Bill Haney questioned the value of a Boots-Zayas fight while pushing Vergil Ortiz Jr. as the tougher matchup
Bill Haney believes Vergil Ortiz Jr. is a far more meaningful fight for Jaron Ennis than Xander Zayas at junior middleweight. Speaking about Ennis’ future, Haney repeatedly pointed toward Vergil as the opponent fans most want to see Boots face.
“Want to see Boots fight Devin Haney? Ortiz. Ortiz. Ortiz. That’s just the bottom line,” said Bill to Million Dollaz Worth of Game.
Although Zayas recently captured a world title and continues building momentum as one of boxing’s younger stars, Bill’s comments suggested he does not place the Puerto Rican champion in the same category as Vergil yet.
The discussion also turned awkward when Bill briefly hesitated after being asked whether Boots was already a proven fighter.
“Jaron Boots Ennis he what?” said Haney. “Is he proven?” He is battle-tested.”
Others around him immediately reacted to the pause.
“That’s too long a thinking, man,” said Bill. “He said he battle tested.”
Bill later returned to the subject of Vergil, making it clear he believes that matchup would answer more questions about Boots than a fight against Zayas.
“That’s a whole different kind of fight. People already know what kind of dog he is,” said Bill.
Vergil has continued building a reputation as one of the division’s most dangerous pressure fighters because of his power, aggression, and willingness to take difficult fights. Zayas, meanwhile, is still viewed by many fans as developing despite already becoming one of the youngest champions in boxing.
The discussion around Ennis has intensified since his move toward junior middleweight following his run at welterweight, where he dominated most of his opposition but still faced criticism over the level of his biggest wins.
Bill also made clear that Devin has no plans to return to lightweight while discussing possible future fights around welterweight and junior middleweight.
“Once you go up, you never go back down,” said Bill.
