Jaron Ennis Open to Fight with Vergil Ortiz!
Within the welterweight division, one of the brighter up-and-coming stars is Jaron “Boots” Ennis (29-0, 27 KO’s). The immensely skilled Philly fighter has diligently garnered attention and respect from all corners of the boxing industry. Yet, like so many promising rising stars, he is still aching to get his first big fight against a top brand opponent to prove his worth on the big stage. Stranded in a similar limbo is the heavy-handed Vergil Ortiz Jr (19-0, 19 KO’s). The Golden Boy boxer is just as eager to demonstrate that he is the goods in the squared-circle. Yet, perhaps now is the time that they face one another!
BRING ON THE GOLDEN BOYS!
The fight makes sense for many reasons. First and foremost, they are tripping all over each other in the rankings. Currently Boots is ranked #1 (IBF), #2 (WBO), #2 (WBA) and #3 (WBC), while Ortiz is #1 (WBO), #1 (WBA), #2 (WBC) and #3 (IBF).
Even better, Golden Boy top dog Oscar De La Hoya has recently spoken to the media about pairing these two juggernauts in the ring. While this could have been just for the purpose of a sound bite, it’s great to hear him say the words nonetheless. Likewise, father and chief second to Boots, Bozy Ennis, recently reaffirmed team Ennis’s similar sentiments with Fight Hype in a recent Q&A.
“We are willing to fight him now, yesterday, or the day before yesterday or a year ago or whatever! That’s how we were coming up. If we were able to fight him, we would have fought him. But they said, one time I heard 48 months, that’s down the line! That could be a mega-fight for Boots and Ortiz.”
NOTHING BUT SPACE AND OPPORTUNITY
While Ortiz, 24, versus Ennis, 25, is a tremendous match-up, it would be extremely dangerous for the two fighters. As they are still essentially trying to make a name for themselves, a high stakes loss would cripple their current momentum and require a considerable amount of rebuilding. Also, considering how hard it is for them to secure the manner of duels they want now, a loss would greatly increase that difficulty.
On the flip side, there is a great opportunity for both guys to redirect a great deal of the welterweight attention to themselves. This is because of the well-known failure of Errol Spence Jr and Terence Crawford finalizing a deal to face one another to determine the undisputed champion. Their recent fight talks just burned to ash when Crawford abandoned the proceedings to pen a fight with David Avanesyan. In the vacuum that this action created, Boots and Ortiz now have an opportunity to steal much of that thunder by signing up to go to war with one another.
Yet, as Crawford so tragically reminded us, you just never know what is going to happen in this sport next! So let’s hope that we get some good fight news coming out of the 147-pound division very soon. And if we are lucky, that news will announce that Boots and Ortiz Jr will test their might against one another in one fantastic showdown!
By: Bakari Simpson
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