“The fight is very close,” Garcia told BoxingScene. “Eric Gomez, Vergil Senior, Rick Mirigian, they all came to me and asked me what I think about the fight. I said, ‘Let’s do it.’ There is no need to wait for that fight, there’s no need to get a fight before that.”

Robert also dismissed suggestions that Ortiz needs another fight before facing Ennis, pointing to his recent activity and performance against Israil Madrimov.

“Vergil fought less than a year ago. There’s world champions right now that fight once a year or once every 18 months, and nobody says they’re out of timing because of the delay,” Robert said. “Vergil fought less than a year ago, and people seem to forget his performance against Madrimov.”

Garcia finished by making it clear that he believes the only remaining hurdle is Ennis’ side accepting the fight.

“The fight will happen. The only thing that could stop the fight is if Boots decides not to fight, but the fight on our side. It’s a done deal,” said Robert.

Ennis captured the WBA and WBO junior middleweight titles with a seventh-round stoppage of Xander Zayas on June 27. Ortiz last fought in November 2025, when he stopped Erickson Lubin in two rounds. If finalized, the bout would match Ennis’ unified titles against Ortiz’s WBC interim championship in one of the division’s biggest unification fights.

“I’m very happy that Adrien is locking in now and is going to take better care of himself,” Ryan said on X. “As far as my response to him saying he could beat me, anyone can think anything.”

“I personally don’t give him a chance, but he has every right to feel that way. I’m currently focused on defending my title and fighting the best in the world currently. On top of that, I get paid extremely well, and I’m not looking for any exhibitions or meaningless fights at this point. But I hope the best for him.”

Broner’s original comments came during an appearance on Ray J’s Reality Check, where he confidently predicted he would defeat Ryan after six months of preparation. At the same time, Broner admitted he would not choose Ryan as his first opponent if he returns to the ring, acknowledging that he would need a tune-up before taking on a champion.

Ryan’s response leaves little doubt about where his priorities lie. After capturing the WBC welterweight title earlier this year, he has repeatedly said his goal is to face the division’s top contenders rather than take part in celebrity-style events or comeback fights against aging former champions.

While Broner’s name still carries recognition from his championship run across four weight classes, the 36-year-old has fought only sporadically in recent years. Ryan, meanwhile, appears focused on keeping his title active against elite opposition, making a meeting between the two increasingly unlikely.

Ryan’s comments make it clear that a fight with Broner is not part of his plans. Even so, Broner’s outspoken personality has long made him one of boxing’s most effective promoters of his own fights, and a matchup with Ryan would attract plenty of attention from fans. But with Ryan holding a world title and targeting the division’s top names, he sees little reason to risk time on a fight he considers to have little sporting significance.

Shakur completely missed a golden opportunity to handle that situation with some poise. When a fighter gets that rattled, it proves the criticism is hitting a little too close to home.

The exchange centered on a debate that has followed Stevenson throughout his career. Sharpe acknowledged Shakur’s skill but argued that his defensive approach does little to entertain casual fans.

“Your style is boring,” Sharpe told Stevenson. “The most exciting fight was against Teo… You take an F for boxing entertainment.”

Shakur immediately rejected the criticism, insisting Sharpe was not qualified to judge his style.

“You’re ignorant to boxing,” Shakur replied. “That’s how I know you never boxed before. You don’t have a degree in boxing.”

Instead of addressing the fan perspective Sharpe was coming from, Shakur reacted by trying to invalidate Sharpe’s right to have an opinion at all, relying on the old “you never laced up the gloves” argument.

Stevenson dismissed Sharpe’s criticism by repeatedly calling the Hall of Fame tight end “ignorant” about boxing. He argued that someone who had never boxed was not qualified to judge his style, even comparing the discussion to criticizing soccer legend Lionel Messi without understanding the sport.

Sharpe stood by his opinion, making clear he was judging Shakur from the perspective of a fan rather than a fighter.

Sharpe refused to change his opinion, telling Stevenson that technical ability and entertainment aren’t the same thing. Stevenson fired back by repeatedly calling Sharpe “ignorant” and insisting he didn’t know enough about boxing to criticize his style.

It is not just casual viewers who complain. A huge chunk of the hardcore boxing community feels the exact same way. People respect the technical wizardry, but nobody wants to spend hard-earned money to watch a twelve-round safety-first clinic where the priority is strictly avoiding engagement.

By blowing his top and calling Sharpe ignorant, Shakur actually made things much worse for his own brand. It highlighted his massive insecurity regarding his marketability. Deep down, he knows that this exact reputation is what prevents him from becoming a genuine pay-per-view superstar.

If you are truly confident in your craft, you laugh it off. You do not shout about boxing degrees to a football legend who is simply echoing what millions of fans say every time you step into the ring.