Accusations and trash-talking haven’t stopped since Jaron Ennis vs. Vergil Ortiz Jr. rumors took off. The fans almost had an electrifying fight on their hands. But now they have to do without it. The faltered negotiations left Ortiz Jr., 26, without a name, and the hunt for a potential suitor continued. It seemed for a while that Xander Zayas had become the savor, only to be brushed aside in the end. So, what happened?

Ortiz Jr., at 22-0, harbored a desire to welcome ‘Boots’ to the 154-pound division, but those negotiations didn’t reach anywhere. In came the rising star, Zayas. “They gave me an hour to say yes. I said yes in one minute,” he declared on his social media handles. The fight looked set. However, Ortiz Jr.’s team eventually picked up Israil Madrimov to book a date on the Riyadh card on February 22.

This development didn’t sit well with the Puerto Rican fighter, who vented out his frustration and anger as he announced, “I accepted the fight but never heard back🤷🏻‍♂️ Did you just Bootsed me? We were all in.” So, why did Ortiz Jr. sideline him? According to the Grand Prairie native, he had a bigger name on his cards, and he caved into the ambition to fight Madrimov.

Ortiz Jr. turned to his X handle and wrote, “Yeah I “ducked” you to fight Madrimov lol 😒 your time will come don’t you worry. We got bigger fish to fry over here.”

Ortiz Jr. has been clear about his goals and aspirations—he wants to make an enormous leap. While Ennis and Madrimov fit the bill, the same couldn’t be said about Zayas. The 22-year-old fighter’s resume doesn’t evoke confidence in Ortiz Jr.’s team to send him a contract. What’s more? Vergil Ortiz Sr. has also painted a grim picture for Zayas.

Vergil Ortiz Jr. and Xander Zayas debacle: how did we land here?

Ortiz Sr. also responded to Zayas’ claims of Ortiz Jr. ducking a fight with him, especially after agreeing to him. The American boxing coach pointed out that they had sent proposals to other candidates. However, the Top Rank, Zayas’ stable, believed the fighter wasn’t polished enough yet for the challenge. He wrote, “The truth is they called and ask if jr would fight you it was an easy yes. They also called 4 other guys . You were the least accomplished so by THERE standards you were not qualified. Ask top rank. GL Champ.”

So, while Top Rank believed Zayas had some way to go before taking big fights, Madrimov’s credentials worked in his favor. Madrimov is coming off a loss to Terence Crawford, where he gave him a tough night. In addition, his past champion’s record also made him a better choice. It doesn’t take anything away from Zayas, who is 20-0, in his pro career. But he might need to bolster his resume before standing across from the likes of Ortiz Jr. in the ring.

What do you make of this debacle involving Vergil Ortiz Jr. and Xander Zayas? Do you think the two will fight in the future? Let us know in the comments below.