PHILADELPHIA — Jaron "Boots" Ennis had been crucifying himself the past few years.

His team says the former Ring, IBF and WBA welterweight champion had been fighting at about 80-percent of his capabilities. Eddie Hearn, Matchroom president and Ennis’ promoter put it even lower, to around 60- or 70-percent.

No matter what the percentage was, making 147 pounds simply became too taxing on Ennis’ body.

No one around Ennis felt like they were getting the real thing since 2023. Moving up to 154 pounds had to be made, and Saturday night saw Ennis make his junior middleweight debut against tough Uisma Lima before the packed, newly-branded Xfinity Mobile Arena, home of the 76ers and Flyers, in Ennis’ Philadelphia hometown.

A 30-to-1 favorite, Ennis, 28, did what he was supposed to do, dispensing the come-forward 32-year-old Lima, stopping him at 1:58 of the first round in the scheduled 12-rounder for the WBA interim junior middleweight title.

Fans barely sat in their seats when it was waved over by referee Shawn Clark.

“I knew what I had to do,” Ennis said. “I already knew [how strong] I was, it was that time to go [at 147]. I stayed behind the jab, and I touched to the body. I think he was trying to be smart, because he didn’t want to get caught early. I felt way better, felt phenomenal, rejuvenated, excited to train. I sent a big message.”

Ennis’ performance was music to the ears of Hearn, who had already made the fight many want see early next year, a showdown between Ennis (35-0, 31 KOs, 1 NC) and WBC interim champion Vergil Ortiz Jr. (23-0, 21 KOs) sometime in the first quarter of next year, either in Las Vegas or Texas.

“This is the version of Boots we have all wanted to see the last few years,” Hearn said post-fight. “Boots was still depleting himself to make 154, but this is a truer version of who he is. He was so depleted at 147—and still winning, and winning big. I actually think 160 will be his best weight. But this was a good start at 154, and Lima was the right opponent.

“Boots is the future of boxing. Boots is massive. Even making 154 was a struggle, but not as much of a struggle as making 154.”

Ennis had been making the 147-pound weight limit for 12 years. Ortiz will not come to Philadelphia according to Hearn, who said he had already spoke to Golden Boy and had a deal made, with Ennis’ name on the contract.

Now, Ortiz has to do his part to make it happen by winning his WBC interim junior middleweight title defense against Erickson Lubin on Nov. 8.

After that, Ennis-Ortiz is the fight boxing fans want to see Ennis in, according to Hearn.

“Boots had been killing himself to make 147,” Hearn said. “We’re finding out here how good Boots is at 154. Can you imagine how good Boots is closer to 100-percent? He was nowhere near 100-percent at 147. Boots is ready to take over for Terence Crawford.

"Ortiz is the best fight. (Golden Boy President) Eric Gomez, (Golden Boy owner) Oscar De La Hoya and I sat in a room and flushed out a deal with DAZN for Boots and Ortiz sometime in the first quarter of next year. It’s set. Boots just had to do what he did tonight. Vergil Ortiz will get destroyed by Jaron Ennis. This guy is going to destroy everybody.”

Before the Lima fight, Ennis admitted he took unusual steps during training camp in preparation for the title unification fight with Eimantas Stanionis, a sixth-round TKO victory in April that Ennis dominated from start to finish.

Although, there were signs Ennis was struggling to make 147, mixed with putting it in cruise control, like his 12-round decision in his rematch with Karen Chukhadzhian in November 2024 in Philadelphia. For one of the rare times in his career, Ennis received criticism for not looking as dominant as he had been, especially over someone he was expected to roll over.

He did follow that lackluster performance with possibly his best showing to date, his crushing six-round stoppage over the previously undefeated Stanionis.

And now this over Lima, who talked big and confident entering the fight, however had little to fend off Ennis, 153½. with Lima, 153, in constant retreat from the opening bell.

Ennis dropped Lima twice in the first round, jumping the heavy underdog under a deluge of punches. Lima (14-2, 10 KOs) did not know what to do. A crunching right to the chin dropped Lima the first time, brought on by a right uppercut which stunned him. An Ennis’ left-right-left-right combination dropped the 32-year-old a second time.

Lima had nothing left after that. Ennis wanted to make a statement.

He did. Let’s see if the message gets through the first quarter of 2026.