Jaron “Boots” Ennis vs. Vergil Ortiz - 2026?

[gilgamesh]

Am I the only one who considers Boots way overrated?

If he is, he'll get found out by Ortiz because Ortiz is no joke.

[gregregegg]

This is one of the better fights in boxing… I wish/hope they can organise craw vs the winner. (Hopfuly ahead of time because that would boost the profile of this fight).

[golden_labrador]

This is one of the better fights in boxing… I wish/hope they can organise craw vs the winner. (Hopfuly ahead of time because that would boost the profile of this fight).

if i had the money I'd fly out to watch Crawford-Ortiz (if it were in the US)

old school Madison Square Garden

[keithmoonhangover]

Am I the only one who considers Boots way overrated?

If he is, he'll get found out by Ortiz because Ortiz is no joke.

I think I overrate him because I've been buying into all the verbal hype from Eddie.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Am I the only one who considers Boots way overrated?

If he is, he'll get found out by Ortiz because Ortiz is no joke.

I think I overrate him because I've been buying into all the verbal hype from Eddie.

Yh that does tend to happen with Eddie

[JxhDel.]

Going with Boots, the countering skills are tailor-made for Vergil.

[Ruthless-RKO]

I think this fight only happens with the backing of Turki.

Although both are on DAZN, ain’t no way they can make this fight without Turki. Will be Riyadh Season or Ring Magazine card.

[Ruthless-RKO]

OSCAR DE LA HOYA: WE’LL DISCUSS ORTIZ-ENNIS FIGHT, AS LONG AS TERMS ARE FAVORABLE TO US

The negotiations began ever so subtly Saturday night in the immediate aftermath of Vergil Ortiz’s scintillating second-round knockout of Erickson Lubin.

Oscar De La Hoya, Ortiz’s promoter, proudly touted his undefeated knockout artist following an impressive demolition of one of boxing’s best junior middleweights at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. “The Golden Boy” spoke at times as if it is a foregone conclusion that Ortiz (24-0, 22 KOs) and Jaron “Boots” Ennis (35-0, 31 KOs, 1 NC) will finally fight next in one of boxing’s most anticipated matchups.

DAZN executives would prefer it if Ennis and Ortiz meet in a pay-per-view main event tentatively slated for February 28 in Las Vegas. Ennis, 28, and Ortiz, 27, did their part to unofficially start the promotion by talking trash as they stood face to face in the ring.

De La Hoya eventually slipped in the word “if,” however, and emphasized that Ennis-Ortiz will occur only if the terms of their agreement favor Ortiz. The retired six-division champion claimed Ortiz’s status as “the man” and “the champion” justifies the approach he apparently plans to take in talks with Eddie Hearn, whose Matchroom Boxing promotes Ennis.

“The one thing about the Boots Ennis fight, yeah, we’ll discuss it – absolutely,” De La Hoya stated during the post-fight press conference. “And I will get the best terms, as long as they’re favorable to us, because [Ortiz] is the man. They are chasing him. Vergil Ortiz is the champion, is the guy who everybody wants to beat. And he has a target on his back. So, it’s my job to get him the best deal possible.

“So, this fight will happen, yeah, in ‘The Mecca of Boxing,’ Las Vegas, if we come to terms. And it’ll be the biggest fight in recent history. So, yeah, are we looking forward to that? Absolutely. Is Vergil looking forward to it? He just wants to fight the best, that’s it.”

Ortiz owns the WBC interim junior middleweight title, whereas Ennis holds the WBA interim 154-pound title. Neither fighter is considered a legitimate champion.

The Ring ranks Ortiz first in its top 10, though, six spots atop Ennis, who entered at No. 7 following his first-round knockout of overmatched Uisma Lima (14-2, 10 KOs) on October 11 in Ennis’ hometown of Philadelphia. Ortiz also took out a more formidable, proven opponent in the fifth-ranked Lubin (27-3, 19 KOs).

Hearn, of course, can counter with the fact that Ennis held The Ring, IBF and WBA welterweight titles before he determined late in the spring that he couldn’t safely make the 147-pound limit anymore.

Before he set the tone for what figure to be tense negotiations, De La Hoya half-jokingly wondered whether Ennis will still want to oppose Ortiz after watching the Grand Prairie, Texas native beat Lubin so quickly.

