BoxRec

Vergil Ortiz Jnr, rejected by Jaron Ennis, aiming for Jermell Charlo next

Vergil Ortiz Jnr is back in training, eyeing his next fight, and effectively picking up where he left off.

With his promoter and manager declaring Philadelphia’s unified 154lbs champion Jaron “Boots” Ennis 36-0 (32KOs) is disinterested in fighting Ortiz 24-0 (22KOs) next, the targeted foe has shifted to former undisputed 154lbs champion Jermell Charlo for a mid-November bout in Texas or Las Vegas.

“Massive name, skilled fighter still and ‘Boots’ said no … [WBC 154lbs champion Sebastian] Fundora promoter Sampson [Lewkowicz] dodged Ortiz as a mandatory and then told the world he will never let Fundora fight Vergil (smart guy). [Errol] Spence retired, Tim Tszyu moved up, [Keith] Thurman done and if Ortiz goes up, 154 becomes a wasteland and 160 the [fire] division,” Ortiz manager Rick Mirigian told Boxing Scene Monday in dissecting why Charlo 35-2-1 (19KOs) currently stands as the most viable opponent.

Charlo told Boxing Scene by direct message that Monday’s widespread reports that he’s bound to fight Ortiz are “not true at all. I talked to [Premier Boxing Champions head] Al [Haymon] myself and I’m [fighting] Tim [Tszyu] next, working on location.”

Although Charlo hasn’t fought since his September 2023 unanimous-decision loss to Canelo Alvarez, Mirigian ticked off the factors as to why others have withdrawn from talks for an Ortiz bout.

Given how formidable Ortiz is, it will certainly require a lucrative purse offering from Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions to get Charlo back in the ring, but the interest in making Ortiz-Charlo is said to be sincere.

The ultimate plan, Boxing Scene has learned, is for Premier Boxing Champions to stage a WBA middleweight title defense by its champion Erislandy Lara of Cuba versus Tszyu, with the Lara-Tszyu winner meeting the Ortiz-Charlo winner on a DAZN pay-per-view fight, two officials said Monday.

Mirigian detailed Ortiz’s path toward Charlo:

“We tried to get these guys, in order:

“‘Boots:’ No, for five weeks now.

“Fundora: No, and never will as per Sampson L. in a public statement.

“[Former 154lbs champion] Tim Tszyu: Told no for now, medical and other plans pending.”

“[WBA middleweight champion Erislandy] Lara: Told no for now, has another fight pending.”

“[Recent/former unified 154lbs champion Xander Zayas: For sure a no.”

“Spence: retired.”

“[Recent 154lbs title challenger Keith] Thurman: Looked too bad and retired basically.”

“Charlo: Might be only one possible for a solid fight.”

IBF 154lbs champion Josh Kelly seems destined for a three-belt unification with Ennis since both fighters are promoted by Eddie Hearn.

“Simple: ‘Boots’ did not want [an Ortiz fight now],” Mirigian told BS. “Nothing was needed but a ‘yes.’ No money issues, nothing. We waited five weeks! He won't make one-third [against Kelly] of what he could have against Ortiz, let alone define his legacy. But after [Ennis getting rocked and wobbled during the] third round against Xander, we all know why!”

Ennis previously attended Ortiz’s most recent fight, a second-round stoppage of veteran former 154lbs title challenger Erickson Lubin in November in Texas, and the pair faced off and jawed at one another as Hearn touted this as the best fight that could be made between two Americans.

However, the negotiations for the bout exposed a split between Mirigian, Ortiz and promoters Oscar De La Hoya and Eric Gomez, triggering opposing lawsuits and threatened mediation that delayed a reunion until July.

Ortiz returned to the gym three weeks ago.

Charlo did not immediately return a message left him by BS Monday, but Ortiz trainer Garcia expressed enthusiasm for a bout that would match two Texans.

“Nice fight,” Garcia said.

Ortiz explores middleweight fights with Lara, Adames and more

Vergil Ortiz Jr.’s pursuit of a big fight could lead him to the middleweight division.

The Ring’s Mike Coppinger confirmed during the newest episode of “Inside The Ring,” which debuted Monday on DAZN, that Ortiz will likely move up to middleweight for his next fight sometime in November. Among the names the WBC interim 154-pound champion is eyeing for his 160-pound debut are WBA champ Erislandy Lara, WBC titleholder Carlos Adames, former undisputed junior middleweight champ Jermell Charlo and ex-WBO junior middleweight belt-holder Tim Tszyu.

Ortiz’s manager, Rick Mirigian, previously told The Ring’s Manouk Akopyan that Ortiz could move up to 160 for his return fight in November, though they were still keeping their options open at 154. Ortiz, of Grand Prairie, Texas, is The Ring’s No. 2-ranked junior middleweight.

Ortiz (24-0, 22 KOs) last fought November 8, when he scored a second-round stoppage of Erickson Lubin (27-3, 19 KOs). That dominant victory was expected to set the stage for a long-stalled showdown with Jaron “Boots” Ennis, but Ortiz sued his promoter, Golden Boy Promotions, for breach of contract on January 16 in a Nevada court.

