Ennis vs Lima Predictions: Was this ‘Boots’ made for walking up to 154lbs?

Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis looks to conquer a new division as he debuts at super welterweight against Uisma Lima on Saturday, October 11. The WBA interim super welterweight belt will be on the line at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. DAZN will broadcast the event live. 

Here are my Ennis vs Lima predictions ahead of this super welter belter.

Ennis vs Lima Odds

I'm not going to lie to you, this is not a close one in the markets. Ennis is 1/40 to win, or 97.6% likely to win according to implied probability. Lima is 8/1 to shock the world while the draw is 25/1.

Ennis vs Lima Fight Preview

‘Boots’ was supposed to be the man to restore some shine to the fading welterweight division. The 147lbs class had endured a piecemeal existence since the likes of Floyd Mayweather, the since-returned Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto had retired. Ennis was seen as a pugilistic Luke Skywalker, supposed to bring balance to the welterweight force.

The mission was left half-complete due to Ennis’ struggles making 147 after spending nine years at the weight. When you consider that tenure took him from 21 to 28 years of age, it is unsurprising that making welterweight became untenable. 

During that stint, ‘Boots’ captured the IBF interim strap with a win over ​​Karen Chukhadzhian, with that title being upgraded to the full championship when Terence Crawford vacated his crown. Ennis then added The Ring title as well as the WBA gong with his final welter win, a scintillating six-round destruction of Eimantas Stanionis.

It was a strong statement with which to end Phase One of the ‘Boots’ story. The undisputed title would have looked good on the resume, but few doubted that Ennis would have beaten WBC boss Mario Barrios. WBO kingpin Brian Norman Jr. may have been a fascinating clash, admittedly. But perhaps that can be revisited given ‘The Assassin II’ is only 24 and likely to go up to 154lbs one day. 

Super welterweight, like welterweight, is another category that is currently fragmented. Unbeaten prodigy Xander Zayas is just 23 but already holds the WBO strap. Russian slow-burner Bakhram Murtazaliev is 32, but followed up a fearsome vacant IBF title win over Jack Culcay with a vicious beating of ex-champ Tim Tszyu. 

Sebastian Fundora is the most proven champion and would be a unified king were it not for the machinations of the WBO, who stripped him before his rematch with Tszyu. A physical freak who is 6-foot-5 but somehow able to make 154lbs, the WBC boss is scheduled to fight Keith Thurman in October. Thurman is one of the old welterweight superstars, but has fought just twice since a 2019 loss to Pacquiao.

The roll call is completed by WBA champion Abass Baraou, the previous holder of this interim title before he was upgraded in the wake of incumbent Crawford vacating the title post-Canelo. It should be noted that the man many consider the number-one super welterweight in the world, including The Ring magazine, does not hold a full world title. Vergil Ortiz Jr. is the current WBC interim titlist, an honour he defends against quality contender Erickson Lubin in November.

Ennis’ double-title at welterweight earned him the enviable honour of being ranked number-one by the WBA and IBF when he moved up. With champion Baraou having only fought in August, this interim title clash has been set with WBA number-eight Lima.

Does the unheralded challenger deserve this semi-title chance? Not particularly. Lima is the IBO super welterweight champion, very much the Amelle Berrabah in the WBC, IBF, WBA and WBO’s Sugababes.

To win it, Lima beat India’s Sukhdeep Singh Bhatti. While 19-0 at the time, Singh had no significant wins of his record before being widely-outpointed. 

Lima’s one defence was a ninth-round knockout of ​​Shervantaigh Koopman, on the road in South Africa. The home fighter was 15-0 coming in before Lima busted him up. Koopman was a better scalp, given his wins over former world title challenger Brandon Adams and American fringe contender, Haiti's Wendy Toussaint.

Ennis is a world away from the sort of opposition Lima is used to. Unbeaten Brit Aaron McKenna, last seen scoring a dominant decision over former world champion Liam Smith, inflicted the only loss on Lima’s record. That was a tremendous fight though and far closer than the wide scorecards had it for McKenna.

Lima has beaten undefeated foes in his last three outings, with a 10th-round retirement of Germany’s Haro Matevosyan particularly impressive. He is also a consummate road warrior, with almost every fight he has had since 2020 taking place in his opponent’s home nation. 

But make no mistake, this is a big jump in class. This fight is envisioned as a ‘Boots’ showcase against a world-ranked foe. Let’s see if the Portuguese underdog can make it something more substantial.

Ennis vs Lima Fight Card

Jaron Ennis vs Uisma Lima

Alexis Barriere vs Guido Vianello

Tahmir Smalls vs Jose Roman Vazquez

Giorgio Visioli vs James Wilkins

Zaquin Moses vs Antonio Dunton El Jr

Dennis Thompson vs Sean Diaz

Justin Palmieri vs Naheem Parker

Harley Mederos vs TBA

Ennis vs Lima Prediction

Ennis is a destructive force in an increasingly safe elite landscape. Fighters like Shakur Stevenson at lightweight and Devin Haney at super lightweight are accused of being too defensive. But ‘Boots’ marries similar fundamentals with an eye for a finish.

The Stanionis win was a perfect encapsulation of what makes the 28-year-old special. Ennis boxed on the back foot early, downloading vital information from his man. Then came befuddling switch-hitting that interrupted Stanionis’ rhythm. By the end, Ennis had his man bleeding from the nose before his corner withdrew him following a vicious sixth-round body assault. A masterpiece.  

Lima is tough, of that there is no question. A southpaw pressure fighter who keeps coming, he is a test for anyone. But I don’t believe the Angola-born boxer can pose questions Ennis will not answer. ‘Boots’ in rounds 4-6 at 11/4.

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