By: Joshua Jaramillo

Cris Esqueda/Golden Boy via Getty Images

A month ago, Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis, age 28, destroyed Uisma Lima in less than a round.

Just yesterday, Vergil Ortiz Jr., age 27, put Erickson Lubin out to pasture in 2 rounds.

Both are, despite lacking a major world title, the two clear best fighters at 154lbs. Both are stellar offensive talents with clear defensive deficiencies and are some of the best action fighters of this era, in their primes.

Outside of erroneously soft matchmaking, all that there is for them from here on out should be genuine, tough fights that, while world titles are preferable, should be against real threats.

More than that, a fight against each other would easily determine the next best in boxing now that the current top dogs are on the wrong end of 35, and looking to be on their way out. There is no reason for the fight to be held up, other than financials. There’s zero excuse for this fight not to happen, aside from needless marination. Both are coming off exciting knockout wins, and there’s no guarantee Ortiz Jr. will hold onto his undefeated record should he end up fighting someone like Bakhram Murtazaliev.

While their profiles are rather lacking to deem this matchup a veritable superfight (as a result of the current landscape of boxing), it’s easily at worst the second best fight to be made in the sport today.

Here’s where the asterisk in the title kicks in.

Jaron Ennis vs. Vergil Ortiz Jr, has to happen in the United States, and not in Saudi Arabia in front of 50 people. For a fight with such explosive potential, it would be downright criminal to stick it far, far away from real enjoyers of the sweet science. It’s rare for a fight between two top-level talents to happen at the right time, and rarer still that both fighters are top of the line action fighters. A fight so obviously electrifying must have a crowd that cheers on every ebb and flow in the ring.

Is it likely? No. Both fighters have unfortunately cozied up to Turki Al-Sheikh, and will demand a figure that only he can supply, making a trip to Riyadh a strong possibility.

But one can hope. One can hope that, in a time where the sport is at genuine risk in America, this fight can happen in the right place and birth a new American star that the public can recognize as great.

Despite the cynicism that is all too reasonable to express when hoping for a barnburner stateside, I have faith that this FOTY contender can happen in front of a real audience.

Ennis-Ortiz Jr Has to Happen Next*

I Believe Logan Clouthier Has It