Oscar De La Hoya says he hopes promoter Eddie Hearn keeps his word to make the fight between Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis and Vergil Ortiz Jr. after 154 for Vergil’s WBC interim junior middleweight title.
Hearn had said he wanted to make it between Ennis (33-0, 29 KOs) and Ortiz (22-0, 21 KOs), but after the way Boots did in his rematch with his IBF welterweight mandatory Karen Chukhadzhian on November 9. he might have second thoughts.
Hearn went quietly
British promoter Hearn went silent on making the Ortiz Jr-Boots fight after Ennis’ poor showing against Chukhadzhian at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
“I agree with what Eddie Hearn said, and I hope he keeps his word that Vergil Ortiz vs. Jaron Ennis is next at 154 pounds,” said Oscar De La Hoya to Boxing King Media about his hope that Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn will make the fight between Boots Ennis and interim WBC junior middleweight champion Vergil Ortiz Jr.
Chukhadzhian school boots every step of the way, taking countless clean shots to the head at every turn. Ennis won via a knockdown in the fifth when Chukhadzhian took a knee to escape the pressure and a point deduction in round ten.
If Chukhadzhian had been a little busier, Ennis would have suffered his first loss. The damage was also done to Boots’ career. Karen officially exposed him, and Hearn had serious regrets about signing Ennis in the first place.
Ennis won the fight with scores of 119-107, 117-109 and 116-111. However, it was such an abysmal performance that it proved hopeless for Ennis to move up to 154 to take on the talented contenders and world champions in that division.
Hearn hasn’t said much lately about making the fight between Ennis and Vergil. The only thing you can think is that he is not confident that Ennis can win, and he wants to keep the protection under lock and key, well protected by Ortiz Jr.
Boots can’t afford a loss to Vergil Jr.
Look at it from Hearn’s likely point of view. If Vergil Ortiz beats Ennis, all the time, money and effort that Hearn has poured into turning him into a superstar will be wasted. Hearn would be left with Ennis battered, in need of expensive rebuilding work, and without the charisma or popularity to undertake this monumental task.
Hearn would be stuck with a useless fighter, Boots, who lacks charisma. He would have no choice but to eat the rest of his contract or release him if he had an escape clause.
