Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis has come under fire after his mouthwatering showdown against Vergil Ortiz Jr was scuppered at the 11th hour.
The 27-year-old declined an offer to face his fellow rising star on a stacked Riyadh Season card, headlined by Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol’s hotly anticipated rematch.
Instead, Ortiz is set to defend his WBC interim super welterweight title against Israil Madrimov, who must first come through a stern test against crafty operator Serhii Bohachuk.
And while Jaron Ennis has his reasoning for swerving the potential matchup on February 22, several members of the boxing fraternity, including Oscar De La Hoya, have accused him of ducking Ortiz.
- Read More [Vergil Ortiz Jr and Xander Zayas engage in social media spat over Israil Madrimov fight announcement]
Stephen Espinoza defends Jaron Ennis’ decision
‘Boots’ comes off a somewhat underwhelming performance against Karen Chukhadzhian, defending his IBF world welterweight title with a unanimous decision victory.
But, in truth, the American seemed to lack his usual explosiveness, an attribute that has largely cemented his status as one of the sport’s brightest talents.
Immediately after his mandatory title defense, Ennis hinted at the possibility of moving up to 154 lbs, suggesting that the extra weight could help him discover a degree of impetus.
And so, it appeared that the skillful technician was set to face Ortiz, who comes off a majority decision victory over Bohachuk.
But now, Ennis has seemingly decided to remain at 147 lbs, hoping to secure unifications with the likes of Mario Barrios and Brain Norman Jr.
Even aside from the pressure to relinquish his belt, though, ‘Boots’ was ultimately afforded little time to make a decision on the future of his career.
When considering this, former Showtime Sports head Stephen Espinoza can only sympathise with the Philadelphian.
“We talk about narratives in the sport of boxing, and the reactions that I’ve seen are insane,” Espinoza told Fight Hype TV.
“Boots don’t duck anybody. He never has and never will. Bozy [Ennis’ father and trainer], that’s not the kind of fighter that he trains.
“It’s not the kind of son that he raised. There is not an ounce of hesitation in Boots, in fighting Ortiz, [Terence Crawford] or anybody at 147 and 154 [lbs].”
Israil Madrimov must beat Serhii Bohachuk before facing Vergil Ortiz Jr
The late replacement of Madrimov came as a huge surprise, given that the Uzbek already has a fight date pencilled in on the Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury 2 undercard.
Not only that, but if the former world champion beats Bohachuk, he will then have just over two months to prepare for another formidable assignment against Ortiz.
As a result, there have been several doubts raised over whether this clash in February even goes ahead.