Timothy Bradley has weighed in on a potential clash between Jaron Ennis and Vergil Ortiz Jr, believing that one man has the fighting instincts to “cook” the other.
The two Americans have been on a collision course since their early professional days, back when they had just emerged as talented welterweight prospects.
Since then, they have both moved up to 154lbs where Ennis, after unifying the 147lb division, is now the reigning WBO and WBA world champion.
The 29-year-old accomplished this by dethroning Xander Zayas last weekend, when arguably a career-best performance saw him score three knockdowns and secure a seventh-round finish.
As an intensely reactive fighter, ‘Boots’ was made to overcome several prickly moments, particularly in round three, but ultimately backed his quicker hands and more potent attacks.
Based largely on his victory over Zayas, many are now regarding Ennis as the top dog at 154lbs, while Ortiz is yet to even become a world champion.
The 28-year-old boasts notable wins over Israil Madrimov and Serhii Bohachuk but has not fought since last November, when he scored a second-round finish over Erickson Lubin.
Even with Ortiz at his best, though, Hall of Famer Bradley has told Ring Magazine that he still sees Ennis winning in one-sided fashion.
“He gonna cook Ortiz just like he [did against] Zayas. ‘Boots’ is willing to take [punches] to [land his own shots].
“It’s not always a good thing, but it works for him. I think he fights off of feeling. If he don’t feel like you’ve got any punch, he’s willing to stand and exchange with you.”
Ortiz’s legal dispute with Oscar De La Hoya and Golden Boy has kept him on the shelf, but the Texan is now expected to return later this year.
