Ennis stops Lima in 1st, wins interim 154 title, eyes Ortiz

Jaron "Boots" Ennis made a statement in his super welterweight debut on Saturday in Philadelphia, stopping Uisma Lima in the first round to claim the WBA interim junior middleweight title and immediately call for the division's biggest fights. Ennis floored Lima twice inside two minutes before the referee halted the bout, extending his unbeaten record to 35-0 with 31 knockouts.

Ennis dominated from the opening bell, switching stances and landing a right uppercut that dropped Lima before following up with a flurry that produced a second knockdown and the stoppage. After the fight he declared, "154 is my division," and proceeded to name several of the sport's top junior middleweights as targets, including Vergil Ortiz Jr., Jermell Charlo and the division's titleholders.

Promoter Eddie Hearn echoed Ennis's ambitions at the postfight news conference and said Ennis has signed his side of a potential deal to face Ortiz, adding, "If everybody's true to their word, you will see Boots against Ortiz in early 2026." Ortiz, who holds the WBC interim title, is scheduled to face Erickson Lubin on November 8; a win for Ortiz would clear the way for discussions about a clash with Ennis,...