Welterweight rival Rashidi Ellis respects Roiman Villa, his opponent on pay-per-view card Gervonta Davis-Hector Luis Garcia on Saturday in Washington, DC
The Venezuelan took down 24 of his 26 opponents, proof of his extraordinary strength. A potential problem for the Villa? Ellis, an excellent boxer, liked the idea of an opponent going directly to him.
“Yes, that style is tailored for me,” he told Boxing Junkie.
Of course, Ellis (24-0, 15 KOs) proved he can handle any style during contention. The perfect record is proof of that.
At the same time, he said that fans haven’t seen him at his best yet. That’s one reason he’s excited to go up against an energetic — and capable — fighter like Villa (25-1, 24 KOs).
“He was a tough opponent,” Ellis said. “I hope he forces me out more so you can to watch more from me.
Ellis hasn’t had many opportunities to show what he can do in the past few years, due to issues with Golden Boy Promotions. He only fought twice between October 2018 and this past July, inactivity slowed his crawling.
Now with the Top Boxing Champion, he hopes to build momentum and win a major title.
One potential opponent he likes is the undefeated Jaron Ennis, a tough, talented monster few want to meet. Ellis said he’s willing to take the risk, a word that seems to paralyze many rising boxers.
“It’s kind of messing up the boxing game,” he said, referring to the aversion to risk. “A lot of people thought that so a lot of the big fights didn’t happen. I want to fight Ennis. We’re both flashy, we both love to talk in the ring. It will be a great fight to watch.”
First he must defeat Villa. Then he and his managers discuss what might happen next, whether it’s Ennis or someone else. He has no choice but to be patient, which he has learned to master in a sometimes frustrating career.
“It’s part of the game, part of life,” he said. “All I can do is keep winning.”
