Interviews with key players connected to the effort to stage an anticipated Jaron “Boots” Ennis-Vergil Ortiz Jnr battle of unbeaten junior-middleweights agree this is a make-or-break week.

The sentiment is attached to the leverage that Philadelphia’s Ennis, 35-0 (31 KOs), possesses once Saturday’s IBF 154lbs title fight between champion Bakhram Murtazaliev of Russia and England’s Josh Kelly concludes in Newcastle, England.

Eddie Hearn, who promotes both Ennis and Kelly, 17-1-1 (9 KOs), said Kelly has already signed a commitment to make his first title defense versus Ennis should he win Saturday.

Murtazaliev, 23-0 (17 KOs), who has struggled to find an opponent after crushing former champion Tim Tszyu in October 2024, also is open to an Ennis fight, with former IBF welterweight champion Ennis similarly interested in that bout should the Russian retain his belt.

“He is focused on Kelly right now, of course,” Murtazaliev promoter Kathy Duva told BoxingScene. “Let’s see if any of the others want to fight him, including ‘Boots,’ after that. And you can quote me on that!”

Hearn, also occupied by his promotion of Saturday’s Shakur Stevenson-Teofimo Lopez WBO 140lbs title fight in New York, said he is open to Ennis-Ortiz talks if they are possible.

Earlier this month, Ortiz, 24-0 (22 KOs) – represented by manager Rick Mirigian and attorney Greg Smith – sued Ortiz promoter Oscar De La Hoya for breach of contract, complicating a joint effort to negotiate with Team Ennis.

“We’re still hoping we can do the ‘Boots’ fight, but we have the Josh Kelly [fight], and there’s also a [WBO champion] Xander Zayas [unification] fight [against WBA champion Abass Baraou] this weekend, so there’s two guys we’ll be focusing – the winners – if we can’t get Vergil Ortiz,” Hearn told BoxingScene.

“I just feel like Vergil Ortiz and ‘Boots’ are 1-2 in the division, and I want to make the best fights. That, for me, is the best versus the best in their prime.”

Hearn assessed there’s still a chance to make Ortiz-Ennis, and “we have our fingers crossed it will get made.”

Mirigian and Smith believe they have the right to negotiate for Ortiz, and their lawsuit alleges Golden Boy Promotions and Ortiz are split based on the expiration of Golden Boy’s contract with streaming network DAZN.

An industry official connected to the matter said one way to salvage the fraying situation is to bond DAZN and Golden Boy in an extension.

That would give DAZN the high-profile bout it wants, keep Golden Boy in a broadcast deal and eliminate a key point of dispute in the Ortiz lawsuit.

March 28 in Las Vegas is being held for the bout, with fighters and promoters typically wanting eight weeks to prepare for and market a fight.

In a symbolic act only, Ennis and Ortiz trainers, Bozy Ennis and Robert Garcia, shook hands last week, agreeing to move their fighters to meet sometime this year.

How this week plays out will be compelling, a scintillating bout hanging in the balance.