Vergil Ortiz Jr. has questioned Jaron “Boots” Ennis’ decision to face Uisma Lima in his junior middleweight debut on October 11 in Philadelphia, saying he expected more from a newly crowned unified champion.
Ennis moved up to 154lbs after a breakout performance in April, when he stopped Eimantas Stanionis in six rounds to unify the IBF and WBA welterweight titles. Hopes were high that his first fight at the new weight would come against a fellow contender such as Ortiz, Serhii Bohachuk, or Jesus Ramos Jr.. Instead, the call went to Lima, a largely unknown opponent.
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Promoter Eddie Hearn has already suggested that Ennis signed his part of the deal for a blockbuster clash with Ortiz, provided he gets through Lima. Ortiz, who has been sidelined since a February win over Israil Madrimov due to a hand injury, will return November 8 against Erickson Lubin in Texas.
Asked about Ennis’ choice, Ortiz admitted he wasn’t impressed. “I don't know if disappointed is the word, because I don't care who he fights,” Ortiz said. “But, I mean, it’s a weird situation to be seeing, as he’s a future potential opponent. I guess I expected more.”
Ortiz defended his own decision to take tune-ups following a life-threatening illness, contrasting it with Ennis’ selection. “There’s a big difference. I got two tune-ups when I didn’t know if I was going to be the same or not,” Ortiz said. “He just became a unified champion at 147 and now he’s fighting God-knows-who. That’s where the criticism comes from.”
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