Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis’s team has moved Vergil Ortiz Jr. down its list of potential opponents, citing delays from the contender’s side. The unified junior middleweight champion is now pursuing a fight with either Sebastian Fundora or Josh Kelly to unify the division.
Bozy Ennis, father and trainer of the champion, confirmed the strategic shift following a period of inactivity surrounding the proposed Ennis-Ortiz matchup. He stated that Ortiz Jr. is no longer their immediate concern. “We not even think about him now,” Bozy Ennis said. This change leaves Ortiz Jr., an unbeaten contender with a record of 24-0, on the outside looking in for one of the division’s most significant fights. The decision comes after Ennis (34-0) claimed the WBA and WBO titles with a stoppage victory over Xander Zayas on 27 June.
According to Bozy Ennis, the breakdown occurred after Ortiz Jr.’s team caused delays during negotiations. “He made us wait. When Boots got in the ring, we said we going to fight, sign the contract, and then all of a sudden him and De La Hoya fell out, and now they all back together again. At that time they must didn’t want to fight him, but you going to come in the ring and all that stuff. I ain’t talking nothing bad about him, but that’s the way it seemed to everybody. He’s on the back burner.”
Promoter Eddie Hearn supported this view, noting that the financial terms for an Ennis-Ortiz fight are no longer valid. He argued that Ennis’s value increased substantially after he became a unified champion, altering the negotiation dynamics. Team Ennis is now focused solely on collecting the remaining belts at 154 pounds.
The new primary targets are the division’s other belt holders. “You heard what Boots said. Boots wants Fundora,” Bozy Ennis stated, clarifying the new priority. But they remain open to other routes to an undisputed title fight. “If not him, Josh Kelly. Boots wanted to unify the titles. I mean be undisputed. Either one of them. Whoever volunteers first.” This positions Fundora and Kelly as the frontrunners for a major unification bout later this year, while Ortiz Jr. must now wait for his opportunity.