“I’m actually skeptical now,” De La Hoya said. “I’m actually skeptical because – and I told Eddie and Boots, ‘Do not come and watch Vergil live, because you’re gonna be afraid of what you see.’ So, we’ll see. I mean, I’m gonna sit down with Eddie Hearn and we obviously have the upper hand because [Ortiz is] the better man, and see if we can come to terms, which I’m sure we will. But I told these guys, ‘Don’t be there live, because this guy’s a monster and you’re gonna be afraid and you’re probably gonna wanna take another tuneup fight.’

“But hopefully that’s not the case. Hopefully, Eddie Hearn calls us, Boots’ promoter, and we can come to favorable terms for Vergil and get him what he wants, and we will make the super fight happen. That’s the bottom line. I like promoting huge fights. I love promoting great fighters. And, you know, I think this is a fight that the whole world would wanna watch.”

[skanksta]

I am a believer in Boots, but he IS quite easy to hit for an elite fighter and he hasn't really beaten anyone yet.

I think he's overrated if you listen to Fast Eddie's rating- he already has him up as a PPV elite star level with Bud, Monster, Usyk etc.
and he almost certainly isn't that.

[Ruthless-RKO]

[Sendo Takeshi]

Am I the only one who considers Boots way overrated?

He is very skilled and talented, but didn't do sh*t with it for 36 fights straight and being 28 years old.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Vergil Ortiz’s Manager Proposes Bout Vs. Spence, Ennis-Charlo Doubleheader Next

Vergil Ortiz reiterated Saturday night that he wants, at long last, to fight Jaron “Boots” Ennis next.

The WBC interim super welterweight champion clarified, though, that he is willing to take other marketable, meaningful fights if their promoters can’t come to an agreement for them to meet early in 2026. Ortiz mentioned the most accomplished opponent of all, Terence Crawford, as an alternative to Ennis, whom DAZN executives expect Ortiz to face February 28 in Las Vegas.

The Grand Prairie, Texas, native and his manager, Rick Mirigian, also identified the former welterweight champion Crawford dominated as a potential opponent once Ortiz knocked out Erickson Lubin in the second round at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.

“I’m here to fight the best,” Ortiz said during his post-fight press conference. “I don’t care who it is. It can be Boots next, it can be [Errol] Spence next, it could be Crawford next if he’s still willing to do it, because, you know, that’s a fight that I’ve been calling for for a while. I think that’s a great fight to make happen still. And we’re just gonna keep doing what I do best, you know, and that’s just be me.”

Crawford (42-0, 31 KOs), No. 1 on The Ring’s pound-for-pound list, made it clear after he beat Canelo Alvarez to become undisputed 168-pound champion September 13 in Las Vegas that he won’t return to the junior middleweight limit of 154.

Ortiz (24-0, 22 KOs) holds the WBC interim 154-pound crown and is The Ring’s No. 1 contender for a vacant junior middleweight title. The 27-year-old Ortiz didn’t say whether he would move up in weight to challenge Crawford.

Mirigian, meanwhile, suggested through his Instagram account Sunday that Ortiz could oppose Spence next in an all-Texas clash at the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium in Arlington. Ortiz had hoped to face Spence, of DeSoto, Texas, at that enormous venue before Crawford dropped Spence three times and won their welterweight title unification bout by ninth-round technical knockout in July 2023 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Spence (28-1, 22 KOs), a former IBF/WBA/WBC 147-pound champ, hasn’t fought since Crawford defeated him.

“I think Ortiz [versus] Spence at Cowboy Stadium (biggest all Texas matchup in history),” Mirigian wrote, “and [Jermell] Charlo vs. Boots as co-main event and the winners fight each other just might be [fire emoji]. (Makes sense, Charlo and Boots both turned Ortiz down).”

Mirigian added that he’d need the “blessings” of Ortiz’s promoter, Oscar De La Hoya, and Golden Boy Promotions president Eric Gomez before they could pivot toward Spence. DAZN executives, who fund most of Golden Boy’s business through their exclusive streaming partnership, have told De La Hoya and Gomez that they want Ortiz to face Ennis next.

Charlo, a former undisputed junior middleweight champ, hasn’t fought in more than two years, either. Houston’s Charlo (35-2-1, 19 KOs) lost a lopsided unanimous decision to Alvarez in September 2023 at T-Mobile Arena, where they fought for The Ring, IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO 168-pound titles Mexico’s Alvarez lost to Crawford.