Ortiz, 28, then sought to fight Ennis, 29, without Golden Boy’s involvement in April, but Golden Boy Promotions was granted a temporary restraining order on February 13 to block the fight.

Ortiz and Golden Boy Promotions have since smoothed things over and reached an amicable settlement on July 17 to avoid arbitration and any pending litigation. Ennis (36-0, 32 KOs, 1 NC), The Ring’s No. 1 contender for a vacant junior middleweight title, moved on and beat Xander Zayas by seventh-round stoppage to become the WBA and WBO 154-pound champion on June 27 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

The Philadelphia native is expected to face IBF titleholder Josh Kelly (19-1-1, 9 KOs), ranked No. 6 by The Ring, next in a unification bout in late 2026.

Any of Ortiz’s preferred fights at 160 pounds would be significant and represent the biggest fight of his career. Adames (25-1-1, 18 KOs) is The Ring’s No. 1 contender for a title that is also unclaimed, and Lara (32-3-3, 19 KOs) is No. 4.
Charlo (35-2-1, 19 KOs) hasn’t fought since September 2023, when he lost a one-sided unanimous decision to then-undisputed super middleweight champ Canelo Alvarez. Tszyu (28-3, 18 KOs) is coming off a one-sided, unanimous points victory over Errol Spence Jr. on July 26 in Sydney, Australia.

Ortiz and Tszyu were scheduled to fight in August 2024, but the Australian wasn’t medically cleared to train in time due to a career-altering cut he suffered early in his 12-round, split-decision defeat to Sebastian Fundora in March of that year.

Why is he moving up again? But IMO all 3 fights are not that bad at all

I thought Jermell Charlo had denied the Vergil Ortiz Jr. fight rumours, and was instead looking to Al Haymon/PBC to orchestrate a bout against Tim Tszyu?

Either way, I think people are overlooking just how much of a gamble it would be to back Charlo against either Tszyu or Ortiz at this stage of his career.

Jermell hasn't fought within the last three years and has only won one fight within the last five years. We witnessed him being dropped and losing an extremely one-sided bout during his most recent outing.

He’s 36 years of age, with his long period of inactivity coinciding with his personal issues, such as his divorce and being charged with misdemeanor assault.

That's why I'd favour both Tim Tszyu and Vergil Ortiz Jr. to beat the current version of Charlo if Jermell returned immediately against that level of opposition.

History generally isn't kind to fighters trying to rediscover elite-level timing, reactions and conditioning in their mid-thirties after years of inactivity. Against younger, active, high-level opponents such as Tszyu or Ortiz, I'd regard the inactivity and age as substantial disadvantages rather than assume that the Jermell Charlo of 2022 will simply reappear.

For the same reasons most of us expected Spence Jr. to lose his most recent outing, the same applies with Jermell Charlo.

I'd want to see Charlo successfully complete a comeback fight against a journeyman before backing him against Tszyu or Ortiz.

A fighter in his mid-thirties who is past his prime, inactive, coming off a one-sided loss, and lacking the motivation to stay in the gym and regularly compete, shouldn’t be facing the likes of Tszyu or Ortiz in their first comeback bout.

Eolaithe wrote: ↑18 Aug 2026, 08:03 I thought Jermell Charlo had denied the Vergil Ortiz Jr. fight rumours, and was instead looking to Al Haymon/PBC to orchestrate a bout against Tim Tszyu?

Either way, I think people are overlooking just how much of a gamble it would be to back Charlo against either Tszyu or Ortiz at this stage of his career.

Jermell hasn't fought within the last three years and has only won one fight within the last five years. We witnessed him being dropped and losing an extremely one-sided bout during his most recent outing.

He’s 36 years of age, with his long period of inactivity coinciding with his personal issues, such as his divorce and being charged with misdemeanor assault.

That's why I'd favour both Tim Tszyu and Vergil Ortiz Jr. to beat the current version of Charlo if Jermell returned immediately against that level of opposition.

History generally isn't kind to fighters trying to rediscover elite-level timing, reactions and conditioning in their mid-thirties after years of inactivity. Against younger, active, high-level opponents such as Tszyu or Ortiz, I'd regard the inactivity and age as substantial disadvantages rather than assume that the Jermell Charlo of 2022 will simply reappear.

For the same reasons most of us expected Spence Jr. to lose his most recent outing, the same applies with Jermell Charlo.

I'd want to see Charlo successfully complete a comeback fight against a journeyman before backing him against Tszyu or Ortiz.

A fighter in his mid-thirties who is past his prime, inactive, coming off a one-sided loss, and lacking the motivation to stay in the gym and regularly compete, shouldn’t be facing the likes of Tszyu or Ortiz in their first comeback bout.

I completely agree with your assessment. I think current incarnation of Charlo should take a knock-the-rust-off fight to get a half-dozen or so rounds in before taking on the likes of Tszyu or Ortiz at MW. Without it, I believe he's in for a long, rough night against either of them.

Come this September Jermell Charlo hasn't fought in 3 years.

Do it in Atlanta
Sell the Mexican style to the brothers in their back yard.
Moves the Ennis fight closer.
Decent undercard would be nice.