BANGKOK, Thailand – Unbeaten interim WBC 154lbs champion Vergil Ortiz Jnr and recently unified welterweight champion Jaron “Boots” Ennis are in negotiations for an elite fight, and promoter Eric Gomez told the WBC Wednesday that a deal could be finalized by next week.
The revelation was stunning, coming hours after Texas’ Ortiz 24-0 (22KOs) and Ennis 35-0 (31KOs) exchanged social-media posts indicating that talks were quiet, with Ortiz later telling BoxingScene he was not surprised because he expects Ennis to dodge him.
Yet, Golden Boy Promotions President Eric Gomez, appearing before the WBC board at its Wednesday mandatories meeting informed that he’s in active talks with Ennis’ team, headed by Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn, and that he believes a deal could be struck by next week.
With the WBC’s full 154lbs champion Sebastian Fundora believed to be headed to a title defense in February versus former welterweight champion Keith Thurman, Gomez said Ortiz intends to fight the Fundora-Thurman winner after dealing with Philadelphia’s Ennis.
