. “I’m large astatine everything. I’m well-rounded astatine everything. I combat orthodox, southpaw, I could combat connected the inside, connected the outside, immoderate you need, I got it.”

Contact Jonah Dylan astatine jdylan@reviewjournal.com. Follow @TheJonahDylan connected Twitter.