Three months, several rounds of negotiating through the media and an internal lawsuit later, Vergil Ortiz and Jaron “Boots” Ennis finally appear to be on the verge of finding common ground.
BoxingScene has learned that the two sides are in advanced talks for their highly sought-after 154lbs showdown. The timeline was slightly pushed back to April from its originally targeted March 28 date, but it’s still to take place in Las Vegas, Nevada.
A deal is not quite yet at the finish line. However, sources from both sides describe the continued progress as “getting close” and that it would be a stunning letdown at this point if they fail to come to terms.
Ring Magazine senior insider Mike Coppinger was the first to report the bout’s progress, during the most recent installment of the publication’s weekly “Inside the Ring” series.
The bout has been in play realistically ever since Ennis, 35-0 (31 KOs), moved up from welterweight, where he previously served as the lineal, Ring and unified IBF/WBA champ. Ennis made a splash in his 154lbs debut with a first-round knockout of Uisma Lima on October 11 in his hometown of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The feat saw Ennis claim the WBA’s interim title at the weight, which took place four weeks prior to Ortiz’s most recent outing. The unbeaten Texan retained his WBC interim 154lbs belt with a second-round knockout of Erickson Lubin atop a November 8 DAZN show from Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, mere minutes from his Grand Prairie hometown.
Among those in attendance for the occasion was none other than Ennis himself. Ortiz was joined in the ring by his newfound divisional rival, who was brief and emphatic afterward in declaring the fight he wanted next.
“I'm letting everybody know – this is the fight I want next,” Ennis told DAZN’s Chris Mannix at the time. “All the government stuff going on [with flight cancellations], I wanted to make sure I was here and let everyone know this is the fight I want.
“This fight has so much hype behind it. Even more than it did two months ago. This fight has a lot of hype behind it and I got a good fan base. So, let’s go.”
The fight was on the verge of collapse, however, beginning with the games played by those handling Ortiz’s career.
Golden Boy Promotions co-founder and chairman Oscar De La Hoya and Ortiz’s manager Rick Mirigian insisted throughout the initial round of talks that Ortiz was the A-side and that other options were there for the taking.
Those claims were quickly shut down when it was confirmed that DAZN – though never directly disclosed by the brass – was not interested in hearing about or financing any fight for either boxer other than this matchup.
The hardline stance was taken at a time when Golden Boy’s latest deal with the streaming service was due to expire.
In lieu of a new deal or even finalizing the one fight for Ortiz demanded by the public, De La Hoya and Golden Boy found themselves in the middle of a lawsuit filed by Ortiz. Among the claims filed were breach of contract and interference, as Ortiz sought to have his promotional contract voided.
Despite all that, his side has remained vocal – to the point of opposing De La Hoya’s alleged status updates – in its desire to line up Ennis as the next opponent.
Mirigian recently took to social media, posting a teaser that good news was on the horizon and to never doubt his management strategy.
Based on this round of updates, it appears that both sides are ready to enjoy a victory lap.
The potentially forthcoming good news arrives at a time when things are really taking shape atop the 154lbs division.
Xander Zayas became the unified WBA/WBO titlist following his January 31 split decision victory over Abass Baraou in his birth town of San Juan, Puerto Rico. The event was a rousing success in every regard, as Zayas drew a crowd of more than 12,000, which produced a live gate in excess of $1.1 million.
Additionally, the 23-year-old Zayas, 23-0 (13 KOs), raised his profile with an appearance during global superstar Bad Bunny’s musical performance during the Super Bowl LX halftime show. Zayas is signed to Bad Bunny’s Rimas Sports agency.
Theoretically, the winner of Ortiz-Ennis would become the mandatory challenger for Zayas’ newly acquired WBA belt.
Another option would be the winner of the March 28 Sebastian Fundora-Keith Thurman WBC title fight, which headlines a Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on Prime Video pay-per-view event from MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
For now, the industry will gladly settle for Ortiz and Ennis sharing a ring. Such a vision is fortunately more realistic than was the case earlier this year.