Charlo and Spence sat ringside Saturday night to watch Ortiz beat Lubin (27-3, 19 KOs), The Ring’s fifth-rated 154-pound contender. Footage of Ennis and Charlo talking and eventually shaking hands circulated on social media Saturday night.

“I was going at it with Charlo,” Ennis told The Ring. “I told Charlo stay by his phone, just in case.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

neither team wants the fight.

They're already talking about other options.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Vergil Ortiz Jnr-Jaron Ennis: So close, and perhaps so far away

Vergil Ortiz Jnr took care of his business, and then his sport began slowly traipsing back to business as usual.

Following days of hyping Ortiz’s WBC interim junior-middleweight title defense against respected veteran contender Erickson Lubin as the final step before a showdown with fellow unbeaten Jaron “Boots” Ennis, those in Ortiz’s camp made clear another step remains.

Negotiation.

In a reminder of what boxing was like before Saudi Arabia’s Turki Alalshikh made posturing like this go away by writing big checks, Ortiz’s promoters and trainer emphasized that they’re not absolutely beholden to Ennis 35-0 (31KOs), the recent unified welterweight champion from Philadelphia who went out of his way to venture to Dickies Arena for a ringside seat to Ortiz’s bullish second-round knockout of Lubin.

“This can be a great negotiation,” Ortiz’s promoter Oscar De La Hoya told BS after the bout. “When I say it has to be favorable to Vergil, that’s the obvious case. Look at what he did. Look at who he is. Vergil Ortiz is the man. Having this fight in Las Vegas [possibly for Cinco de Mayo weekend] would be huge, but Vergil Ortiz has to be the favorite here.”

With Alalshikh aligning to fund the new Zuffa Boxing venture headed by UFC chief executive and president Dana White, promoters like De La Hoya are more cognizant that they need to stage their own major domestic shows for self-reliant purposes. Doing so makes risk and the bottom line strong considerations again.

“As long as the negotiations are favorable, we’ll make the fight happen,” De La Hoya sought to assure. “Everyone wants to see the fight, so the money’s not going to be an issue because there will be enough money in the pot.”

While Ortiz, 24-0 (22KOs), can potentially attract the sport’s mighty Latino fan base and has distinguished himself with the destructive effort against Lubin that follows his hearty triumphs over recent WBA 154lbs champion Israil Madrimov and contender Serhii Bohachuk, Ennis can counter that he’s the one who has stood as a world champion.

What if Ennis’ promoter Eddie Hearn argues his guy is “the man?”

“Oh, he better not,” De La Hoya said. “There’s no question I have the man. These negotiations will go back and forth, but at the end of the day, Vergil Ortiz is the man.”

The fighters argued their credentials and more in the middle of the ring after Ortiz rushed Lubin and landed a crushing barrage powered by a brutal right-hook to the chin that left Lubin knocked out as the referee waved the bout over halfway through the second round while Ortiz’s trainer Robert Garcia set a stool down for the still-out Lubin to rest and recover.

“We're ready for the best,” Ortiz, 27, said after answering questions about his knockout. “We want to fight the best. ‘Boots’, come out here. I think this is the fight that has to happen, man. This is it.”

Ennis, 28, agreed.

“It's the best fight in boxing,” he said.

“He did a great job. He looked good, but I'm gonna show the world why I'm the best in the world, and I'm gonna show his team. They've been talking all crazy… Your manager [Rick Mirigian] talking all crazy. Oscar talking crazy. It's the time. I'm gonna make you pay for everything they said… I'm gonna back it up, and I'm gonna show the world why I'm the best in the world.”

Not a classic trash talker, Ortiz said his practice doing so while playing video games served him well during his in-ring verbal exchanges with Ennis.

“Ain’t nobody gonna pay over here,” he said.

Ennis then offered to bet purse money as a way to sweeten the pot.

“I don't bet, but don't make any promises you can't keep, bro.,” Ortiz replied

“I'm gonna make every promise, and I'm gonna keep it straight like that,” said Ennis. “You're a great fighter. You looked tremendous, but I'm gonna show the world I'm the best in the world. I got something for you.

“You got a ‘Yes’ for me?” asked Ortiz.

“I got a ‘Yes’ right now,” Ennis said, looking for Hearn. “Eddie, where the papers at? Where the papers at?”

While it’s well known DAZN wants its fighters Ortiz and Ennis to meet next, Golden Boy Promotions’ Eric Gomez told BS: “DAZN doesn’t decide who we fight. We do.”

