Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis posted on X today, responding to reports of his conversations with Vergil Ortiz Jr. which are separated. Ennis (33-0, 29 KOs) says he was “not aware” of any talks with Vergil and will let fans know “at a later date and time” if he stays at 147 or moves up to 154.
Ennis’ Cryptic Post
It is unclear why Ennis did not state his intentions in his social media post, but that would have been easy for him to do. His silence boosts the belief that he is fighting Ortiz (22-0, 21 KOs) on February 22nd.
It’s hard for fans to believe that he “didn’t know” about the conversations with Vergil. How did Buti not know what was going on? It’s news everywhere, and of course his promoter, Eddie Hearn, had told him about the talks. It just feels short.
At this point, Ennis needs to take this fight with Vergil because his popularity will take a bigger hit than he can lose. Being perceived as a fear is worse than losing. It looks like cowardice to fans and reinforces their view that Ennis was a hype job from the jump. He received the IBF welterweight title by email and has not fought for anything good since he took it.
If Ennis is going to fight Vergil, he has to make a quick decision because there are 84 days left before February 22nd, and he has to start training. In addition, the fight needs to be promoted as part of the other matches on the Riyadh Season card.
– Boots (@JaronEnnis) November 30, 2024
“I heard news about Vergil and Boot having to go. I appreciate you right now, that’s duck soup at its best,” said Tim Bradley on social media, responding to Vergil Ortiz Jr.’s comments. vs. Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis is crumbling.
“That’s exactly what you want to do if you want to fool someone if you change your mind and don’t believe you’re right that way. I don’t want to hear that no one else has anything to say about Bhuti. We don’t say any of that anymore.
“This is a clear indication here that he does not want to be smoked because this is similar to him at 154 lbs. A little guy, not a big guy. He’s been 154 for a while, but this is a good fit,” Bradley said, saying Vervil Jr. will be a match for Ennis on February 22.
Duck Soup Claims
It looks like Ennis’s duck job, and his casual comments about ongoing conversations make him sound a bit silly. His promoter, Eddie Hearn, said he had spoken to him, and said he wanted to meet at welterweight. Hearn wouldn’t have picked up the story if it wasn’t true.
“What do you mean by all this talk your promoter was making after the match [Karen Chukhadzhian] to fight [on November 9th]? ‘154, 147 was really difficult for him to do. Weight was a problem.’ He blamed that on his last performance, didn’t he? Now you want to stay at 147?” Bradley said.
“You can stay at 147. You can fight. All you have to do is talk to the sentencing body [IBF]. All you have to do is say, ‘Hey, I want to go up to 154, and I want to fight Vergil and keep my belt at 147 lb.’ They will say, ‘Yes, as long as you pay the penalty.’ That’s all. That’s all he has to do,” said Bradley.
The International Boxing Federation may allow Ennis to vacate his title so he can move up to 154 to challenge Vergil Jr. his interim WBC belts. Even if they say no, it is not a big deal for Ennis to lose his IBF title because he can return to the welterweight division and beat whoever takes it.
“Obviously he’s not as bad as you all think he is. All those fans think he’s bad. This doesn’t look good for Boot and his crew, man. Boots fight for nobody. This does not look good in the Boots camp,” said Bradley. “This does not look good for Eddie Hearn. He doesn’t even have to come out of pocket for this. This will be the currency of Saudi Arabia. It’s unbelievable to me, man.
“Bro, you need to fight at 154. Get up and face this man because I’m telling you, he’s like a witch. You and your crew want a sucker, bro. Get ready, let’s go. This is duck soup,” said Bradley.
Duck Soup 🦆🍜 pic.twitter.com/16ihBhrXF3
— sour Ave Mel (@souraveboxing1) November 30, 2024
