Jaron Ennis and Vergil Ortiz Jr Trainers Promise 2026 Fight

If it were up to Robert Garcia and Derek 'Bozy' Ennis, Vergil Ortiz Jr. and Jaron 'Boots' Ennis would already be fighting. However, with logistics delaying the highly anticipated super welterweight title unification bout, the two esteemed trainers still believe their fighters will meet in the ring in 2026.

Garcia and Bozy Ennis were face-to-face on Thursday as they prepare to lock horns in a different title fight on Saturday. Garcia will corner IBF lightweight champion Raymond Muratalla for his title defense against the Ennis-trained Andy Cruz.

Vergil Ortiz lands a right hand on Serhii Bohachuk in their WBC interim super welterweight championship bout. — Vergil Ortiz lands a right hand on Serhii Bohachuk in their WBC interim super welterweight championship bout on Aug. 10, 2024, at the Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas. | IMAGO/ZUMA Press Wire

The coaches remained focused on the task at hand while acknowledging the elephant in the room. In a respectful backstage conversation, Garcia and Ennis both agreed that they wanted the Vergil Ortiz Jr. vs Jaron Ennis bout to happen later in the year, after Ortiz settles his lawsuit against Golden Boy Promotions.

"Everybody knows what's going on with Vergil, so I'm pretty sure Eddie [Hearn] is already looking at putting Boots on a date sometime in March," Garcia said, via boxing reporter Sean Zittel. "But the fight will happen. It'll happen this year, I think."

Bozy Ennis agreed that he "knows" the fight will happen once Ortiz's situation clears. However, he noted that 'Boots' is not willing to sit and wait for Ortiz, which Garcia understood.

“The fight will happen, it will happen this year.”

Robert Garcia & Bozy Ennis shake hands and agree to make a fight happen between Jaron Ennis & Vergil Ortiz Jr, just two days ahead of taking opposite corners in Ray Muratalla & Andy Cruz’s IBF lightweight title fight. #Boxing pic.twitter.com/mLJGPmbR0R
— Sean Zittel (@Sean_Zittel) January 23, 2026

Garcia and Bozy Ennis shook hands, seemingly verbally agreeing that their fighters will meet in the ring soon. They are not in charge of fight negotiations, but their mutual enthusiasm is encouraging nonetheless.

Garcia and Ennis also agreed that while the fight would be big for boxing, they would both be excited to coach against each other at the biggest stage. Each trainer called the other "one of the best" active minds in the sport.

Veril Ortiz Jr.'s Golden Boy lawsuit delaying fight negotiations

Vergil Ortiz Jr., in red corner, lands a right on Samuel Vargas during their bout at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino on July 24, 2020. Ortiz Jr. remains undefeated with a record of 16-0 (16KOs) | Omar Ornelas/The Desert Sun via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Politics initially got in the way of fight negotiations, but Ortiz's lawsuit against Golden Boy Promotions is currently the biggest hurdle to him getting in the ring at all, let alone against Ennis.

Ortiz remains under contract with Golden Boy, but filed the lawsuit hoping to break free from Oscar De La Hoya's grasp. The lingering matchup with Jaron Ennis was at the heart of the suit, with Ortiz claiming that having De La Hoya as his promoter is preventing him from getting that lucrative fight.

De La Hoya and Golden Boy confirmed they would fight the lawsuit, meaning it could drag on for over a year. Depending on when that case settles and the judge's official ruling, Ortiz and Ennis might not see each other in a ring for a while.

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