Ennis Takes On IBO World Champion Lima In Jr. Middleweight Debut

It goes almost without saying nowadays that unless a fighter is a natural Heavyweight, most fighters that make it to the world championship level and achieve that goal, tend to set their sights on multiple weight classes in search of more world championship gold as well as and perhaps more specifically, bigger paydays. In the case of Jaron Ennis, an undefeated World Welterweight champion, who seemed poised to take over the 147lb. Welterweight division in the era immediately following the exit of Terence Crawford, the division’s last undisputed world champion, he has made the decision to move up in weight rather than trying to complete the unification process at Welterweight after successfully unifying the IBF and WBA world titles with a sixth round stoppage of previously unbeaten WBA world champion Eimantas Stanionis in April of this year. Despite the potential to add his name next to Crawford and other notable legends like Sugar Ray Leonard and Donald Curry as fighters who went on to claim status as an undisputed world champion during their time atop the Welterweight division, Ennis has instead opted to move up in weight to the 154lb. Jr. Middleweight division where he will face current International Boxing Organization (IBO) Jr. Middleweight world champion Uisma Lima on Saturday, October 11th in Ennis' hometown of Philadelphia, PA at the Wells Fargo Center in a scheduled twelve round bout that can be seen worldwide on digital sports subscription streaming network DAZN. Lima, who holds the distinction as the first fighter from Angola to ever hold a world championship, will enter this fight with a record of 14-1, with 10 Knockouts.

Despite holding a world championship that he won in December of last year and has successfully defended it once since then, Lima is largely unknown and basically comes into this encounter with Ennis as a world champion that is under the radar. Lima has scored knockouts of over 70% of his opposition, so the question that looms over this fight will be how Lima, a boxer/puncher will perform against the significantly more experienced and higher profile Ennis, who will come into this bout unbeaten with a record of 34-0, with 30 Knockouts having knocked out 88% of his previous opponents entering this fight.

What is also unknown as this fight approaches is whether the IBO world championship in the Jr. Middleweight division, which Lima currently holds, will be on the line or if this will be a non-title bout scheduled for the world championship distance of twelve rounds. The IBO, which was founded in the late 1980’s and incorporated in the early 1990’s, and is based here in the United States, has struggled for consistent recognition, particularly in this country as a world sanctioning organization, the fifth major world sanctioning organization in the sport. It is an organization, however, that in addition to having many notable fighters and Hall of Famers, male and female hold its world championship in various weight divisions throughout the entire sport, is held in higher regard internationally, which in addition to its computerized-based approach to rankings, can on occasion create a scenario like this where a world champion, who is well-traveled as Lima has been in competing in multiple countries throughout his career, but a fighter who will be competing in the United States for the first time, is regarded as an unknown entity. This observer has been unable to confirm as is this writing as to whether or not the world title Lima holds will indeed be on the line in this bout.

While some who particularly take a more cynical view of sanctioning organizations and choose not to view them as the legitimate entities that they for better or worse are, no matter what happens in this fight, it will have no impact on the IBO’s standing. If, Lima can produce a solid performance, however, it will provide further evidence that just because a fighter may not be what is sometimes referred to as a “Household Name" does not mean they should be taken lightly both by their opponent who might be more well known and by fans, even though in an era increasingly dominated by worldwide streaming, it is becoming harder for fighters to be completely under the radar.

As for what type of fight one can expect when Ennis and Lima square off? Like Jaron Ennis, Uisma Lima is a come forward pressure fighter. What will make this potentially interesting is Lima is a southpaw that is tall, rangy, knows how to control distance well, and often comes forward throwing punches with both hands. The question here might be whether Lima’s physical advantages and offensive approach will be enough against a fighter in Ennis that while he might be moving up in weight, has shown the ability to end a fight with either hand in often brutal fashion. If the power he displayed as a Welterweight is able to carry with him as he moves up in weight, Ennis will be no less dangerous and any opponent will have to approach with caution. We will see what Uisma Lima can do on Saturday, October 11th.

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

Update: Shortly after completion of this column, it was able to be confirmed that the IBO Jr. Middleweight world championship currently held by Uisma Lima will not be at stake, but the bout is being billed as a final elimination bout in the World Boxing Association’s (WBA) Jr. Middleweight ratings where the winner will be given Interim/Regular champion status in the WBA rankings. As of this writing, win or lose Lima will still be IBO world champion.

Ennis vs. Lima takes place on Saturday, October 11th at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA. The fight as well as its full undercard can be seen on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN beginning at 5:15 PM ET/2:15 PM with Before The Bell, which will feature preliminary bouts followed by the main card that will begin at 8PM ET/5PM PT. 

(*North American Times Only.*)

(*Card and Start Times Subject to Change*)

For more information about DAZN including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, Smart TVs, Availability around the world, local start times in your area, and to subscribe please visit: www.DAZN.com. 