And following this devastating show of force against Florida’s Lubin, 30 years old and who had previously only lost to former undisputed champion Jermell Charlo and reigning WBC champion Sebastian Fundora, Golden Boy was intent to declare its fighter’s prominence.

Charlo attended the fight along with Ennis and another potential future foe who can be used as leverage in the talks with Ennis – former three-belt welterweight champion and fellow Texan Errol Spence Jnr.

Even Ortiz, who has maintained he’s here to “fight the best”, hedged on who exactly trails him in the current landscape of 154lbs, recognising that perhaps only Spence is capable of creating a bout that could be taken to Ortiz’s dream venue – the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium.

De La Hoya said flatly: “If we don’t get favorable negotiations, we can always go to Errol Spence or Fundora.”

Garcia agreed that the wealth of options before Ortiz are astounding.

“We’re mandatory for Fundora … Spence was here, Charlo was here, ‘Boots’ was here,” the trainer said. “Vergil became the fighter to challenge.” Garcia also added the name of the WBO champion Xander Zayas, who called for a fight with Ortiz earlier in the year. “We could do five, six fights, and this is the perfect moment for Vergil to become a pay-per-view star,” he said.

“He’s the one everyone wants to challenge because we’re the biggest fight for him. We’ve got options. If it’s ‘Boots’, beautiful, but so is Spence, Charlo, Fundora, Zayas. That makes that Mexican-American a superstar.”

Ortiz said that the traditional boxing weekend of Cinco de Mayo is “the perfect date to take over… I’m more than ready to rise to the occasion”.

Who would be in the opposite corner, however, has moved from looking like a certainty to a topic of negotiation.

Garcia was asked if fans were subjected to a bait-and-switch by withdrawing a bit from the primary focus of Ennis.

“Well, if it’s Ennis or not… there’s like five out there who are huge in the division – we’ve got options,” he responded. “We’re not chasing one. It looks like everyone’s chasing us. We’re the name – the one.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

Eddie Hearn: Jaron Ennis has 'options' beyond Vergil Ortiz Jnr

Eddie Hearn is ready to consider alternative opponents for Jaron “Boots” Ennis if the sought-after contest with Vergil Ortiz Jnr proves too problematic to make.

Ennis and his promoter were present at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas to watch Ortiz Jnr impressively record his finest victory by stopping Erickson Lubin in two rounds – and post-fight both Ennis and Ortiz Jnr spoke of their desire to be matched.

If it was tempting to conclude that the 30-year-old Lubin represented the ideal preparation for a future fight with Ennis, despite the reality that both Hearn’s Matchroom and Golden Boy Promotions – the promoters of Ortiz Jnr – have broadcast agreements with DAZN, it was also tempting to listen to Golden Boy’s Oscar De La Hoya and question how likely one of the most appealing fights of all is to be made.

De La Hoya and his colleague Eric Gomez spoke like they believe that they are the ones in the position of power, and Ortiz Jnr’s trainer Robert Garcia spoke of “options” like Jermell Charlo, the WBO junior-middleweight champion Xander Zayas, the WBC champion Sebastian Fundora, and Errol Spence.



Hearn, who is on course to oversee the IBF title fight between Bakhram Murtazaliev and Josh Kelly on January 31, similarly considers Zayas, Fundora, and Charlo as potential opponents for the 28-year-old Ennis.

He also described a fight in March or April as “realistic” for the 36th of Ennis’ career, and revealed that he would consider Ennis’ fellow Philadelphian Danny Garcia another appealing opponent should Garcia choose to fight again.

“The main thing is we want to fight Vergil Ortiz,” Hearn told BS. “We’ve agreed to that fight in principle – we all sat in a room; yada yada; Jaron signed for that fight – but he also wants to win those championship belts, which Vergil doesn’t have.

“Whether that’s Murtazaliev; whether that’s [the WBA champion Abass] Baraou; whether that’s Xander Zayas; whether that’s Fundora, we don’t care. The other name that I am interested in, because I think commercially it’s a big fight, is Charlo. But a lot of these guys – sometimes they just price themselves out of the fight. [Keith] Thurman’s another example.

“They all talk a great game – Charlo included – but then you go, ‘Yeah, Charlo – we’re up for that’. ‘I want $5m.’ ‘fornicate off, mate.’

“If you really want to fight, we can get these fights made. If you don’t, and you just pluck a number from thin air, don’t worry about it – we got other options. But we’re really happy with where ‘Boots’ is, and the next fight with him will be key.”

