Like many sports, boxing involves the combination of offense and defense. Although both elements are necessary for victory, they need not be equally distributed to win. Think about the times that a team or an individual has so much offensive firepower that the opposition just can't match them. And it works the other way too. Defensive masters can be so adept that they can neutralize whatever the opponent brings.
Jaron "Boots" Ennis is to the left of the offense/defense continuum in boxing. His offense is so advanced, so fluid and so spiteful that it more than covers up for his defensive shortcomings. To this point in his career, he is 32-0 with 29 KOs. But his dominance is even more comprehensive than that; he barely loses rounds. Contrast Ennis with Terence Crawford, a fighter to whom Ennis is frequently compared. Crawford has lost his fair share of rounds in fights. He doesn't mind giving an opponent a couple of early rounds while he figures out the openings. He's had to come up with knockouts in close fights.
Boots goes about his business differently. He attacks opponents from the opening bell. Featuring a much higher volume than Crawford and a willingness to
mix it up, Boots welcomes a firefight. He's not trying to defuse a conflagration. He wants the proceedings to get a little ragged and nasty. He
knows that few can compete with his blistering offensive arsenal.
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| Boots Ennis (left) in full flow Photo courtesy of Amanda Westcott/Matchroom Boxing |
But Boots gets hit in a way that is concerning. Whether it's Thomas Dulorme, Sergey Lipinets or now David Avanesyan, Boots has given his opponents the type of free shots that create a degree of peril in his performances. Make no mistake: it's not that he gets hit; everyone gets hit. It's how he gets hit.
Throughout portions of the fourth and fifth rounds in Saturday's fight, Boots was slugging it out with Avanesyan in close range, landing spectacular combinations and power shots. Yet after throwing, his hands were nowhere near his head, leaving himself unguarded for Avanesyan's return counters. And Avanesyan connected with some impressive straight rights and left hooks. Boots took them all and took them well. And it should be noted that Avanesyan is not some light-hitting foe. But it wasn't a stray shot or two for Avanesyan during the fight. He landed his best shots at an unprotected target.
To this point in his career, Boots has relied on his chin during firefights instead of defensive technique. He has already taken some big bombs in his career, but they haven't dissuaded him from continuing his
offensive onslaughts. However, I can't say it's the best long-term strategy.
But let's also offer up the possibility that Boots may happen to have a great beard. We've seen several fighters with immovable chins. Gennadiy Golovkin could take anyone's punches. Canelo can as well (not that he is in the business of giving away free shots). Maybe Boots will fit into this category.
Let's return to Crawford, who more closely resembles Ennis than do Golovkin or Canelo. Terence has had his own defensive issues in some of his fights. I wouldn't call him a defensive savant, especially when in the orthodox position, but it's worth pointing out that Crawford has yet to lose a fight. What I'm getting at here is that a potential weakness is not the same as a real weakness. So, I think it's important to note the obvious, that Boots' can be gotten to, but it's not necessarily a tragic flaw at this point...as long as he can take the shots.
However, let's also not lose the forest through the trees. The offensive display that
Boots put forward on Saturday was majestic. By the second round, he had already
dominated Avanesyan with his jab from the orthodox stance and violent right hooks
out of the southpaw stance. By the end of the second, Avanesyan's left
flank was already reddened by the hooks to the body. In addition, a significant knot arose on Avanesyan's face, more evidence of Boots' power punching success.
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| Boots with his belt after the victory Photo courtesy of Amanda Westcott/Matchroom Boxing |
So many fighters are programmed with their combinations. How about a left hook to the body and right hand to the head? How about the jab, straight right and the left hook? These sequences have been drilled into fighters since they were kids, and they throw them like they have mastered a particular test.
But Boots isn't playing that game. His combinations come from a sort of improvisatory genius that combines athletic mastery, sterling punch technique, creativity, supreme speed, and opportunism. I doubt that Boots knows what he's going to throw until the second he unleashes a combo. I don't think he says to himself "left hook, left hook." He sees an opening and then unfurls a combination that could incorporate any of his punches at a given time. He always has everything in his arsenal ready to go.
And
he's not burdened by orthodoxy. How about a double rear uppercut followed by a rear
hook? How about a rear uppercut followed by a looping back hand (this was
the combination that floored Avanesyan in the fifth)? How about a straight
right hand, a left uppercut to the head and a left hook to the body? A Boots opponent has
no idea what's coming and consequently can't get his defense
aligned to stop the oncoming foray.
Saturday's crowd in Philadelphia literally oohed and aahed multiple times a round during Boots' combinations. And Philadelphia boxing fans are not easily impressed. They have seen champions and talents of all stripes. Yet there Boots was putting together combinations of beauty and wonder. He had them eating out of the palm of his hand; they were enraptured.
The
fight was stopped after the fifth round as Avanesyan sustained damage to his
jaw and had gotten beaten up to the body. Ennis retained his welterweight title, but Avanesyan played his role well. After the fight, Boots admitted that he was a little rusty and wasn't pleased with all aspects of his
performance. Avanesyan gave Boots things to think about, to realize that his performance was insufficient, and there haven't been too many of Boots' opponents where that
has been the case.
The Boots train is now in full swing. Armed with a new promotional deal with Matchroom, a division at welterweight that sees few legitimate threats, and now a loyal home following that can generate real box office, Boots can continue to mow down willing opponents in front of a big home crowds for good money. He's in the sweet spot.
But the risks are there. And although I have mentioned a couple of outliers, the fighters who can remain at the elite level while giving away free shots are few. In the end, Boots' offense might be so good that my concerns may be moot. Or maybe not. But I know one thing: we'll all be watching to find out. The Boots Ennis Show is unmissable.
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