Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis could move up to 154 on February 22nd to challenge Vergil Ortiz Jr. for his WBC interim junior middleweight title in a Riyadh Season event in Saudi Arabia.
Coach Robert Garcia told Boxing Scene that his fighter, Vergil Jr. (22-0, 21 KOs), could face Ennis (32-0, 29 KOs) on February 22nd. Also mentioned was WBC super flyweight champion Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez (20-0, 13 KOs_ fighting Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez (52-4, 42 KOs).
- Jaron Ennis vs. Vergil Ortiz Jr.: Ennis has the power, skills, and pedigree to finish what Serhii Bohachuk started last August. It would be a great fight and an excellent way for Ennis to get his feet wet at 154 if he decides to stay. Ennis will be the favorite in this fight and will likely have too many skills for Vergil to handle.
- Jesse Rodriguez vs. Roman Gonzalez: Bam Rodriguez, 24, is much younger than Chocolatito Gonzalez, and he might knock him out. If this fight goes the distance, Chocolatito can put some serious wear and tear on Bam, making his handlers regret ever making this fight. Carlos Cuadras wasn’t the same after fighting Chocolatito, and neither was Juan Franciso Estrada after their third fight in 2022.
Fans’ reaction on social media is mixed because while people want to see Ennis fighting Ortiz, they’re not excited about seeing ‘Bam’ Rodriguez fighting the old legend ‘Chocolatito, who is nearing 38 years old and has a 2-2 record in his last four fights.
Boots would be moving up from welterweight to take on the 26-year-old Vergil Ortiz Jr, who did not look great in his last fight against Serhii Bohachuk on August 10th. Vergil walked with a 12-round majority decision that fans saw as a gift. He appeared to lose the fight, but the judges bailed him out.
Ennis would need to use his boxing skills to defeat the much bigger and stronger Vergil Jr. because he would be trying to bang him out. Vergil Jr. tried to outslug Bohachuk but failed and was punished a lot. He needed a glove repair timeout late in the fight, which fans interpreted as a move to save him from getting knocked out because Bohachuk had hurt him.
Ennis has the skills and the talent to knock out Vergil to take his WBC interim 154-lb title. It would be great if Ennis held onto the belt and chose to campaign at 154 because he’s reached a dead end at 147. There’s no one for him to fight.
