FORT WORTH, Texas — It didn’t take long after Vergil Ortiz Jr.’s emphatic second-round knockout of Erickson Lubin for business to take center stage. While Ortiz celebrated another statement victory, his promoter Oscar De La Hoya began carefully laying the groundwork for what could be boxing’s next mega-fight a long-anticipated clash with Jaron “Boots” Ennis.
During the post-fight press conference at Dickies Arena, De La Hoya alternated between celebration and negotiation. He praised Ortiz (24–0, 22 KOs) as boxing’s most dangerous young star and made it clear that if the Ennis fight happens, it will be on Golden Boy’s terms.
“The one thing about the Boots Ennis fight yeah, we’ll discuss it, absolutely,” De La Hoya said. “And I will get the best terms, as long as they’re favorable to us, because Ortiz is the man. They are chasing him. Vergil Ortiz is the champion the guy everybody wants to beat.”
De La Hoya spoke with conviction, but slipped in a telling “if.” The fight, he said, will happen only if the deal is right.
“So this fight will happen, yeah, in ‘The Mecca of Boxing,’ Las Vegas, if we come to terms. And it’ll be the biggest fight in recent history. Vergil just wants to fight the best that’s it.”
DAZN Target: February 28, Las Vegas
According to DAZN executives, the preferred date for Ortiz vs. Ennis is February 28 in Las Vegas a high-profile pay-per-view that would pit two unbeaten punchers in their athletic primes.
Ennis (35–0, 31 KOs, 1 NC), promoted by Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing, stood face-to-face with Ortiz in the ring Saturday night. The two traded good-natured trash talk, giving fans a taste of the chemistry that could drive one of 2026’s biggest events.
Before delving into serious contract talk, De La Hoya offered a sly warning to Hearn and Team Ennis.
“I’m actually skeptical now,” he said with a grin. “And I told Eddie and Boots, ‘Do not come and watch Vergil live, because you’re gonna be afraid of what you see.’ … I’m gonna sit down with Eddie Hearn and we obviously have the upper hand because Ortiz is the better man.”
De La Hoya joked that after witnessing Ortiz’s destruction of Lubin, Ennis might prefer another tune-up fight before stepping in with his powerhouse.
The Stakes at 154
While neither man holds a full world title, both are interim champions and among the most exciting fighters in the division:
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Ortiz: WBC interim junior middleweight champion, ranked No. 1 by The Ring at 154 pounds.
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Ennis: WBA interim 154-pound champion, ranked No. 7 by The Ring after his first-round demolition of Uisma Lima in October.
Hearn can counter with Ennis’ pedigree: the Philadelphia native previously held the IBF, WBA, and Ring welterweight titles before moving up after outgrowing 147 pounds. Ortiz, meanwhile, has scored consecutive knockouts over Serhii Bohachuk, Israil Madrimov, and now Lubin, the Ring’s No. 5-rated contender.
The conversation between Golden Boy and Matchroom has officially begun and so has the posturing. De La Hoya insists Ortiz holds the leverage, Hearn believes Ennis is the bigger global star, and DAZN is determined to make it happen on its platform.
If egos and economics align, the result could be boxing’s next great rivalry a fight that pits two unbeaten finishers, two different promotional empires, and one defining question: Who’s the real king at 154?
Vergil Ortiz Jr. flattens Erickson Lubin in 2, clears runway for “Boots” Ennis
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Robert LaMar is a writer for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @RobertLaMar26
