“You want to see Boots fight Devin Haney? Ortiz. Ortiz. Ortiz. That’s just the bottom line,” Bill said. Million Dollaz worth of play.
Although Zayas recently captured a world title and continues to build momentum as one of boxing’s younger stars, Bill’s comments suggested he doesn’t yet place the Puerto Rican champion in the same category as Vergil.
The discussion also turned awkward when Bill hesitated briefly after being asked if Boots was already a proven fighter.
“Jaron Boots Ennis, what?” Haney said. “Is he proven?” He is being tested.”
Others around him immediately responded to the pause.
“That’s too long to think, man,” said Bill. “He said he tested.”
Bill later returned to the subject of Vergil and made it clear that he believed that matchup would answer more questions about Boots than a fight against Zayas.
“It’s a whole different kind of fight. People already know what kind of dog he is,” Bill said.
Vergil went on to build a reputation as one of the division’s most dangerous pressure fighters due to his strength, aggression and willingness to take tough fights. Meanwhile, Zayas is still considered developed by many fans, even though he is already becoming one of the youngest champions in boxing.
The conversation surrounding Ennis has intensified since his move to junior middleweight following his welterweight run, where he dominated most of his opposition but still faced criticism over the level of his biggest wins.
Bill also clarified that Devin has no plans to return to lightweight while discussing possible future fights around welterweight and junior middleweight.
“Once you go up, you never go down,” Bill said.
