Eddie Hearn says he and Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis will travel to Texas to be the opening act for the Vergil Ortiz Jr. vs. Erickson Lubin fight on November 8 at the Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
Ringside Pressure Tactics in Fort Worth
Matchroom promoter Hearn hopes to put pressure on Vergil Jr. (23-0, 21 KOs) and his promoters at Golden Boy to make the fight with Ennis next. Hearn says they stopped talking. So, he wants to be the first place to push for the fight.
“March,” said promoter Eddie Hearn Carlos Linares on when Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis is expected to fight next. “Me and Ennis will fly to Dallas to watch Vergil Ortiz because we want the fight,” Hearn said of he and Ennis being the headliners for Vergil’s fight against Erickson Lubin on Nov. 8 in Fort Worth, Texas.
Even if this pressure tactic by Hearn and Ennis doesn’t pan out, at least it will give ‘Boots’ a chance to be seen by fans nationwide on DAZN. The cameramen will move towards him at some point during the event, and he will likely be interviewed. It’s worth something.
“We were told by DAZN to make that fight. We all met with Golden Boy. We agreed to do the fight. We haven’t heard anything. So, we’ll be there to say, ‘Let’s make the fight,’” Hearn said of his plans for him and Ennis to be on Nov. 8 for the Ortiz Jr. vs. Lubin fight.
Golden Boy’s silence raises questions
It’s worth trying for Hearn and ‘Boots’ to be present for the Ortiz Jr.-Erickson contest, but that doesn’t guarantee the fight will happen. It is telling that Golden Boy Promotions has gone silent on the fight between Vergil Jr. and Ennis. It’s a huge hint that they changed their minds about wanting to make that fight. Usually, when promoter Oscar De La Hoya is eager to get a fight for Vergil Jr. against someone, he talks up a storm. In this case, he didn’t talk about the fight.
Plan B: Ennis against Abass Baraou at 154
It might be better for Hearn to start thinking of a plan B option for Ennis to take if Vergil Jr. and Golden Boy chooses not to fight. The logical choice would be for Ennis to use his WBA interim 154lb title to challenge WBA champion Abass Baraou for his belt. This is a fight that can easily be made, and it will be winnable for ‘Boots’. It won’t be easy because Baraou is tough, and he’s going to dish out some punishment on Ennis.
Top-ranked option: Xander Zayas in the mix
“We talked to Top Rank. We said, ‘Listen, maybe you do a fight in Puerto Rico, and then we fight on Puerto Rican Day at Madison Square Garden.’ It would be massive. So, we’ll see. We want all the big fights. Jaron Ennis will fight anyone at 154. We’re talking (with Top Rank),” Hearn said of a fight between ‘Boots’ Ennis and WBO junior middleweight champion Xander Zayas.
The chances of Top Rank allowing the 23-year-old Zayas to defend his WBO title against Ennis are slim. This will be an extremely risky fight for Xander to make his first defense of his 154lb title. He does not yet have the experience to face a fighter of ‘Boots’ Ennis’ level. It’s surprising that Hearn would entertain the idea.
Zayas captured the vacant WBO title last summer, defeating Jorge Garcia Perez via a 12-round unanimous decision on July 26, 2025. It was the perfect situation for Zayas to win a belt. If it’s Ennis or Vergil Ortiz Jr. was Zayas fighting for the vacant WBO title, you can imagine what the outcome would have been for the youngster.
Last updated on 31/10/2025
