Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis produced a star-making performance against Xander Zayas, becoming a two-division unified champion in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Zayas, to his credit, gave a terrific account of himself in New York, but was ultimately floored three times and stopped in round seven.
As the new WBO and WBA super-welterweight champion, Ennis must face another world-class opponent to encounter any semblance of competition.
His next outing should therefore be a unification match, or at least a voluntary title defence against one of his fierce rivals at 154lbs.
Josh Kelly
While it has not yet been announced, Josh Kelly is set to make a first defence of his IBF title against Caoimhin Agyarko on July 25, featuring on the undercard of Anthony Joshua vs Kristian Prenga in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Considering Agyarko’s amateur pedigree and all-round skillset, this is certainly no gimme fight for Kelly, who cannot afford a lacklustre display against the Irishman.
If he performs the way he did against Bakhram Murtazaliev in January, though, then the 32-year-old should emerge victorious and immediately call out ‘Boots’.
With both champions signed to Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing, this could be a relatively straightforward fight to make, perhaps with a view to stage it at the end of 2026.
And while Ennis would be made a sizable favourite, the classy footwork and speed of Kelly should not be overlooked.
Sebastian Fundora
From an American perspective, Sebastian Fundora undoubtedly represents a more appealing option than Kelly, only his promotional arrangement could make him a less likely opponent for ‘Boots’.
The WBC champion comes off a sixth-round stoppage over an ageing Keith Thurman in March, and unless he has any ambition to demand fights with the Ennis’ of this world, there is seemingly no need for his promoter, Premier Boxing Champions, to stop matching him against faded Americans.
Fundora could therefore end up facing the likes of Errol Spence Jr and Jermell Charlo – two PBC staples – rather than testing himself against an unbeaten unified champion.
A clash with Ennis, however, would make for compelling spectacle based purely on their contrasting styles and physical dimensions, with ‘The Towering Inferno’ standing just shy of 6ft 6in and fighting out of the southpaw stance.
Conversely, Ennis is a 5ft 10in switch-hitter who would boast significant advantages in speed and mobility.
Vergil Ortiz Jr
While not offering a world title, Vergil Ortiz Jr is nonetheless the most commercially viable option for Ennis.
In fact, the 28-year-old was expected to face ‘Boots’ in a non-title fight earlier this year, only for negotiations to collapse after he commenced legal proceedings against Oscar De La Hoya and Golden Boy.
Now, though, it seems the promotional dispute is close to being resolved, with De La Hoya having outlined his plan for Ortiz to return later this year.
With the unbeaten American having not fought since his second-round demolition of Erickson Lubin in November, his next outing is likely to be something of a tune-up fight – unless, of course, he is particularly bullish in his pursuit of an Ennis showdown.
Based on his social media activity, Ortiz is certainly eager to secure a long-talked-about grudge match with ‘Boots’, though it remains to be seen whether this is realistic for his next fight.