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Spence-Crawford: Boxing's Latest SuperFight For Welterweight Supremacy

Boxing's 147lb. Welterweight division has historically been one of the sport's most glamorous divisions full of historic battles featuring some of its biggest stars. Sometimes the term "SuperFight," which this observer only uses when he feels it is truly warranted and not as a mere term for the sole purpose of hype, not only features the top stars in the sport, but also has the rare distinction of bringing resolution to a division such as determining an undisputed world champion. Such a fight will take place on Saturday, July 29th as the two undefeated world champions of the division Errol Spence and Terence Crawford will finally meet to determine the first Undisputed Welterweight champion of the world since 1985 and the first since the inception of the World Boxing Organization (WBO) in 1989. A fight that can be seen on Showtime Pay-Per-View here in the United States

Quite frankly, one could write a column discussing why it has taken thirty-eight years for the Welterweight division to reach this milestone. For historical reference, in December 1985 Donald Curry scored a brutal second round knockout of Milton McCrory to unify the crowns of the World Boxing Council (WBC), World Boxing Association (WBA), and International Boxing Federation (IBF). While the title remained undisputed for a time, by 1988, the championship was broken up due largely to the politics that be in the sport, but despite numerous unification bouts having taken place over the last thirty-eight years where portions of the World Welterweight championship were at stake, things could not seem to make it to the finish line to determine an undisputed champion.

Although this observer could spend all day and night talking about the ills of the politics that be in the sport that all too often stand in the way of such progress, it is truly a rarity when two undefeated world champions take a gamble like this for all the marbles. Despite the efforts of some to prevent a fight between Spence and Crawford from happening for whatever interests there may have been, this is an even more rare circumstance where the fight was largely made by the fighters themselves rather than gamesmanship between rival promoters and/or TV and digital streaming networks.

In terms of how the fight might shape up once the fighters are in the ring at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV, it is truly an interesting fight between two fighters that seem evenly matched. Both can box and both have the capability to end a fight suddenly with punching power should the opportunity arise. What this encounter might come down to may center on the subject of activity.

The activity in terms of recent time in competition between the two fighters. In that aspect, it is Crawford who holds the edge. Despite being the longest reigning world champion in the Welterweight division, Errol Spence has fought only once in the last three years. While this could be attributed to both injuries he suffered in a horrific car accident in 2019 as well as a retina injury, which caused him to pull out of a scheduled title defense against Manny Pacquiao in August 2021, it may also be attributable to the current state of the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) group of promoters, which Spence has fought under for the majority of his career, in that many fighters who have fought under the PBC banner have struggled to get fights on a consistent basis.

Whether it is the injuries he suffered, the state of the PBC, or a combination of all three, Spence is at a disadvantage when it comes to activity as Crawford has averaged one fight per year in the last three years. While not a significant difference in activity, it is important to keep in mind that both due to the politics that be in the sport as well as the economics of it that it is not uncommon for world champions and other fighters on the top level of the sport to average between one and two fights per year depending on what the circumstances might be at a given time. 

It would not surprise this observer however, to see Crawford attempt to apply pressure on Spence from the outset. While both fighters have the capability to end a fight quickly should the opportunity arise and as Crawford demonstrated in his last defense of his WBO crown with a one punch knockout of European Welterweight champion David Avanesyan last December, Crawford has also shown the ability to gradually break opponents down with consistent pressure as well as the ability to swarm his opponents with offense. When he has been able to be active on a consistent basis, Errol Spence has many of the same attributes as Crawford, but the element that Spence has not faced both due to his inactivity as well as against his most recent opponents, has been a fighter that is going to apply the type of pressure that Crawford likely will in this fight.

It will therefore be interesting to see how Spence will respond to being in a fight where he might not be able to dictate the ebb and flow of it and will be under circumstances where he will have to adapt for the first time in a significant period of his career. At least on paper, the comparison between the two fighters seems to tip in favor of Crawford going into this fight when the recent histories of the two as well as the element of Spence having not faced a fighter that will implement the type of pressure that Crawford will attempt are factored into the equation.

Nevertheless, when two undefeated world champions enter the ring with an undisputed world championship on the line there is always the element of suspense because even the most knowledgeable fan, or the most respected members of media who cover the sport, like yours truly, are not quite sure what will happen. Boxing history is filled with so many memorable classic encounters not just in regard to the Welterweight division, but in the entire sport that were thought of as fights that elevated Boxing up to a higher level, whether that level be in terms of prestige or one of exposure that opened the sport up to new eyes that have not previously seen the sport before. While it remains to be seen what this fight will do in regard to exposure with yet another expensive pay-per-view price tag of $84.99 attached, one can only hope that at the very least, this fight will be free from any controversy in the ring and free from any headaches for consumers that have been all too often seeking refunds after events like this due to glitches of the pay-per-view broadcast both on traditional pay-TV as well as streaming providers. It is my hope, despite all the ills in the sport including, but not limited to the pay-per-view model, that at least for one evening the sport of Boxing will get a boost from a marquee event that frankly is long overdue.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

Spence vs. Crawford takes place on Saturday, July 29th at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. The fight and a three fight undercard can be seen here in the United States on Showtime Pay-Per-View beginning at 8PM ET/5PM PT and will be available through the Showtime app on mobile, tablet, and connected streaming devices/Smart TVs as well as the PPV.com app and traditional cable/satellite providers for $84.99. To order through Showtime to access the event through the Showtime app please visit: www.Sho.com/PPV. Or visit www.PPV.com or contact your cable/satellite provider for ordering information. 

(*Card and Start time subject to change*)

(*Check your local listings internationally.*)

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