Eddie Hearn has stated that the only stumbling block to a possible Jaron “Boots” Ennis and Vergil Ortiz Jnr clash is which division is best suitable for the much-anticipated clash.
IBF welterweight champ, Ennis, of Philadelphia, could face Dallas’ Ortiz in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on February 22, in what is expected to be one of the best fights next year. But before the fight could even take place, both fighters are contemplating on which weight class would be suitable for the clash.
“I mean the only reason when we initially talked about the Ortiz fight, we were told that it could be at 147,” Eddie Hearn, promoter of Ennis and chairman of Matchroom Boxing, told Fight Hub TV.
While Ennis, 33-0 (29 KOs), holds the IBF 147-pound belt, Ortiz, 22-0 (21 KOs), is the WBC interim 154-pound titleholder. According to Hearn, his charge doesn’t have any problem moving up to compete at junior middleweight.
“We don't have a problem moving to 154, but when we do it, we'll probably lose our championship.”
Hearn added that his team may consider fighting for a unification at 147 if Ennis fails to land a showdown with Ortiz in the coming days.
“So, at the same time, if it's not Ortiz, it has to be unification, but Jaron wants to be in big fights and the Ortiz fight is a big fight in Saudi and we'll see again.”
Bernard Neequaye is a sports journalist with a specialty in boxing coverage. He wrote a boxing column titled “From The Ringside” in his native Ghana for years. He can be reached on X (formerly Twitter) at @BernardNeequaye, LinkedIn at Bernard Neequaye and through email at bernardneequaye@gmail.com.