Eddie Hearn says he and Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis haven’t determined whether or not to take the combat with WBC interim junior middleweight champion Vergil Ortiz Jr. for his belt on February twenty second in Riyadh. Hearn states it’s a “large resolution” as a result of it will imply ‘Boots’ vacating his IBF welterweight title.
The Matchroom promoter Hearn says a call will likely be made within the subsequent 24 hours on which course Ennis will go.
Hearn needs to see if a unification combat at 147 is feasible for Ennis (33-0, 29 KOs) for February or March. He says they need to see if that’s potential earlier than deciding on whether or not to go as much as 154 for the Vergil Ortiz Jr. combat.
Defending Boots?
The unification fights at 147 can positively occur for Ennis, however Hearn must be keen to speculate cash by assembly the asking value of the three champions at welterweight. So far, Hearn hasn’t completed that, which is why he failed to barter the combat for Boots towards WBO champion Brian Norman Jr. and WBA champ Eimantas Stanionis.
Hearn ought to know whether or not he’s keen to overpay the champions by now. There’s nothing to resolve. Does Hearn need to put money into Boots’ future to remain at welterweight to unify or not? If not, Ennis wants to maneuver as much as 154 to problem Vergil for his WBC interim belt if he and Hearn are assured he can win.
Given Hearn and Boots’ indecision, they is probably not. It’s a no brainer for Ennis to maneuver as much as 154 now as a result of the cash is far larger in that weight class, and he rises to fame a lot quicker than if he stays on the lifeless 147-lb division.
Unification Or Transfer Up
“Sure, we had been proposed a combat [against Vergil Ortiz Jr.] at 147. Whether or not it was a communication situation or no matter, I used to be fairly stunned as a result of Ortiz was 147 however lately moved to 154 [in 2024],” mentioned Eddie Hearn to Boxing Information a couple of combat between Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis and WBC interim junior middleweight champion Vergil Ortiz Jr for February twenty second.
“We’re comfortable to maneuver to 154, however we simply need to get our geese within the row in regards to the championship at 147. Can we unify in February or March or will we simply let the [IBF welterweight] belt go and make or transfer?
“I just like the Ortiz combat. I believe he’s an excellent fighter and I believe it’s an excellent type for Jaron, however it’s an enormous resolution, and that call will come within the subsequent 24 hours. Ortiz mentioned, ‘I’m not preventing you any lower than 154.’ So, we might in all probability must vacate and transfer to 154, which is an enormous resolution,” mentioned Hearn.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that Hearn is anxious about Boots’ viability at 154, taking the harmful Vergil, who might expose him worse than Karen Chukhadzhian did final month on November ninth.
That combat could have bust the bubble the place one might see that Ennis will not be what folks had initially thought. It was a lucid second. Boots must be protected by Hearn to maintain his profession from falling aside. Placing the Ennis, we noticed towards Chukhadzhian, in with an apex predator like Vergil Otiz Jr. could be a nasty concept. Ennis will not be that sort of a expertise.
