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UNCASVILLE, Connecticut – Sergey Lipinets isn’t so sure Jaron Ennis realizes what type of pressure Lipinets plans to put on him Saturday night.
Ennis expects to encounter a tough but limited opponent when they meet in a “Showtime Championship Boxing” main event at Mohegan Sun Arena. Lipinets promises to test Ennis unlike any of the 26 opponents the Philadelphia native has beaten in almost five years as a professional prizefighter.
“We will see,” Lipinets said. “I bring all kind of pressure. He said I was flat-footed and tailor-made for him. OK, but like I said, we’ll see. It’ll be difficult for him to catch all my punches coming from different angles. If one of them catches him, we’ll see how he’s gonna handle that. I’m not in the ring to handle his.”
Kazakhstan’s Lipinets (16-1-1, 12 KOs) and Canada’s Custio Clayton (18-0-1, 12 KOs) fought to a 12-round majority draw in Lipinets’ last bout. Despite Lipinets’ setback in that October 24 bout at Mohegan Sun Arena, the former IBF junior welterweight champion is the most accomplished, dangerous opponent of Ennis’ career.
The 23-year-old Ennis (26-0, 24 KOs, 1 NC) respects Lipinets and appreciates that he is the first established welterweight willing to fight him. The highly touted contender still sees the former IBF junior welterweight champion as a very exploitable opponent.
He made the comments to which Lipinets referred during a virtual press conference recently.
“Training camp is going well,” Ennis said. “We’re preparing well, just ready to rock and roll, ready to shine and take over this division. It’s my time. And with this fight, this is the fight that’s gonna take me to the next level and bring out the skills and my ability, and stuff that y’all never seen before.
“And y’all will see an amazing, strong, sharp fighter, a punishing performance and, you know, getting that knockout at the end of the night. And I know Sergey Lipinets, he gonna come forward and be right there in front of me. And his style, that’s perfect for me. His style clashes perfect with mine and he’s gonna run into shots all night long.”
Handicappers have installed Ennis as at least an 8-1 favorite versus Lipinets.
Showtime’s co-feature Saturday night, also a 12-round welterweight bout, will feature Lithuania’s Eimantas Stanionis (12-0, 9 KOs) and Puerto Rico’s Thomas Dulorme (25-4-1, 16 KOs) in a WBA elimination match. This tripleheader is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. ET with the Philippines’ Jerwin Ancajas (32-1-2, 22 KOs) and his mandatory challenger, Mexico’s Jonathan Rodriguez (22-1, 16 KOs), in a 12-round, 115-pound championship fight for Ancajas’ IBF junior bantamweight title.
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing