Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis put the Super Welterweight division on notice with a destructive first round TKO of Uisma Lima at the Xfinity Arena in Philadelphia tonight. A right uppercut started Lima’s downfall. It buckled him and froze him for a follow-up flurry which dropped him. A follow-up barrage sent Lima down again. Beating the count, Lima wound up against the ropes taking more punishment, prompting referee Shawn Clark to save a wilting Lima from further punishment. The time time was 1:58 of the opening frame. Ennis moves to 36-0, 32 KOs. He also picks up the Interim WBA super welterweight title. Lima Falls to 14-2, 29 KOs.
For his part, Ennis said he wants everybody who has a belt at 154, but he stressed , “You know who’s next,” referring to fellow interim (WBC) champ Vergil Ortiz.
In the co-main event, hot and cold heavyweight Guido Vianello stunned previously undefeated Alexis Barrière with a fifth round KO. After back-and-forth first three rounds, Vianello caught Barrière with an onslaught of punches sending him down in round four. Vianello didn’t let his man off the hook in round five, a right hand dropping Barrière for the full count, with referee Ricky Gonzalez reaching the toll at 0:26 of round five. Vianello picks up a big win, the WBC Continental Americas title and improves to 14-3-1, 12 KOs. Barrière loses for the first time at 12-1, 10 KOs.
Philadelphia welterweight Tahmir Smalls dropped Puerto Rico’s Jose Roman hard in the third round. The 6’2″ Roman managed to survive the round and actually claw his way back into the fight over the next few rounds.
It was nip and tuck for the remainder of the fight with the judges, finally seeing it: 98-91, 96-93 and 95-94, all for Tahmir Smalls, who snags the WBA Continental Americas title and remains undefeated at 16-0, 11 KOs. The unlucky Roman falls to 14-2, 6 KOs.
The opening fight of the DAZN broadcast pitted undefeated super bantamweights Sean Diaz and Dennis Thompson against each other in a scheduled six-rounder. The much shorter Diaz showboated but was outworked by Thompson. The scores were all over the place 57-56 Diaz, 57-56 Thompson and 60-53 for the winter by split decision, Thompson, who moves to 8-0, 5 KOs. Diaz loses his first at 9-1, 2 KOs.
The opening fight of the night on the “Before The Bell” segment, saw a bit of an upset in Naheem Parker taking the “O” from Justin Palmieri. It was a clean sweep as Parker won 60-54 across the board, to move to 6-3, 2 KOs. Palmieri falls to 5-1, 3 KOs.
Harley Mederos dropped former prospect Hylon Williams, Jr. thrice in the first round of their lightweight clash. Williams, Jr’s. corner didn’t let their man come out for the second round, lifting Mederos to 9-0, 8 KOs and dropping Williams, Jr. to 16-7, 3 KOs.
Fighting for the first time on U.S. soil, U.K. native Giorgio Visioli pitched a clear shutout over Staten Islander James Wilkins, 80-72, to move to 9-0, 6 KOs. Wilkins falls to 13-4, 6 KOs.
Newark, NJ super featherweight Zaquin Moses won every round against Antonio Dunstun El, Jr., 60-54, to move to 5-0, 3 KOs. Dunstun El, Jr. falls to 6-5-2, 2KOs.
