Terence Crawford Gives Jaron Ennis Verdict Against Virgil Ortiz: ‘He’ll Take Him Out’
A showdown between Jaron Ennis and Virgil Ortiz Jr could be on the cards after Ennis’ dominant win over Xander Zayas last weekend, and Terence Crawford has issued a warning to Boots.
Ennis stopped Zayas in seven rounds at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center to become the joint WBA and WBO super middleweight championadding another impressive statement to a resume that already includes a single victory at featherweight.
Now, the long-standing rivalry with Ortiz has become even more intriguing. Ortiz, also undefeated, has spent much of the past few years calling for the fight, but talks fell through earlier this year amid a legal dispute with his promoter, Golden Boy.
If the fight happens, said Crawford, a former champion in the division Ariel Helwani that weak defense and willingness to trade could be the reason for Ennis’ downfall against a finisher like Ortiz.
“If Boots gets hurt like he did last time, Ortiz will get him. He’s got to step up his defense. He’s got to stop the turnovers. I know he’s faster than most, more explosive than most, but at the same time, he’s shown in the past that he can be reckless and that he goes out there just to fight. When you get taller and taller, it’s not going to be enough.”
Although Ortiz’s trainer, Robert Garcia, said they would accept the fight next, Ortiz could be booked to fight first given his eight months of inactivity and counting. The dispute between the fighter and Golden Boy Promotions is said to be nearing resolution.
