Can it really be the Dana White effect? After all, competition breeds good products, as they say. Because all of a sudden, boxing has started witnessing a rush of big matchups. Isaac Cruz vs. Lamont Roach has already crossed the finish line. Then, talks of a Teofimo Lopez vs. Shakur Stevenson super fight have been doing the rounds, now suggesting it could be inching toward closure. In that mix, one fight has been circulating for some time – Jaron Ennis vs. Vergil Ortiz Jr. Although discussions first emerged last year, it wasn’t until now that the matchup regained prominence.

Much of that has to do with how the light middleweight landscape looks. With Jaron Ennis now done with his 154-pound debut and Vergil Ortiz scheduled to face Erickson Lubin next weekend, the cards are neatly stacked for a much-anticipated showdown. The only thing missing was an update from the stakeholders. Boots has already made it clear. He wants the Texan. Now, the latter’s team had to respond.

Boots, are you ready? Because Team Vergil Ortiz is

Oscar De La Hoya spilled the beans during a conversation with Marcos Villegas. The Fight Hub TV founder asked directly, “I spoke to Eddie, I want to say maybe two weeks back, and he had mentioned that there was an agreement already in place for a fight with Jaron Ennis. Can you let me know about that? Is that accurate?” The question confused the Golden Boy honcho. As far as they were concerned, they had already been calling out Boots Ennis!

“Vergil Ortiz was all ready to go, and then Eddie Hearn came out, and Boot Ennis came out saying, ‘No, we need one; we need one more tune-up.'” De La Hoya stated. And now that he’s finally done with the Lima fight, all of a sudden he started calling out Ortiz Jr.

As far as De La Hoya and his team are concerned, that’s fine. The important thing is that they are ready for Boots. However, the only hurdle standing between them and the super fight is the upcoming match against Erickson Lubin. Considering the Floridian’s record and output, it’s a fight they can hardly take for granted. De La Hoya emphasized, “Lubin is not a walk in the park.”

He concluded, “I can assure you that Vergil is going to want to continue fighting the very best, the toughest guys, and Boots Ennis is right there. So, let’s go. Let’s do it. I mean, there’s no marinating here.”

Boots vs. Vergil: Modern throwback fight fans crave

Speaking with Chris Mannix, Ennis made it equally clear: “I know he’s got his fight coming up. He’s focused on his fight. If he doesn’t win, I’ll fight [Erickson] Lubin; I’ll fight the winner of that, but I want Vergil Ortiz next.”

So, De La Hoya’s words should be music to the fans’ ears. With the likes of Bakhram Murtazaliev, Abass Baraou, Sebastian Fundora, and Xander Zayas leading the pack, the 154-pound division currently remains one of boxing’s most stacked. The willingness of Jaron Ennis and Vergil Ortiz to pull the trigger only adds to the intrigue.

Despite lacking a title, the Boots-Ortiz fight makes for a fascinating watch, a classic clash of styles.

On one hand, you have one of the sport’s most technically gifted boxers, who can switch stances with ease and, as recent fights have shown, isn’t shy of a phone-booth brawl either. On the other, Ortiz Jr. stands as an awe-inspiring puncher who has stopped 91% of his 23 opponents inside the distance.

As De La Hoya suggested, what matters most right now is the outcome of the Lubin fight. Only after that could things potentially move toward what seems to be one of 2026’s biggest showdowns.

Even if nothing is on the table yet, who do you think wins between Boots and Ortiz Jr.?