Having sparred Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez last year, Jaron Ennis has weighed in on what makes him one of the best fighters of his era.
Canelo and ‘Boots’ Ennis sparred back in August when the Mexican was preparing for a defence of his undisputed super-middleweight title against Terence Crawford, and ‘Boots’ was going through the gears ahead of his super-welterweight debut against Uisma Lima.
Those fights couldn’t have gone more differently for both men, with Canelo suffering a points defeat and Ennis securing a first-round knockout win.
Reflecting on their sessions, the Philadelphian told All The Smoke Fight of his fondness for the four-division champion.
“He [Canelo] was cool, he was regular, he is a funny dude, super funny, People don’t know but when he speaks English super fluent, he is super funny, that whole team is funny.”
In terms of his ability, Ennis went on to point out how valuable the rounds were for him, still viewing Canelo as an elite fighter due to his experience, intelligence and patience.
“My sparring sessions went great, I was in there being myself and having fun. I was picking his brain, he is like 70 fights in, so he knows different things and little tricks, so I’m picking his brain and seeing what is working, seeing what I can do. It was fun, I enjoyed myself.
“He was smart, he takes his time. He is like super patient, the same way as when he fights … Honestly, that might be his best [attribute].
Asked about Canelo’s power specifically, Ennis said:
“It was cool. No [not the hardest I’ve been in with.]”
Ennis will hope to become a two-division unified world champion when he challenges Xander Zayas for the WBA and WBO super-welterweight world titles on Saturday, June 27.
As for Canelo, he returns on September 12 in an immediate attempt to win back one of his old titles, the WBC belt now held by Christian Mbilli.
