Boots Ennis Ringside At Ortiz-Lubin To Silence Critics

by Graham Elford: Trainer Kenny Ellis thinks it’s a good idea to have Jaron “Boots” Ennis and his promoter Eddie Hearn at ringside for Virgil Ortiz Jr. vs. Erickson “The Hammer” Lubin (27-2, 19 KO) on Saturday, November 8 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.

Ringside strategy from Hearn

Ellis says having “Boots” Ennis (35-0, 31 KOs) at ringside will show doubters that he really wants to fight Vergil Jr. (23-0, 21 KOs). Many of them believed that “Boots” was avoiding Ortiz Jr. Out of fear. However, by appearing on Saturday, Ennis can show them he wants to face interim WBC junior middleweight champion Virgil Jr.

“Boots” captured the interim WBA 154-pound title with a first-round knockout of Uisma Lima in his junior middleweight debut last month on Oct. 11, 2025 in Philadelphia. The performance showed that Ennis has become a more powerful fighter than he was when he was at 147, and he looked emaciated at the weigh-in.

coach Ellis predicts that the “boots” will be too much for Virgil Jr. if that fight happens. It is reported that Ennis has too much going on in his offense, defense and inside game for Ortiz Jr. to handle.

Responding to allegations of harassment

“I’m not sure what I’m going to do,” trainer Kenny Ellis told MillCity Boxing when asked for his thoughts on Jaron ‘Boot’ Ennis and his promoter Eddie Hearn’s plans to be at ringside for the Vergil Ortiz Jr. bout. vs.

Kenny says Lupine has the advantage in punching power and boxing skills. Having those two things on his side gives him a good chance to win on Saturday, provided he can handle Ortiz Jr.’s pressure. And Eriksson will attack relentlessly in the same way Sebastian Fundora did in his ninth round stoppage win over “The Hammer” on April 9, 2022.

Ellis: Ennis has all the advantages

“I think ‘Boots’ is too much for him.” “Inside, outside, boxing, offense, defense, a little bit of everything,” Ellis said of his thoughts on the fight between Ennis and Virgil Jr. “‘The Boots’ has really countered a style that Ortiz brought many times, and has dismantled his opponents every time.”

If Lupine wins, everything changes

If Lupine wins on Saturday, it will disrupt Ennis and Virgil Jr.’s fight plans. Depending on the deals offered to him, “The Hammer” Lubin “Boots” Ennis could face or potentially rematch Fundora. Ortiz Jr. will need to rebuild. It wouldn’t be smart for him to face Ennis after losing to Eriksson.

“I think ‘Hammer’ brings power to the table and to boxing,” Kenny said about what Lubin will do for him against Ortiz Jr. “My expectations for the fight. If ‘Hammer’ is in top shape for the fight, I’ll swing with ‘Hammer.’” But if he’s lagging outside the gym, I’ll dance with Ortiz.

Graham Elford is a veteran boxing columnist who has returned to writing after a decade-long hiatus. Known for his sarcastic tone and dry sense of humor, he examines promoters, fighters and the business of sports from the perspective of someone who has watched every era of hype repeat itself.