Eddie Hearn says a combat between Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis and WBC interim junior middleweight champion Vergil Ortiz Jr. isn’t totally lifeless for February twenty second. Nonetheless, it’s not trying good as a result of Boots (33-0, 29 KOs) nonetheless needs to unify the welterweight division.
Hearn states that the Ennis-Ortiz combat “In all probability received’t occur,” however he’s leaving it as much as Boots to determine if he needs to take it. He says that when he spoke to Ennis, 28, asking him about his curiosity in going through Vergil Ortiz Jr. (22-0, 21 KOs), he spoke about nonetheless eager to unify the 147-lb division.
Based mostly on Hearn’s dialog, he doubts the combat will occur between Jaron and Vergil Jr. Ennis holds the IBF welterweight title and desires to unify towards the opposite three champions, who can be a lot simpler fights for him than going up towards Ortiz, 26, and risking taking a nasty loss.
Boxing followers on social media imagine Boots is scared as a result of he’s coming off one other poor efficiency towards Karen Chukhadzhian on November ninth, and he can be going through the most effective fighters at 154 going up towards Vergil Jr.
The possibilities of Ennis dropping can be excessive, and he would possibly even get knocked out. Getting KO’d by Vergil Jr. would devastate Ennis’ profession, and followers would not understand him in the identical gentle. He’d go from being seen as a famous person to simply one other hype job, which he’s already being perceived after his newest efficiency towards Karen.
“I’m nonetheless speaking, however once I received proposed the combat, it was at 147, which is clearly a no brainer. Then we have been instructed it was at 154, which is ok,” stated Eddie Hearn to the Stomping Floor, recapping the fallout of the failed negotiations between Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis and WBC interim junior middleweight champion Vergil Ortiz Jr.
“It’s simply timing, actually. We’ve received unification fights within the works, and Boots has received to determine to vacate the title and transfer as much as combat [Ortiz Jr.] for no title [WBC interim 154].
“So, I’m not saying it’s utterly lifeless, however time-wise, in the event that they’re seeking to announce it right now, it in all probability received’t occur. However it’s as much as Boots, it’s as much as him, and he hasn’t decided on his weight class but, however he’s nonetheless leaning in the direction of attempting to unify, in order that’s in all probability the choice.
“Perhaps in the summertime. For February twenty second, I’m not saying it’s utterly lifeless, but it surely’s tough attempting to shut the combat on Thanksgiving and saying to Boots, ‘You’ve received to vacate your [IBF welterweight] title right now.’ He’s like, ‘What, can I not unify?’ ‘Effectively, you may, however we’d like a solution.’ So, that was the dialog final night time. So, we’ll see what occurs.
“No, no. If he doesn’t combat Ortiz, he received’t combat till April,” stated Hearn when requested if Boots Ennis may nonetheless combat on the February twenty second card towards another person,” stated Hearn.
