Jaron “Boots” Ennis did not sound overly concerned about a potential showdown with Vergil Ortiz Jr. after becoming a unified junior middleweight champion on Saturday night, suggesting his unbeaten rival has defensive flaws that would be exposed against him.
Ennis stopped Xander Zayas in the seventh round at Barclays Center in Brooklyn to capture the WBA and WBO titles. During his post-fight press conference, he was asked about Ortiz, who has long been linked to a clash with the Philadelphia native.
Ennis did not spend much time selling the matchup.
“He gets hurt a lot,” Ennis said. “He flat-footed, and he been dropped multiple times. When he get hit by me, it’s going to be different.”
The comments came after Boots had already made it clear that his priority is collecting the remaining world titles at 154 pounds. He said becoming the undisputed champion remains his primary objective, though he remains willing to face Ortiz if the title fights cannot be made.
“I’m here to be undisputed and break up these belts,” Ennis said. “But if we can’t get these other guys and Vergil’s available, let’s make it happen.”
Ortiz, who holds the WBC interim title, has been knocked down in previous fights but has always recovered to remain unbeaten. A meeting between the two has been discussed for months and appeared close earlier this year before Boots accepted the opportunity to challenge Zayas for two world titles.
Promoter Eddie Hearn echoed that stance after the fight, saying Ennis’ victory over Zayas changed the immediate plans. Rather than revisiting the Ortiz matchup, Hearn said the focus is now on collecting the IBF and WBC titles before considering other options, leaving Ortiz waiting unless those championship fights cannot be secured.
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Last Updated on 2026/06/28 at 10:22 AM
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