Will ‘Boots’ Ennis dazzle in his super welterweight debut or will Lima shock Philly?

Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis can press liftoff to becoming a pound-for-pound star in boxing Saturday night when he clashes with Angolan fighter Uisma Lima at Xfinity Mobile Arena in his hometown of Philadelphia, and live on DAZN.

The bout marks the undefeated Ennis’ debut at 154 pounds with the WBA interim super welterweight title on the line.

This has already been a memorable year for Ennis (34-0, 30 knockouts) who became a unified welterweight crown holder in April by forcing Eimantas Stanionis’ corner to retire its fighter following the sixth round due to the Philly fighter’s overwhelming onslaught. Meanwhile, Lima (14-1, 10 KOs) is riding a four-fight win streak, having last disposed of Shervantaigh Koopman via ninth-round TKO in May.

Will ‘Boots’ dazzle with a statement win in his 154-pound debut to possibly line up a showdown with Vergil Ortiz Jr.? Or will Lima shock the boxing world with a major upset? With plenty at stake, DAZN News analyzes who has the edge across three key categories entering this bout.

Boxing styles

Able to switch stances seamlessly over the course of a fight, Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis also owns scintillating sweet science skills and a colorful punch palette, making his brand of clean, crisp boxing one of the best and most exciting in the sport today.

The fact that Ennis can throw any punch with speed, accuracy and power makes him a nightmarish load to deal with for any opponent.

There are times that ‘Boots’ has shown brief defensive lapses that have allowed him to get touched and that is something that Uisma Lima will try to build on and exploit Saturday night.

The Angolan fighter is a skilled southpaw who pressures forward and is comfortable letting his hands fly inside.

However, hunching his shoulders when throwing shots could leave him vulnerable to sharp counterpunches — something Ennis is adroit at.

In this clash of styles, Ennis has the advantage.

Edge: Ennis

Power

With 30 knockouts to his ledger, ‘Boots’ touts double the amount of KOs than Lima has actual fights.

That knockout power might only grow and get scarier at 154 pounds.

Lima has pop to his punch as well, counting 10 of his 14 wins by knockout, though he has never fought the quality of opponents that Ennis has crushed over his last few fights.

Edge: Ennis

Mental Warfare

With the world watching how his skills translates to 154 pounds, Ennis seems hell-bent on delivering fireworks in a statement to all of the super welterweight world champions that he is here to ravage through the division.

This mission-starting bout has Ennis brimming with confidence that he could muster a sensational stoppage … and “early” as boasted by ‘Boots’ during Thursday’s press conference.

While Lima is confident too, insisting that he’s every bit of an “elite” fighter as Ennis is, this bout marks the Angolan’s first fight in the United States. The fact that it is in Ennis’ hometown of Philly puts even more pressure on Lima to perform.

He will either rise to the occasion or become the latest addition to the growing highlight reel of ‘Boots.’

Either way, it is a heavy mental burden to carry into the biggest fight of his career.

Edge: Ennis

Who has the edge in ‘Boots’ Ennis vs Lima?

Making his debut at 154 pounds, fighting in his home city of Philly, and live on DAZN, Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis has the grand stage set to send shockwaves through the new division he intends to conquer.

The buildup has Ennis reminding Lima that there are levels to boxing and predicting a “spectacular knockout.”

Getting that done will activate ‘Boots’ as a pound-for-pound force. It is why DAZN News gives him the edge, 3-0, entering this fight.

Watch Jaron 'Boots' Ennis vs. Uisma Lima live on DAZN

Ennis vs. Lima is live on DAZN this Saturday night, October 11. Watch the fight and whole card with a DAZN subscription.

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