By: Sean Crose
I’m typically requested why I favor boxing to combined martial arts. I at all times reply with the maybe obscure assertion that boxing is cleaner. And by clear I don’t imply morally clear. Certainly the forces behind, say, UFC are maybe much less shady than the forces behind skilled boxing. What I imply by cleaner is sharper. Blended martial arts may be explosive, and the fighters have extra weapons to work with, equivalent to kicks and takedowns, however what makes me favor boxing can finest be understood watching Jaron “Boots” Ennis in motion. That is notably true in relation to Ennis’ extraordinary efficiency in opposition to Eimantas Stanionis this previous week in Atlantic Metropolis.
Stanionis, who held the the WBA welterweight title was no joke. He was a excessive stress, undefeated world champion. There was stable cause to imagine beforehand that the assured Lithuanian simply may pull off the upset. It clearly wasn’t meant to be. Why? As a result of IBF champion Ennis was that significantly better. There have been instances throughout Saturday’s throwdown the place it appeared like the 2 males shouldn’t be sharing the identical ring, so huge was the distinction in expertise and skill. Stanionis was and is an excellent fighter – but it surely’s time to confess Ennis could be a fantastic one.
Saturday’s combat wasn’t a brawl, but it surely was thrilling and showcased the type of efficiency one simply received’t see in an octagon. For Ennis was capable of keep distance, keep away from getting hit and ship clear pictures of his personal. Stanionis had his moments, however they by no means amounted to something. And, in the long run, Stanionis’ nook determined to cease the combat for the sake of their battered fighter’s well being. It was a sensible and safety-minded choice. It was additionally a real star marking efficiency from Philadelphia’s Ennis, among the finest the game has supplied to followers this 12 months.
Ennis isn’t the type of fighter who one might think about efficiently making the swap from boxing to combined martial arts, because the legendary Holly Holm did. The person performs finest beneath the demanding guidelines of boxing, the place fists and footwork do the heavy lifting. The one factor the person has in frequent together with his combined martial arts counterparts is a capability to finish fights early. Ennis is way from a slick defensive minded fighter. Reasonably, he’s’ one who employs a mixture of fluidity and energy. It’s a powerful factor to see…and a pointy showcase of how hovering the game of boxing may be.
