Jaron Ennis became a two-division unified world champion last month, but the Philadelphia fan-favourite is looking to get out again soon. Now, his father and trainer, Derek ‘Bozy’ Ennis, has ruled out of the possibility of his son facing one well-rumoured opponent.
Ennis had been linked to a bout with long-term rival Vergil Ortiz Jr at the beginning of the year, but complications between Ortiz and his promoter, Oscar De La Hoya, led to the collapse of that proposed contest.
Instead, Ennis moved on to a showdown with WBA and WBO super-welterweight ruler Xander Zayas, and stopped the Puerto Rican after seven rounds of action last month to begin his 154lb reign.
Ortiz and his team are now once against pursuing a clash with the new unified world champion, but ‘Bozy’ Ennis told K.O. Artist Sports that he and his son are no longer interested in a meeting with the Texan, stating that Ortiz is currently ‘on the back burner’.
“We are not even thinking about him now. He made us wait. Boots got in the ring and said, ‘we gotta fight, sign the contract,’ and then all of a sudden, him [Ortiz] and De La Hoya fell out. Now, they are all back together again, so what do you think that was?
“At the time, they must not have wanted to fight him, but you wanna sound [off on] him? Telling him to come on up in the ring and all of that stuff?
“I ain’t sitting here talking bad about him but that is the way that it seems to everybody now. So, he is on the back burner.”
Continuing, ‘Bozy’ Ennis revealed that his son is now only interested in unifying the division, meaning his current targets are fellow super-welterweight world champions Sebastian Fundora (WBC) and Josh Kelly (IBF).
“Boots wants to unify all of the titles, that is undisputed. Once we do that, [we will fight] whoever.”
Of the two titleholders, it seems as though a fight against Kelly is the more likely, given the fact that Fundora is expected to defend his title against Ermal Hadiibeaj later this year.
Although, Kelly defends his IBF crown on Saturday night against Belfast’s Caoimhin Agyarko, who could spoil the plans of the Sunderland star and take his place in an Ennis unification if able to pull off the upset.
