Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis will not fight interim WBC junior middleweight champion Vergil Ortiz Jr. on the Riyadh season card of His Excellency Turki Alalshikh on February 22.
Ennis-Ortiz Fight Off
Dan Rafael reports that the deal fell through between Ennis (33-0, 29 KOs) and Ortiz (22-0, 21 KOs0 after they agreed. No word was given as to why the deal fell through.
It is not unexpected that the fight did not happen because the promoter Eddie Hearn had mentioned in interviews since Thursday that Ennis ascending could mean announcing his IBF welterweight title. He wanted to try to set up a unification fight against the other 147 lb. champions.
Was Ennis afraid?
Some fans believe Ennis trust is lacking to fight the young phenomenon Vergil Ortiz Jr., as he would be the underdog. Also, it would be a tough fight for Ennis to take in his first match at 154. He doesn’t have great defensive skills, and being hit repeatedly by a huge puncher like Vergil Jr. it would not be a good experience for him.
Ennis looked unhappy after winning a tougher-than-expected 12-round unanimous decision over Karen Chukhadzhian in their rematch on Nov. 9 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. He had been hit hard by Karen and outboxed during the fight. Ennis’ work rate and power saved him from losing, but he still looked bad.
In his last fight against Serhii Bohachuk, Vergil showed that he could do it all – punch, box, and move. His ability to adapt was impressive in that fight. Ennis probably lost to Vergil, derailing his promising career.
Fundora A possibility?
“The sides had agreed to the fight, which was supposed to be part of a mega-card that Turki Alalshikh of Saudi Arabia puts together for a Riyadh Season event on February 22. The fight was announced on Friday, leaving the organizers looking for a new opponent. Ortiz fight, (according to) several sources,” said Dan Rafael on his substack if you.
“The Saudis have reached out to the promoter of Sebastian Fundora’s WBC/WBO junior middleweight title, Sampson Lewkowicz, to gauge their interest in the bout.”
WBC and WBO junior middleweight champion Sebastian Fundora would be an excellent option for Vergil Jr. to fight on February 22 if an agreement can be quickly negotiated. There is enough time for Fundora to prepare for the fight, as long as he is not dealing with an injury or planning to fight someone.
If Ennis chooses to stay at 147, he could stay a champion for a long time because the division is weak, and he is considered the top dog down there. It would be great if Hearn can put Ennis in the fight to become undisputed champion by beating these three belts:
– Eimantas Stanionis: WBA
– Brian Norman Jr: WBO
– Mario Barrios: WBC