Asked about Garcia – at 37 a decade older than Ortiz Jnr – who stopped Daniel Gonzalez in October in a fight promoted as the last of his career, Hearn responded: “Those guys are not friends, but they’re both from Philly – it’s a big fight.

“As I understand it it was Danny Garcia’s last fight, but he looked pretty good – he’s got a great left hook, hasn’t he? It would be a massive fight for Philly.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

‘We got options’: Robert Garcia talks about what’s next for Vergil Ortiz

Vergil Ortiz scored a big knockout win over Erickson Lubin on Saturday night.




Here’s some excerpts of what Garcia had to say below.

Garcia on if he sees an Ortiz vs Boots fight getting finalized
“Look, it could get done at any time. We’re ready for anybody but we got a lot of options. Fundora is our mandatory so we would love to take that one, too. Spence was here, too. Charlo was here, too. You know, Boots is here, too, he wants it, so any of those big fights could happen. We’re ready for any of them.”

On if he saw the Lubin fight playing out the way it did
“I was thinking eight or nine rounds, because I did expect for a knockout but I thought eight or nine rounds. But he found that opportunity and took advantage of it.

“I don’t know if you guys noticed but I came in with a stool like I always do if I see somebody in danger. I came in with a stool and I hold him and I sat him down and he was still out when I came in. The ref did a great job, he noticed that. But, yeah, when I came in he was still hurt so I put him — obviously sat him down — and then his team came in and I walked away. But that was the first thing to do and he was still very hurt.”

On what fight he wants to see Ortiz in next
“Look, there’s so many. Honestly, our mandatory is the WBC, Fundora, but he’s got other plans with his fight against Thurman in January or February so that might take a little bit longer. So we might have to take something else before that. Spence was here, Charlo was here, Boots was here — there’s a lot of big fights for Vergil.

“I think we could do five, six fights that are going to be huge. I think this is the perfect moment for Vergil, Mexican American, to become the PPV star, the one everybody wants to challenge because it’s the biggest fight for them. I think we got options. If it’s Boots, beautiful, ‘cause that’s a huge fight. But so is Spence, so is Charlo, so is Fundora, so is Xander Zayas. They’re all huge fights and that makes Mexican American become a superstar.”

On the hype building towards a Boots fight for it now to seem like it’s not necessarily a given
“Well, if it’s Ennis or not, like I said, I already mentioned like five names out there that are huge in the division. So we got options, we’re not chasing one. It looks like everybody is chasing us now. We’re the name, we’re the one everybody wants to fight. Charlo, we kind of crossed in the hallway, and Charlo started challenging us, too. So Charlo’s also available. There’s a lot of fights out there, and the names are big enough for Vergil to become the next PPV star.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

Jaron Ennis: Time Is Now For Vergil Ortiz. Everybody Wants To See It

Jaron Ennis didn’t fly to Dallas on Saturday so that he could discuss opponents other than Vergil Ortiz.

Now that Ortiz knocked out Erickson Lubin, Ennis sees no reason why he and Ortiz shouldn’t fight next, sometime early in 2026. Ennis has been criticized for fighting someone other than Ortiz in his junior middleweight debut last month, but the former Ring, IBF and WBA welterweight champ hopes Ortiz and his handlers are as serious as he is about making one of the most fascinating fights in boxing.

Ennis expressed how badly he wants to oppose Ortiz next when they stood face to face in the ring following Ortiz’s very impressive victory over Lubin at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. The Philadelphia native repeated his position during an interview with The Ring before he left the venue.

“It’s no more talking,” Ennis said. “Hopefully, they sign them papers and make this fight happen, cuz I feel like this is the biggest fight in boxing. And like I said, I’m about to show the world why I’m the best in the world.”

The timing seems perfect for Ortiz, 27, and Ennis, 28, to give fans a fight they’ve wanted to see since they were up-and-coming welterweights.

Ortiz (24-0, 22 KOs) is The Ring’s No. 1 junior middleweight contender for an unclaimed championship. Ennis (35-0, 31 KOs, 1 NC) is ranked seventh, but he held The Ring, IBF and WBA 147-pound crowns before he decided he couldn’t continue squeezing down to the welterweight limit.

DAZN executives have set aside February 28 as the tentative date for their pay-per-view main event, which would likely be held in Las Vegas.

