What once looked like the most inevitable fight in American boxing is now drifting toward uncertainty. Two months after Jaron Ennis and Vergil Ortiz Jr. squared up in the ring and publicly agreed that they needed to fight next, negotiations for their junior middleweight showdown appear to have stalled and patience inside Matchroom Boxing is wearing thin.
Matchroom boss Eddie Hearn addressed the situation Thursday in New York, offering his clearest indication yet that Ennis may soon be forced to pivot if no progress is made.
“No, is the answer,” Hearn said when asked if there were any updates on Ennis–Ortiz.