Coach Bernie Davis says he believes Vergil Ortiz Jr’s team is pricing him out for a fight against Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis by asking for $10 million for it to occur. Davis points out that it’s a “championship-level” fight between them, as neither of them holds world titles at 154.
Ortiz Jr.’s Go-Away Price Tag
As Bernie mentions, the $10 million that Team Vergil Jr. wants for the Ennis fight could possibly be a signal that they’re not taken with that fight. Ortiz Jr’s mention of Jermell Charlo and Errol Spence as two fighters he’d prefer to face is a robust signal of what direction he’s stepping into.
Ortiz Jr. (24-0, 22 KOs) is the WBC interim junior middleweight champion, but that’s not the true thing. Sebastian Fundora holds the WBC full title. Vergil Jr. just has the interim strap that he won by a controversial 12-round majority decision against Serhii Bohachuk on August 10, 2024.
Oscar’s Quiet Promotion Problem
Bernie says that Ennis (35-0, 31 KOs) has more “buzz” [popularity] around him immediately than Vergil Jr., which is partly to do with a mix of his promoter, Eddie Hearn, talking him up during interviews. Also, ‘Boots’ has looked so impressive with the best way he wins, showing off boxing skills that even put Terence Crawford to shame.
In contrast, the Golden Boy-promoted Ortiz Jr. hasn’t been as heavily talked about in interviews by his promoter, Oscar De La Hoya. Vergil Jr looks more like a straightforward blue-collar-type fighter who walks you down and outslugs his opponents. He has little or no hand speed, moves slowly, and appears to compensate along with his size.
Why $10M Makes No Business Sense
“That’s an excessive amount of,” said trainer Bernie Davis to MillCity Boxing, reacting to being told that Vergil Ortiz Jr’s manager, Rick Mirigian, wants $10 million for Ortiz Jr. to fight Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis. “It’s not even a championship fight. It’s a championship-caliber fight, and Vergil Ortiz hasn’t proven himself to be a $10 million fighter.
Without Turki Alalshikh getting involved, the $10 million would appear way too high for a fight against Ennis. Vergil Jr. isn’t a PPV fighter, and neither is ‘Boots.’ Even in the event that they placed the fight on DAZN PPV, it’s unlikely that it will usher in enough PPV buys to cover the price of the purses.
“Now, if the shiekh [Turki Alalshikh] desires to get entangled because there’s a buzz around that fight,” said Davis. “I actually think the more buzz is around ‘Boots.’ I feel Vergil has a gentle following, but the thrill is around ‘Boots.’
Is Team Ortiz Protecting the Zero?
“I feel the blokes [Team Ortiz Jr.] are pondering that since they might lose and it will set them back, ‘We would like probably the most money we will get out of the situation.’ I don’t knock them for trying that, but I feel they’re attempting to overprice themselves,” said Diaz.
It’s hard to predict whether Turki would wish to involve himself in an Ortiz Jr. vs. Ortiz Jr. fight. Entertainment-wise, he should wish to, because it’s a greater fight on paper than those he’s been putting on, involving pure boxers like Devin Haney and Shakur Stevenson. Those guys’ recent fights have been painfully boring on Turki’s cards. At the very least with Ennis vs. Ortiz Jr., it’s a match that’s guaranteed to entertain.
Last Updated on 11/13/2025