Jaron "Boots" Ennis was initially concerned that his trek to Fort Worth would be for naught.
Fortunately, he was given the opportunity for his voice to be heard. Vergil Ortiz Jnr (24-0, 22 KOs) made a point to summon Ennis into the ring, a moment that the unbeaten Philadelphia native considered a pleasant surprise.
"I'm glad they wanted me in the ring," Ennis told DAZN's Chris Mannix. "I was hearing things, they didn't want me in the ring, they didn't want me here. I had to pay my way to be here.
"The time is now [to fight Ortiz next]. I feel like this fight is bigger now than it was six months ago. I felt like I brought a lot of eyes to this weight division. I'm just ready to shut everybody up."