Ryan Garcia has predicted Vergil Ortiz will defeat Jaron “Boots” Ennis by stoppage in a potential super-welterweight clash. The forecast follows Ennis’s seventh-round victory over Xander Zayas, a win that unified the WBO and WBA titles at 154 pounds.
Ennis entered the Zayas fight as the clear favorite and delivered a world-class performance to solidify his position at the top of the division. Despite some success from Zayas, Ennis secured three knockdowns before the challenger’s corner stopped the contest. Now a two-belt champion, the 29-year-old from Philadelphia stands alongside fellow champions Sebastian Fundora and Josh Kelly as a leader in the weight class. Still, the most discussed future opponent is not another champion, but top contender Vergil Ortiz.
A fight between Ennis and Ortiz has been anticipated for years, with both fighters rising through the professional ranks on parallel paths. Serious negotiations for a bout last April collapsed after Ortiz, 28, initiated legal action against his promoter, Golden Boy. With Ortiz now expected to return to the ring later this year, talk of the matchup has intensified.
Weighing in on the potential fight, Ryan Garcia made his opinion clear in a social media post. “Vergil by stoppage. Book that fight.” Garcia’s direct prediction adds significant weight to the discussion, backing Ortiz to win inside the distance against a formidable and undefeated unified champion.
Before any challenge for Ennis’s titles can materialize, Ortiz will likely require a tune-up fight. The Texan has been inactive since a victory in November, and a preparatory bout would be standard procedure before stepping into a high-stakes unification contest. The matchup remains one of the most compelling all-American fights to be made in boxing.
