Jaron Ennis, one of boxing's rising stars, looks to step up his game to prove the hype is real. The 26-year-old faces his toughest opponent to date in Roiman Villa on July 8.
Ennis defends the interim IBF welterweight title from inside Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. The fight airs on Showtime in the U.S.
A 2014 silver and 2015 gold medalist at the Golden Gloves Championships, Ennis turned pro in 2016. "Boots" has been hyped up as the future of boxing and first proved his value in April 2021 when he beat Sergey Lipinets via knockout. He followed that up with a knockout win against Thomas Dulorme and Custio Clayton.
Here's all you need to know so far about Ennis and Vill.
Date: Saturday, July 8
Time: 9:30 p.m. ET or 6:30 p.m. PT
Main event: The main event fighters should make their way to the ring around 11:30 p.m. ET or 9:30 p.m. PT, depending on how long the undercard fights last.
Jaron Ennis:
"I'm excited to be fighting in the main event, and I can't wait to get in the ring," said Ennis. "I know Villa is a straightforward fighter, and that's tailor-made for me. I'm going to win because I've been putting in the work, day in and day out. All my hard work will show on fight night. I'm ready to shine and make a big statement on July 8. My time is now!"
Roiman Villa:
"I'm very thankful to my team for this life-changing opportunity," said Villa. "Rashidi Ellis underestimated me before our last fight, so I knew I was going to win and go on to face Ennis. In order to be the best, you have to fight the best fighters. On July 8, I'm going to score another upset and ruin another undefeated record."
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