Jaron “Boots” Ennis Gears Up for Pivotal Matchup
Jaron “Boots” Ennis, an undefeated welterweight contender, is gearing up for a pivotal matchup against Vergil Ortiz in early 2026, contingent on a win in his upcoming junior middleweight debut. This announcement comes from Matchroom’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, as the 28-year-old Ennis (34-0, with 30 knockouts) prepares to face Uisma Lima (14-1, 10 KOs) at the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia this Saturday.
Significance of the Upcoming Fight
Ennis is transitioning to the junior middleweight division after a successful reign at welterweight, where he recently earned a sixth-round TKO victory over Eimantas Stanionis in a unification contest. This fight against Lima is significant not just because it marks his debut at 154 pounds, but it also has the WBA interim title on the line. A victory would set the stage for a bout against the reigning WBA world junior middleweight champion, Abass Baraou, who holds a record of 17 wins and 1 defeat.
Future Ambitions and Potential Matchups
However, Hearn has ambitions that go beyond just a title shot; he envisions a future clash between Ennis and Ortiz (23-0, 21 KOs). Ortiz is currently scheduled to defend his WBC interim junior middleweight title against Erickson Lubin on November 8. Hearn expressed confidence in the feasibility of this matchup, having already discussed terms with Golden Boy Promotions, Ortiz’s promotional company.
“We want the biggest fights following Saturday, and for me, the one that makes the most sense and that we have discussed is Vergil Ortiz,”
said Hearn.
The promoter revealed that communication with Eric Gomez, the President of Golden Boy Promotions, confirmed that Ortiz’s camp is also interested in the fight, contingent upon Ortiz successfully defending his title against Lubin.
Ennis’s Potential and Future in Boxing
Ennis’s promoter also stated his belief that Ennis will thrive at junior middleweight, predicting he could potentially scale up even further to super middleweight in his career. Hearn noted the possibility of Ennis competing for titles against top contenders like Xander Zayas, Bakhram Murtazaliev, and Sebastian Fundora, alongside Ortiz and Baraou.
Hearn emphasized that he sees Ennis as a future dominant force in boxing, potentially succeeding Terence Crawford as a pound-for-pound champion.
“What you saw at 147 pounds was a depleted fighter, but still a phenomenal fighter,”
Hearn remarked about Ennis’s past experiences in the welterweight division. He anticipates a different fighter at 154 pounds. Hearn remarked that even as Ennis makes this transition, he expects him to face challenges in weight management but believes he will find success in higher weight classes, where he could become a multi-weight champion.
