Jaron 'Boots' Ennis is moving up to the 154-pound weight class, and Vergil Ortiz Jr. wants to welcome him with a bang.
Ennis, the unified WBA and IBF welterweight champion, plans to vacate his 147-pound titles and step up to super-welterweight later this year. The undefeated knockout artist Ortiz Jr. is ready and waiting for him.
Oscar De La Hoya, Ortiz's promoter, revealed his fighter's eagerness to face Ennis in an interview on Ring Champs With Ak & Barak.
"Let's make the fight. Let's do it. Why wait? Let's go. Fighting Madrimov, fighting Bohachuk. Fighting all those guys. Those are tough, tough sons of guns, What's another one? Let's go."
Ortiz Jr. has a perfect record of 23 wins with 21 knockouts. He's beaten tough opponents like Israil Madrimov and Serhii Bohachuk, cementing his reputation as one of the division's biggest punchers.
Ennis has looked unstoppable at welterweight, unifying the WBA and IBF titles with wins over Eimantas Stanionis and David Avanesyan. But his performance against Karen Chukhadzhian last November caught De La Hoya's attention.
"Boots looked a little vulnerable. Eddie had mentioned let's make the fight. So as the promoter I am I was calling him out and let's make the fight. Then they changed their mind and didn't want to fight Vergil.
I understand, if Boots wants to have a tune-up fight at 154 then he has every right to, to test the waters. But if we can get that past us, that tune up fight, let's go straight to the Vergil fight at 154. This year or first quarter of next year."
A clash between Ennis and Ortiz at 154 pounds will generate massive interest among boxing fans. The fight could happen as soon as this year or early next year, depending on how quickly Ennis wants to test the waters at his new weight.
Both fighters are young, undefeated, and pack serious power. Their styles promise an action-packed showdown that could shape the future of the super-welterweight division.
