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Why Jaron Ennis vs. Vergil Ortiz super-fight does not need a world title
The man of the moment from this past weekend’s boxing action was Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis.
Making his debut on Saturday night against Uisma Lima at super welterweight, he wasted no time in making a statement to the rest of the division. Two knockdowns, and three right hands later, Ennis stopped Lima in the first round of their contest and ‘Boots’ is the hottest name at 154lbs.
A statement-like performance such as that can result in outlandish call outs being made by promoters, however, Matchroom’s Eddie Hearn made it clear who he wants next for the Philadelphia man and it’s one many boxing fans can get behind.
“Line them up and he'll piece them up. Vergil Ortiz will get destroyed by Jaron Ennis, I will bet the house on it with Oscar De La Hoya,” Hearn told DAZN after Ennis’ emphatic performance.
“It's the best fight for boxing in America.”
It is very hard to disagree.
An Ennis-Ortiz is a big enough fight which does not even need one or two shiny world title belts to make it a must-watch.
Inside the ring, both men produce fireworks and have proven themselves as top operators.
Ennis has used the biggest stages to let his hands do the talking, four of his last five wins have all come by way of knockout, and at the age of 28, there are some big nights on the horizon for ‘Boots’.
Ortiz has taken a similar approach, and his unanimous decision victory over former world super welterweight champion Israil Madrimov earlier this year proved that he can grind out a performance if needed.
Often such a high-profile matchup can produce more trash talk instead of meaningful negotiations, but Ortiz offered a refreshing response to BoxingScene when asked about the prospect of facing Ennis in the not-too-distant future.
“I want it to happen. It's a yes from me,” was all Ortiz needed to say.
The 27-year-old does have business to attend to first when he faces Erickson Lubin next month, live on DAZN.
Lubin is a solid opponent and will be no easy task for Ortiz who needs to push on during a career which has seen his standout moments more sporadic than a regular occurrence.
It will not just be the two fighters however who will make this all-American fight one not to miss, Ennis’ promoter Eddie Hearn and Ortiz’s promoter Oscar De La Hoya are two of boxing’s most enigmatic personalities.
In the past the two have clashed, and it will be the same for Ennis-Ortiz, but it will be for the benefit of this contest. Already Hearn and De La Hoya are going back and forth on social media as Ortiz’s next fight approaches, and if Ortiz gets the win, the build-up for a potential meeting with ‘Boots’ will go into overdrive.
Managing to get a world title attached to Ennis-Ortiz will no doubt heighten the profile of this matchup, but with all the right tools inside and outside the ring, it’s not needed.
Two undefeated records, and backed to be the future of American boxing, that is enough to capture the attention of the US fight fans.
The consequences are also significant. Whoever comes out on top will no doubt earn themselves a world title shot and then become a part of the pound-for-pound conversation, while the loser will have that asterisk next to their record when it comes to trying to deliver when it really matters.
It’s all well and good speaking this fight into existence, but Ortiz needs to get past Lubin first and then expect radio silence despite the odd soundbite from either Hearn or De La Hoya when it comes to how negotiations are progressing. No doubt there will be some verbal jibes.
Two exciting fighters, two larger than life promoters, and the chance to become the face of boxing in the US, a world title is not needed to add to what is already a fascinating contest, now get it made for early 2026 and boxing will be in dreamland.
Watch Parker vs Wardley live on DAZN
Joseph Parker and Fabio Wardley fight on Saturday, October 25, to become the WBO mandatory challenger to Oleksandr Usyk. Watch the fight and undercard live and exclusive on DAZN PPV.