Ortiz nonetheless mentioned Terence Crawford and Errol Spence Jr. as alternatives to facing Ennis next during his post-fight press conference.

Oscar De La Hoya, Ortiz’s promoter, also stated that terms of a deal must favor Ortiz because he is “the champion.” Ennis (WBA) and Ortiz (WBC) both own interim super welterweight titles, but Ennis-Ortiz is one of boxing’s most intriguing matchups even if it’s a non-title fight.

Rick Mirigian, Ortiz’s manager, suggested Sunday on Instagram that Ortiz should box the long-inactive Spence and Ennis should battle another former champ who hasn’t fought in two-plus years, Jermell Charlo, as part of a doubleheader at the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Spence (28-1, 22 KOs) and Charlo (35-2-1, 19 KOs) both sat ringside for Ortiz’s win against Lubin.

Ennis isn’t interested in anyone other than Ortiz next.

“The time is now,” Ennis said. “We're both in our primes. Everybody wanna see it. I’m about to shut all the haters up, cuz that’s what they been doing. And it’s time to have fun, man. I’m about to take over this division, straight like that.”

Ortiz is a draw in the Dallas area, as is Spence, which is why Mirigian suggested it. Ennis is a draw in his hometown as well, but he understands that their fight would be held elsewhere.

“This fight probably will take place in like Vegas or MSG,” Ennis said in reference to Madison Square Garden in New York. “You know, I feel like MSG would be crazy. You know, that’s a staple. Or Vegas, you know, T-Mobile Arena. You know, it don’t matter where this joint at, for real, for real. I just want them to sign that paper and make this fight happen. You know, I’m ready. Like I said, I’m ready to shut everybody up.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

Eddie Hearn questions Oscar De La Hoya's motives regarding Ortiz-Ennis negotiations

Public posturing has already commenced between rival promoters Oscar De La Hoya and Eddie Hearn in regard to staging a fight between Vergil Ortiz and Jaron Ennis.

Seconds after Ortiz (24-0, 22 KOs) knocked out Erickson Lubin inside of two rounds on Saturday, “Boots” Ennis (35-0, 31 KOs) stepped inside the squared circle at the Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, and faced off with Ortiz to begin building up a potential bout.

It’s evidently clear that the junior middleweight contenders, as well as Golden Boy Promotions and Matchroom Boxing, want to make the fight. Now, the million dollar question becomes how the millions will be distributed among the involved parties for a deal to get done.

“This can be a great negotiation,” De La Hoya told reporters on Saturday. “When I say this has to be favorable to Vergil, that's the obvious case. Look at what he did. Look at what he is. Vergil is the man. Having the fight in Las Vegas is going to be huge. Vergil has to be the favorite here when it comes to negotiations. As long as they are favorable, we'll make the fight happen. There's no problem. Money is not going to be an issue because there will be enough money in the pot.

“[Hearn] better not [say Ennis is the guy]. There is no question that I have the man. There is no question that Vergil Ortiz is the man. I feel that these negotiations will be negotiations, just like any other fight. We'll go back and forth, but at the end of the day, Vergil is the man ... Vergil is in such a great place right now. If we don't get favorable negotiations, we can always go to Errol Spence Jr. or we can go to Sebastian Fundora. So there are a lot of options for Vergil.”

By Monday, Hearn caught wind of De La Hoya’s comments and offered a rebuttal.

“I don't care who's on what side,” Hearn told reporters. “I don't see how Ortiz is the A side. What makes you the A side? [Ortiz] has never won a world title. Boots has been a [welterweight] world champion and unified the division. I just think they are two great fighters. A side, B side, Z side ... make the fight. Once you start hearing things like that, like the terms have to be right, and we want $10 million. It's like, 'Woah, guys. Do you actually want this fight or not?'”

Ortiz's manager Rick Mirigian wrote on social media for Matchroom not to “send [anything] our way unless it has seven zeroes on it or it won’t even get looked at.”

“The terms have already been agreed in a room,” Hearn said. “If we have to negotiate, we negotiate. But let's not mess the fight up because we are pretending one guy has more than the other. Neither of them have a belt. They are just two of the top guys in the division. For me, we're No. 1, but I'm not standing here going, 'We're the A-side.' I don't care, because all that means is that you don't want the fight. If you truly want the fight, let's get to the table and continue the conversations. Let's give fight fans and DAZN, for me, the best fight in American boxing.”

