Commentator Sergio Mora says it was a “bad look” for Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis to turn down a fight against WBC interim junior middleweight champion Vergil Ortiz Jr. Ennis (33-0, 29 KOs) had talked about wanting to fight Terence Crawford in the past, but he then declines a dangerous fight against Vergil Jr.
What looks particularly bad is that this was rumored to be a career-high payday for Ennis, and he chose not to take it. Boots, 27, lost a lot of fans with that move.
Mora says Ennis has redeemed himself by choosing to fight a unification match against WBA welterweight champion Eimantas Stanionis this Saturday, April 12th. Fans don’t see it that way. The ones who are aware that Ennis rejected the Ortiz Jr. fight saw it as him ducking him. They’re not impressed with Boots fighting the ring-rusy Stanionis because that’s not the same type of risky fight.
“Every fighter has pride and wants to shut up all the critics, all the naysayers, but it was a bad look for Boots,” said Sergio Mora to DAZN Boxing about Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis’ popularity taking a hit from his poor performance against Karen Chukhadzhian and then turning down a career-high payday to fight WBC interim junior middleweight champion Vergil Ortiz Jr. on February 22nd.
It was a terrible look on Ennis’s part to say no to a fight against Vergil Ortiz Jr., and it looks worse because the fight was rumored to be worth $8 million. He’s not getting that kind of money to fight Stanionis. Will the Saudis ever offer Ennis that kind of money again? If not, he can only blame himself for turning down that lucrative offer.
“When he got offered all that money to fight Vergil Ortiz, moving up in weight,: said Mora. “So, weight wasn’t going to be an issue, and then he declined it? This is a man that was calling out Bud Crawford, saying he wants to fight the absolute best, and then he turns down a contender in Veril Ortiz.”
Ennis was coming off a bad performance against Karen Chukhadzhian last November when he was offered the fight against Vergil Jr. Boots almost lost to Karen, and that may have done something to his self-belief, causing him to turn down the fight against Vergil Jr.
“He made up for ot by fighting Stanionis. The fact that he went from declining Vergil to fighting Stanionis, who is equally as dangerous, all is forgiven, all his forgiven. I can’t wait tor this fight,” said Sergio.
“He needed this fight to matterize because if it had been another world title defense, I don’t think it would have gone over all that well among the boxing public,” said Chris Mannix about Ennis having redeemed himself partially by fighting Stanionis after choosing not to fight Vergil Ortiz.
