The Ring Pushes Ennis To #7 At 154 — Earned Or Eye-Test?

Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis has been added to the #7 spot in The Ring’s updated rankings for the 154-lb division following his first-round knockout win over contender Uisma Lima last Saturday.

Eye-Test Over Résumé

It’s a ranking created by eye-test, because Ennis (35-0, 31 KOs) didn’t beat anyone near good enough to be moved into the top #7 spot. He would have gotten moved up higher if he’d fought one of the top-level contenders. His promoter, Eddie Hearn, came up empty in trying to get a better fighter.

The Ring 154-lb updated rankings

1. Vergil Ortiz Jr.
2. Sebastian Bottom
3. Israil Madrimov
4. Bakhram Murtazaliev
5. Erickson Lubin
6. Xander Zayas
7. Jaron Ennis
8. Brandon Adams
9. Jesus Ramos
10. Abass Baraou

Madrimov’s Controversial #3 Spot

The list is decent. Some of the grumbling by fans on X is about the recently beaten former WBA junior middleweight champion, Israil Madrimov, being placed at the #3 spot. Madrimov (10-2-1, 7 KOs) has a 0-2 record in his last two fights, and hasn’t won a fight in a year and a half.

Madrimov has still fought better opposition than Ennis, and the fighters ranked below him in The Ring’s 154-lb rankings. He barely lost to Vergil Ortiz Jr. and Terence Crawford in his last two fights. He might have beaten Vergil if he wasn’t ill, and a lot of boxing fans believe he deserved a victory over Crawford. I had him winning, and I’ve got years of experience.

Ortiz Jr.’s Questionable #1 Ranking

Placing Vergil Ortiz Jr. at #1 doesn’t make sense at all, because he didn’t look good enough in his last two fights to be rated that high. His 12-round majority decision win over Serhii Bohachuk on August 10, 2024, was controversial, as he was dropped twice in the fight.

His 12-round unanimous decision win over Madrimov on February 22, earlier this year, was very close. The judges gave it to Ortiz Jr. with scores of 115-113, 115-113, and 117-111. Madrimov was coming off a bad case of acute bronchitis going into the fight with Vergil, and he had problems breathing during the fight.

Chris Williams has covered boxing since 2010, bringing fans reliable analysis and insight from ringside to headline events.