It takes two to tango, especially in the ring. Interim WBC super welterweight champion Vergil Ortiz Jr. has finally secured an opponent, with Puerto Rico’s undefeated rising star Xander Zayas stepping up to accept the challenge. This development comes after a highly anticipated bout between Ortiz Jr. and IBF welterweight champion Jaron Ennis fell through.

It was previously reported that Ennis wanted to move up to 154 pounds and start collecting belts in the division. However, after a contentious back and forth between Ennis and Ortiz’s corners, the fight went to the gutters when Ennis sent in a fight contract with the stipulation that the fight would happen at 147 pounds.

It took Xander Zayas one minute to accept the challenge

Some reports had suggested that the organizers of the fight, which is eyed for the stacked card on February 22nd in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, had approached WBO and WBC super welterweight champion Sebastian Fundora. However, it appears that pairing didn’t quite work out. Meanwhile, following the whole Ennis debacle, Ortiz Jr. hopped on X to share his stance on the matter.

“I’ve always said I’ll fight anybody and I remained true to my word,” Vergil Ortiz Jr. wrote. “It takes 2 to tango in boxing, so if I’m not in that ring fighting someone, know it’s not my fault!” He further asked people claiming he was ducking the fight against Ennis to shut up “because that’s not the case this time and never was.”

After this tweet, Zayas responded to Ortiz Jr., writing, “They gave me an hour to say yes. I said yes in one minute.” While no official announcement has been made as of the time of writing, the open statement from the undefeated fighter confirms he will be the one squaring off against Ortiz Jr. next year in Riyadh. 

In the meantime, ‘Mo’ Boxing, No Problem,’ shared the update on Instagram, asking their fans for their predictions on the fight, and the fans complied. 

Fans believe Zayas might be in trouble against Vergil Ortiz Jr.

While the 22-year-old Puerto Rican boxer is undeniably talented, and his pristine record of 20-0-0 shows the same, most fans felt Ortiz Jr. might be too much for the Florida resident. Like this user who celebrated Zayas’ bravery, but predicted the fight against him. “Xander Zayas isn’t ready, but his bravery [in] taking on Vergil is applauded,” the user commented. Notably, Ortiz Jr. will be his first major bout and even one presumably with 12 rounds. 

Someone else expressed concern for the rising star from Puerto Rico. “I’m scared for Xander but it’s a good test,” the user wrote. However, their professional records aren’t that far apart. Also, Zayas has a great amateur background, so while it might be a little difficult, he stands a decent chance of winning. 

Meanwhile, this user seemed extremely confident about his prediction for the fight. “I got [Vergil] by murder,” the user remarked. However, Vergil Ortiz Jr. was dropped for the first time in his career in his last fight and presented the worst performance of his career. So, this could turn out to be a shocking affair. 

The next user felt Zayas would prove to be a difficult challenge for Vergil Ortiz Jr. “I think Xander will be tougher for Ortiz than Bohachuk was. He was looking real sharp in his last fight,” the user commented. For context, Zayas is coming off a unanimous decision win over Damian Sosa of Mexico in September. 

Another user seemed confident Ortiz would taste defeat for the first time in his professional career. “I got Zander, I’ve seen enough of Vergil. I had him losing that last one. They gave buddy a gift,” the user commented. Notably, the Bohachuk fight was controversial—many felt the Ukrainian had done enough to win, having dropped Ortiz twice during the match. Despite that, Ortiz had stepped on the gas pedal in the later rounds, securing a majority decision victory. 

That said, even though an all-American fight between Vergil Ortiz Jr. and Jaron Ennis could not happen. The boxing world has received an interesting and exciting fight involving Xander Zayas, which, by the way, has the potential to launch him among the elites in the division. What do you think about the potential matchup?