Jaron 'Boots' Ennis knew his talent would always rise

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BROOKLYN, N.Y. — The moment was made for Jaron "Boots" Ennis. It was cultivated before anyone even knew who he was — back in "The Dungeon" years.

This dungeon had no specters lurking. It was where pain was processed, where doubts were checked at the entrance and where future champions were honed. Small, round pools of light pierced the darkness. Industrial lanterns illuminated the musty, thick air of the dungeon each time the power went out, and it went out often.

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In the basement of this Germantown Philadelphia church is where Derek "Bozy" Ennis built a makeshift gym for his sons: Derek, Farah, and the youngest, Jaron, nicknamed "Boots."

The problem with "Boots" is he always liked to fight. Blessed with agility, speed and ambidextrous power, he could sometimes eat punches he could have avoided.

A sense of tranquility always pervaded, because the Ennis family genuinely felt one of the three were destined to make it in the hardscrabble world of professional boxing. Derek nor Farah had the skill nor disciple of "Boots." And when "Boots" was rising, Team Boots was bogged down by lawsuits that tethered him to managers. His career was delayed because of it, but "Boots" knew, and his father knew, talent always rises.

It rose to the heights Team Ennis expected Saturday night at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, when "Boots" vanquished 23-year-old previously undefeated Xander Zayas for the unified WBA and WBO 154-pound world championship.

Jaron 'Boots' Ennis (L) slips a punch from Xander Zayas during their WBO and WBA title bout.Evan Bernstein via Getty Images

Ennis (36-0, 32 KOs) received a tsunami of boos from a partisan Puerto Rican crowd at the sold-out Barclays, but came out immediately attacking Zayas with a jab out of a righty stance, then strafed Zayas with a righty jab from a southpaw stance. He was relaxed, in control and dominant, knocking Zayas down for the first time in his career in the opening round with a straight left, after a barrage of shots. Zayas found himself in the ring with someone he never faced before.

Ennis had Zayas in trouble again in the second, landing almost every punch he threw. He said throughout the buildup for this fight that he wanted to be the "Face of Boxing."

He was Saturday night.

Zayas battled. But Ennis was too strong and his arsenal way too deep for Zayas to handle at this stage of his career. Ennis referred to Zayas as a "little boy"; well, that "little boy" suddenly became a man in the third, buckling Ennis' knees early in the round with a straight right. If Zayas did not have Ennis' respect before, he gained it fast.

Zayas put more heat on Ennis in the fourth, and made what looked like a blowout into a fight again. With just over a minute left in the fifth, Ennis knocked Zayas down a second time with a right to the jaw. Ennis admitted he got a little lazy.

"I was being lazy inside, that's me, I have to sharpen that up," Ennis said. "I'm just getting started. I would give myself a 'C.' I knew I was too strong and the faster guy. He wouldn't see my shots coming in. It was very important to have a performance like that. I'm fan friendly. This goes back to the dungeon."

By the fifth, Ennis was back in control.

With 1:17 left in the seventh, Ennis forced the courageous Zayas (23-1, 13 KOs) to take a knee with a right to the body, down for the third time when referee Harvey Dock waved it over at 1:49 of the seventh round.

Jaron 'Boots' Ennis knocks down Xander Zayas during their WBO and WBA title bout.Evan Bernstein via Getty Images

It was an earned victory — not handed to him.

For the first time as a pro, Ennis faced mild adversity and survived it. For the first time, he was pushed and hit flush. It brought out the best in him.

Why is "Boots" so good? It's an easy answer — he's a gym rat. He was born into boxing. To know "Boots," you have to know his father and trainer, Bozy. Bozy never refers to himself as "a trainer." He refers to himself as a teacher.

Growing up in the Germantown section of Philadelphia, Bozy built a reputation as a street slap fighter. No one wanted to test the tall, lean kid with the fast hands. He says he was so elusive, it was like trying to hit smoke. He carried great balance on his feet and in his life — never too high, never too low. It was the kind of gravitating balance that drew others to him.

He carries it today.

Derek 'Bozy' Ennis (R) with Matchroom Boxing Chairman Eddie Hearn.Mark Robinson via Getty Images

Walk down the rickety wooden steps of the Grant Avenue gym in Philadelphia, where Bozy works with his fighters, and you're dipped into a cacophony of thumping heavy bags, rhythmic speedbags, and the three-minute buzzer that ends each sparring session. Among the din are little kids running around everywhere with oversized boxing gloves, teenagers pounding the mitts, heavyweight title contenders trying to reclaim their careers, budding pros, established pros, and Bozy's prized pupil, "Boots," his youngest son.

Pooh was 16 and Farah was 14 when "Boots" was born. It was as if "Boots" had three fathers. Derek "Pooh" Ennis (24-5-1, 13 KOs) will be the first to admit he underachieved, and Farah (22-2, 12 KOs) went as far as the NABF super middleweight title.

"You want a word for 'Boots' growing up — spoiled, spoiled rotten," laughs Pooh, 43. "Anything 'Boots' wanted, he got, whether it was from me, my dad or Farah. When we were teenagers, we trained in dirt in that dungeon. 'Boots' get the shiny, new stuff by the time he was a teenager.

"My problem was, I didn't listen when I was younger or would look for ways to get out of running. None of us are where we are without my dad. He loves boxing, and I mean he truly lives and breathes boxing. He would rather raise a fighter than get him from another trainer. And my dad is hard. We were not a good mix.

"I hated to train; 'Boots' loves it. He lives boxing. He lives here [in the gym], like my dad. I was my own worst enemy. I relied on natural ability. I would lie and say I was going running, go out and sit in front of the train tracks. 'Boots' would try to race the train and try to beat it. I would come back and splash water on my face and say I did a few miles. My dad never found out. 'Boots' would never do that."

The 154-pound division is rife with talent. There is WBC super welterweight world champion Sebastian Fundora, IBF titlist Josh Kelly, and attractive contender Vergil Ortiz Jr.

The options are there for a nice, long run to clean out the division and attract more to the 154-pound class.

The first thing Ennis wanted to do after Saturday night was hit a McDonald's going back home to Philly. On Monday, he'll be back in the gym — the newly minted superstar in boxing, with a fan-friendly, action style and a work ethic and vision for even more ahead.

"I've learned to stay composed in every situation," he said. "This will take me to the next level. I want to be the face of boxing. This is starting for me, being a superstar."

He may be already.

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