Mirigian also proposed for Ortiz to next take on Spence, and Ennis to face Jermell Charlo in a doubleheader, with the winners meeting after that. Ortiz stated that his preference was a “dream fight” against Spence at AT&T Stadium in Texas.

Hearn said he’s not worried that Ortiz can pursue all-Texas showdowns against Spence or Charlo, both of whom were also ringside to watch Ortiz’s showstopping performance.

“Spence and Charlo, those guys just want so much money [and they don't fight],” said Hearn. “Style, skills, prime, [Ennis vs. Ortiz] is such a great fight. I don't want to clap back at [De La Hoya’s] comments. Oscar is a great promoter and wants to make great fights. If you truly believe your man will win, let's just make it happen. Both guys are going to go on and have fantastic careers, but this is the kind of fight we need to see in their primes. That's why we are talking now.”

De La Hoya previously declared that Ennis would duck Ortiz after he witnessed a vicious beating of Lubin in person. Instead, Hearn and Ennis are doubling down on trying to make the matchup that first loomed as a possibility last year, a reality once and for all in 2026.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Ennis, Ortiz terms agreed, fight still not certain - Hearn

Jaron "Boots" Ennis and Vergil Ortiz have already agreed terms for a fight, Eddie Hearn said, but the promoter is still hesitant to say the fight will definitely happen.

Ennis (35-0, 31 KOs) and Ortiz (24-0, 22 KOs) have long been primed for a clash and faced off in the ring following Ortiz's emphatic Round 2 win over Erickson Lubin in Texas on Saturday, both seemingly intent on fighting each other next.

Both Hearn's Matchroom Boxing and Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy promotions have deals with DAZN, meaning broadcast negotiations -- which are often an obstacle to a deal being done -- should not be an issue.

Hearn, who represents Ennis, said nothing was certain despite terms being agreed prior to Ortiz's win over Lubin.

"We sat in a room; DAZN senior management, Oscar De La Hoya, [Golden Boy president] Eric Gomez, and agreed the terms for that fight," Hearn told ESPN.

"Boots signed for those terms, so if those terms have to change, we would discuss that. But they haven't been that forthcoming. They did say that if they win on Saturday, which they did, they would try and get the fight made."

Asked what would prevent a deal, Hearn said: "Delusion. People not really wanting the fight. I mean you've seen them come out [saying]: 'We are the A side.' Who cares who's the A side or B side? Vergil's never won a world title. [Ennis] has won a world title, unified.

"Vergil's a great fighter. Boots is a great fighter. You can easily make up reasons not to make a fight."

In October Ennis defeated Uisma Lima with a pair of knockdowns to earn a first-round stoppage in his 154-pound debut and is now the interim WBA junior middleweight champion.

After Ortiz's win, De La Hoya declared his fighter was the A side.

"I'm going to sit down with Eddie Hearn. We obviously have the upper hand because he's [Ortiz] the better man and see if we can come to terms which I'm sure we will," De La Hoya said.

"Hopefully Eddie Hearn calls us an we can come to favourable terms for Vergil and get him what he wants."

In response to those comments, Hearn said: "I mean don't like a lot of the comments I'm hearing already, but I do know that DAZN will put a lot of pressure on everybody to make that fight.

"We went to Dallas because we wanted to show we are 100% in for that fight."


Jaron Ennis (L) and Vergil Ortiz Jr. (R) both welcomed the fight on Saturday

[joshj909]

It's the sort of fight they could rinse for at least 2 fights and maybe even 3-4 fights across their careers if they are competitive. Get it over the line as there's not much else out there for them to do and other fights aren't going to boost their profile that much.

[MPW]

It's the sort of fight they could rinse for at least 2 fights and maybe even 3-4 fights across their careers if they are competitive. Get it over the line as there's not much else out there for them to do and other fights aren't going to boost their profile that much.

Agreed. Let's get the first one taken care of, and then, depending upon the competitiveness of that bout, maybe a rematch or even a trilogy. But without the first one ...

[joshj909]

It's the sort of fight they could rinse for at least 2 fights and maybe even 3-4 fights across their careers if they are competitive. Get it over the line as there's not much else out there for them to do and other fights aren't going to boost their profile that much.

Agreed. Let's get the first one taken care of, and then, depending upon the competitiveness of that bout, maybe a rematch or even a trilogy. But without the first one ...

