Financial figures were not disclosed, although an interim title typically establishes defined purse percentages and sanction obligations. The designation also clarifies the positioning, placing the winner within the WBC’s championship path while reducing optional matchups.
Ennis indicated the fight was close to completion, but admitted that execution rested with the promoters. “I have high hopes. I think the fight is going to happen. Everyone stay tuned, and keep your fingers crossed,” Ennis told Fight Hub TV.
He added that the preference is immediate. The target window points to early 2026 once documentation clears regulatory review.
Interim belt form divisional order
The proposed matchup has structural implications for the 154-pound bracket. Interim status often functions as a mechanism to preserve section flow when full title availability is limited, and it can compress timelines for mandatory consideration.
With that route in play, alternative opponents become secondary unless negotiations stall. From there, the process will redirect to the next available title holder or approved eliminator.
Ennis left little ambiguity about his plan ahead. “If it’s not Vergil next, we want any champion or any big name. The 154 division is mine. I’m ready to take over the division one by one and show that I’m the best in the world,” he said.
Ennis (33-0, 29 KOs) moved up to junior middleweight after unifying parts of the welterweight title structure, stopping Uisma Lima in one round during his October debut at 154 pounds. Ortiz (23-0, 21 KOs) has remained stationed near the upper echelon of the division, with his pressing style keeping him within sanctioning conversations.
In championship boxing, timing often determines opportunity as much as performance. Interim designations may not have permanence, but they nevertheless impose order, and once contractual steps are completed, management typically dictates the next challenger.
