Shawn Porter believes that Jaron “Boots” Ennis is on the verge of proving himself the finest welterweight since the era of Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.
The 26 year old, on Saturday at The Ballroom at Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall, fights Roiman Villa of Colombia in the knowledge that later this month the sought-after fight between Terence Crawford and Errol Spence will finally take place.
Ennis’ career is among those that have been held up as a consequence of the delays involved in Crawford and Spence agreeing to fight. He has, however, also long been recognised as most capable of posing the world’s two leading active welterweights a threat.
Porter retired in 2021 when he was stopped by Crawford having been narrowly outpointed by Spence two fights before then. He also won the IBF welterweight title when Mayweather and Pacquiao remained close to their peaks, and therefore competed not only during their era but alongside Crawford and Spence in the one Ennis first established himself in.
For all of his respect for two of his conquerors his observations mean he believes Ennis can surpass them both. Ennis is the strong favourite to stop his 30-year-old opponent on Saturday as his career regains momentum, and Porter told ProBox TV: “In another year he will be [the best at 147lbs]. In another year he will be.
“Like I really don’t feel like I see anything like Shakur [Stevenson at 135lbs], I really don’t think I’ve seen anything [at 147lbs] like ‘Boots’ Ennis. In another year.
“He’s that good. [He has] everything. Everything. He doesn’t have it right now in terms of his stardom, and things like that, but there was only one Michael Jackson. There was only one Michael Jordan. There was only one Prince. If anything, Prince and Michael Jackson were competing with one another, but [Ennis is] in a class of his own – like Roy [Jones Jr] was when he was at his best. No one could beat Roy at his best.”
Asked if that therefore made Ennis the best in his weight division since Mayweather and Pacquiao, Porter then responded: “Yes. And don’t get me wrong, Errol Spence and Terence both [are great fighters] but I don’t think they’re as talented.
“‘Boots’. I don’t know, man. It’s just different for Boots. Talent. Gift. Eager to fight, because he loves it.
“If you were to make a machine to be like the best fighter, you’d be making them like a replica of Boots Ennis. That’s how good he is, man.”