Yep. Even the loser will become a bigger name if they put up a good showing and it's a decent enough fight. Only other "names" they could fight are Crawford, Charlo and Eubank. All are probably a bit big or not interested in them at the moment.

[Ruthless-RKO]

VERGIL ORTIZ WOULD PREFER 'DREAM FIGHT' WITH ERROL SPENCE OVER JARON ENNIS

There's only one fighter fans want to see Vergil Ortiz in the ring with next.

But despite facing off with said fighter, Jaron “Boots” Ennis, immediately after wiping the floor with Erickson Lubin last Saturday night, Ortiz (24-0, 22 KOs) admitted that there’s someone else on his mind.

“If I had to pick, it would be [Errol] Spence,” Ortiz said to several reporters. “That’s my dream fight, at AT&T Cowboys Stadium. That’s my dream fight. I don’t care what anyone says about it.”

It’s been a while since Spence has been in the mix. The former unified welterweight champion has been sequestered on the sidelines since suffering a ninth-round stoppage defeat to Terence Crawford in July 2023. The 35-year-old has hinted at making a return in the past, but for now, he’s out of the limelight.

Spence (28-1, 22 KOs) was spotted in the crowd watching Ortiz's clash with Lubin at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. It was a quick night for everyone involved as Ortiz needed just two rounds to defend his WBC interim junior middleweight title.

Spence, by all accounts, will at least be considered as Rick Mirigian, Ortiz’s manager, admitted that a matchup with Spence next makes all the sense in the world. Still, Ennis remains the candidate DAZN executives will push for.

The smooth switch-hitter out of Philadelphia looked supreme in his victory over Uisma Lima in his junior middleweight debut on October 11. Much like Ortiz, Ennis (35-0, 31 KOs, 1 NC) barely broke a sweat, winning in the first round.

Ennis and his promoter, Eddie Hearn, have repeatedly called Ortiz out. It will take a few months for The Ring’s No. 1-ranked 154-pounder to get a clearer picture of his future.

Ultimately, though, whether it’s Spence, Ennis, or someone else entirely, Ortiz is up for the challenge.

“Anyone can get it,” Ortiz continued. “I just want to fight the best, I’m just a competitive guy.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

‘Bozy’ doubts Vergil Ortiz is next for 'Boots' Ennis: ‘They don’t want the fight’

Trainer Derrick “Bozy” Ennis is not sounding confident that his son will fight Vergil Ortiz next.

Ennis, father and trainer of Jaron “Boots” Ennis, is in London working with Jack Catterall for their first fight together, against Ekow Essuman on Saturday.

Catterall, who left long-time trainer Jamie Moore earlier in the year, went through much of his camp in Philadelphia, and “Boots” travelled to Fort Worth last weekend to watch Ortiz blast out Erickson Lubin last weekend.

“Bozy” Ennis, however, poured cold water on the possibility of one of boxing’s dream matches taking place next.

“The way it seems, they don’t wanna take the fight,” the Philadelphia coach told DAZN. “But we can move on. We want the fight. I think that’s a great fight for both of them. Vergil’s a great fighter, you can’t take nothing away from him. He’s got good people behind him. We’ll see.

“I think what happens [when they fight], if Vergil is as good as everyone says he is, you’ll see ‘Boots’ go to another level. They didn’t see nothing yet. They didn’t see none of that [what Boots can do] yet. He’s been working with heavyweights and light-heavyweights and he’s been stopping them.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

Promoter: Vergil Ortiz-Jaron Ennis talks could be finalized next week

Unbeaten interim WBC 154lbs champion Vergil Ortiz Jnr and recently unified welterweight champion Jaron “Boots” Ennis are in negotiations for an elite fight, and promoter Eric Gomez told the WBC Wednesday that a deal could be finalized by next week.

The revelation was stunning, coming hours after Texas’ Ortiz 24-0 (22KOs) and Ennis 35-0 (31KOs) exchanged social-media posts indicating that talks were quiet, with Ortiz later telling BS he was not surprised because he expects Ennis to dodge him.

Yet, Golden Boy Promotions President Eric Gomez, appearing before the WBC board at its Wednesday mandatories meeting informed that he’s in active talks with Ennis’ team, headed by Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn, and that he believes a deal could be struck by next week.

With the WBC’s full 154lbs champion Sebastian Fundora believed to be headed to a title defense in February versus former welterweight champion Keith Thurman, Gomez said Ortiz intends to fight the Fundora-Thurman winner after dealing with Philadelphia’s Ennis.