The Hall of Famer says a Texas showdown with Vergil Ortiz Jr. would generate more interest and revenue than an immediate fight with the unified junior middleweight champion

Roy Jones Jr believes Errol Spence Jr should postpone any fight with Jaron “Boots” Ennis if he defeats Tim Tszyu on July 25. Instead, the Hall of Famer says Spence should pursue a Texas showdown with Vergil Ortiz Jr., calling it the biggest fight available at junior middleweight.

Spence (28-1, 22 KOs) returns from a three-year absence on July 25 when he faces former WBO junior middleweight champion Tim Tszyu.

Jones believes a victory should lead directly to an all-Texas clash with Ortiz rather than a title fight against Ennis.

“The biggest fight right now, for that division, is Errol Spence if he beats Tszyu vs Vergil Ortiz in Dallas,” said Roy Jones Jr. on ALL THE SMOKE FIGHT. “They’d sell out Dallas Stadium.

“You don’t throw that away chasing Boots; you let Boots go and fight Fundora first – you wait and see what happens in the Errol Spence fight, if you’re smart.

“You’d make way more money right there in Dallas Stadium.”

Jones is looking at the commercial value of the matchup as much as the boxing side. Spence and Ortiz are both Texas natives and came through the amateur ranks in the state, making the fight an easy sell to local fans.

Ortiz is coming off a career-best win over Israil Madrimov and remains one of the leading contenders at 154 pounds. Ennis currently holds the WBA and WBO titles, while Sebastian Fundora owns the WBC belt, giving the division several major fights if Spence can get past Tszyu in his long-awaited return.

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Last Updated on 2026/07/08 at 1:13 PM

The 35-year-old contender knows most of the attention surrounding the fight has centered on Joshua’s future rather than the opponent standing across the ring from him. He warned that looking ahead to Fury would be a costly mistake.

“It’s not a good idea he make plans to fight Tyson Fury,” Prenga told Ring Magazine. “I think I’m going to break his plan.”

Joshua (30-4, 27 KOs) is coming off a sixth-round knockout of Jake Paul last December, a comeback victory after suffering a damaging fifth-round stoppage loss to Daniel Dubois in September 2024. A win over Prenga would keep him on course for one of the biggest fights in British boxing against Fury, who is also scheduled to return the day before against Mariusz Wach.

Prenga (20-1, 20 KOs) enters with an eye-catching record, having knocked out every opponent he has beaten. While those victories came against modest opposition compared to Joshua’s resume, the Albanian believes his punching power gives him everything he needs to produce a major upset.

Joshua is still a heavy favorite, but Prenga represents a different type of opponent than some of the former two-time heavyweight champion’s recent rebuilding assignments. Unlike Jermaine Franklin or Otto Wallin, Prenga is an aggressive puncher whose confidence comes from finishing every one of his victories inside the distance.

Overlooking an opponent with that kind of power could be an expensive mistake for Joshua. A knockout win for Prenga over one of boxing’s biggest names would instantly transform his career while destroying the plans for the blockbuster Fury-Joshua meeting.

Fury issued a direct challenge in the clip.

Fury: “I challenge you, Anthony Joshua, to fight me, ‘The Gypsy King’, NEXT!”

AJ: “I’m the boss. You work for me. I’m the landlord, remember that.”

🎟️ Buy #JoshuaPrenga NOW at https://t.co/FoiaUucafv | July 25 | Esports World Cup Fight Week pic.twitter.com/vXzU6Hbjbz

— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) July 8, 2026

Neither quote is new, but their reappearance comes as anticipation continues to build for a fight that has eluded boxing fans for years.

Before any agreement can become reality, both men have business to take care of. Fury is scheduled to face veteran Mariusz Wach on July 24, while Joshua meets unbeaten Albanian puncher Kristian Prenga the following night.

DAZN’s decision to recycle the exchange suggests the broadcaster is already looking beyond those contests and toward one of the biggest fights available in the heavyweight division. The social media post also included a link directing fans to purchase the Joshua-Prenga pay-per-view.

Joshua is expected to defeat Prenga and move one step closer to finally sharing the ring with Fury, but the unbeaten Albanian has made it clear he has no intention of playing the role of a tune-up opponent. Prenga, who owns a 20-1 record with 20 knockouts, has already vowed to derail the blockbuster plans by stopping the former two-time heavyweight champion.