Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis Stops Romain Villa in Atlantic City, NJ
By Robert Brizel, Real Combat Media Head Boxing Correspondent
Atlantic City, NJ (July 9th, 2023)– Last night, Saturday, July 8, 2023, in the main event of a six bout card at The Ballroom, Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis, 31-0, 28 knockouts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, won every round for nine rounds and then knocked the boots off of challenger Romain Villa, now 26-2 with 24 knockouts, Romain, Venezuela, to retain the interim International Boxing Federation World welterweight title, on Showtime Championship Boxing. The win by Ennis set up a possible opportunity bout next against the winner of the Errol Spence Jr. versus Terence Crawford World Welterweight title at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on July 29, 2023.
‘Boots’ landed a pinpoint power right left right combination with speed and accuracy, which send a battered Villa without his legs plunging backward to the canvas knocked out, prompting referee David Fields to waive the lopsided contest off at 1:27 of the tenth round.
Villa was not ‘chiller’, and came into win, but this bout was not the ‘Thrilla in Manilla’. The outmatched though game Villa did not win a single round, and took a vicious pounding. Villa, in defeat, became the second consecutive opponent to make it to the tenth round or further against Ennis. Karen Chudhadzhian went 12 rounds for the vacant IBF interim Welterweight title with Ennis in January 2023 against Ennis at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. Ennis won that bout by scores of 230-108 on all three scorecards. Against Villa, Ennis was up 88-83, 89-82, and 89-82 of the scorecards of the three judges, meaning Villa had won two or three rounds on the cards, and needed a knockout to win the bout.
Villa, whose record included top flight wins over Miguel Parra (20-1), Rashidi Ellis (24-0), Janelson Figueroa Bocachica (17-0-1), Carlos Saenz (19-1), Helvinson Herrera (22-12-1), Derwin Medina (8-4-1), Pascual Salgado (12-9), Jesus Bravo (19-5-1), Nestor Armas (22-5-1), Andreas Garcia (13-6-1), and Luis Ernesto Jose (33-23-2), lost a 12 round split decision to the then 23-6 Marcos Villasana in Los Mochis, Mexico in April 2019, raising questions as to whether he could bring his game up one notch to do battle with Ennis. He could not.
By the end of the eighth round, the handwriting was on the wall. Ennis was landing combinations and uppercuts on a bloody Villa, who had been wobbled by that point and was in survival mode. Ennis was switching stances between the orthodox and southpaw, creating punch angles for straight punches and hooks. Villa gave a decent accounting of himself for the first five rounds, throwing punches by volume, the majority of which missed, none of which were effective or moved ‘Boots’ in any way. ‘Boots’ simply outworked and broke down Villa, who would be best go back to Venezuela after having done his best, and try a new profession.
The bout served its purpose. ‘Boots’ wants the winner of Spence versus Crawford, and with this win, put the potential megabucks unification match after the unification match on the table later in 2023. Ennis versus Spence or Crawford at that point is a better matchup than anything Floyd Mayweather Jr. could concoct when he ruled the 147 pounds division.
Result: Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis KO 10 Romain Villa, Welterweights (1:27)
Ennis Retains International Boxing Federation World Welterweight title
Referee: David Fields. IBF Title Supervisor: Randy Neumann
In the two televised preliminary bouts to the main event, both bouts went the distance to the scorecards. Behind a consistent right hook, Dominican southpaw contender Edwin De Los Santos, 16-1 with 14 knockouts, Reading, Pennsylvania, a three to one odds favorite on the betting line, retained the World Boxing Council Continental Americas Lightweight title over Joseph Adorno, 17-3-2 with 14 knockouts, Allentown, Pennsylvania winning decisively on all three scorecards 100-90, 100-90 and 99-91, winning all but one round on one judge’s scorecard. Exchanges and action was limited in this bout, but De Los Santos jabbed well enough and moved well enough to avoid Adorno’s power to win in a well-booed boring bout.
Result: Edwin De Los Santos Win 10 Joseph Adorno, Lightweights
De Los Santos retains World Boxing Council Continental Americas Lightweight title
Scoring: 100-90, 100-90, 99-91 for De Los Santos.
Referee: Charlie Fitch. WBC Title Supervisor: Michael George
Underdog is not just a cartoon character. In the other preliminary to the Ennis-Villa main event, five to one betting underdog scored the biggest win in an 18 bout middleweight career which began in 2023, dropping Cuban southpaw Yoelis Gomez, 6-1, five knockouts, Las Vegas, Nevada, by way of Havana, Cuba, in the second round off the break, en route to winning a 10 round unanimous decision. Taylor found through a cut around the right eye for most of the bout, which did not affect the scoring or the bout itself. This bout featured good short punches give and take from both combatants on the inside, with Taylor doing better body work. Gomez was warned for hitting off the break by referee Harvey Dock, which is a sure sign things are not going a fighter’s way. Two judges scored it 99-90 for Taylor, meaning Gomez did not win a round.
Result Marquis Taylor Win 10 Yoelis Gomez, Middleweights
Gomez down second round, lost point fifth round hitting off break. Referee: Harvey Dock
TKO Undercard Results, The Ballroom, Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City
Seven unbeaten prospects and one still winless fighter were featured
Undercard Referees: Eric Dali and Charlie Fitch
Euri Cedeno TKO 1 William Townsell, Middleweights
5-0 five knockouts Dominican southpaw Cedeno exposes 5-0 Virginian Townsell
Steven Torres TKO 3 James Evans, Heavyweights
6-0-1 Reading Pennsylvania prospect exposes 6-0-1 Evans of Toledo, Ohio
Dwyke Flemmings Jr. TKO 3 Henry Rivera, Super Welterweights
4-0 Paterson, New Jersey prospect Flemmings exposes 2-0 Rivera of Las Vegas
Ismail Muhammad TKO 3 Parker Gregory Bruno, Welterweights (1:45)
2-0 Philly prospect Muhammad stops 0-2 Brno of Texas.
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