Vergil Ortiz Jr brought the Dickies Arena crowd to life in Fort Worth, Texas. He stopped Erickson Lubin in just two rounds, clearing the last hurdle before a possible 2026 showdown with Jaron Ennis. Ennis, 35-0 (31 KOs), sat ringside and watched closely. The former unified welterweight champion impressed in October when he crushed Uisma Lima in one round during his 154-pound debut. With Xander Zayas and Abass Baraou set to unify the WBO and WBA titles on January 31, the Ortiz–Ennis fight now looms as another thrilling battle in a red-hot division.
Tension Erupts in the Ring
After his victory, Ortiz invited Ennis into the ring. The Philadelphia star accepted, and their face-off quickly turned intense. Ennis demanded Ortiz as his next opponent but still praised his rival’s dominant performance over Lubin. “He did a great job,” Ennis said. “But I’ll prove I’m the best in the world. I’ll show his team what’s real.” Ortiz refused to stay quiet and fired back. “No one’s been talking crazy, man. Your dad said I was ducking. It’s on video. We never got an offer.”
Promoters Face the Next Move
Ennis softened his stance slightly, calling Ortiz’s display “tremendous.” He even offered a bet on their future fight, but Ortiz declined, saying he didn’t want to take Ennis’s money. The next decision rests with their promoters, Eddie Hearn and Oscar De La Hoya, and broadcaster DAZN. They must now act fast to make sure this electrifying matchup becomes reality and doesn’t fade into boxing’s long list of missed opportunities.
