“I favor Fundora on that one,” Robert said Fight Hub TV. “I think it’s probably a mistake for them to take that fight.”
Robert pointed to Fundora’s relentless pressure as the biggest problem for Ennis, explaining that the 6-foot-6 champion never stops coming forward and forces opponents into uncomfortable exchanges.
“I think the only thing that could stop Fundora is a pressure fighter that is not going to give up and he’s going to keep coming, working the body and kind of bullying Fundora into a fight,” Garcia said. “Boots could also fight smart. He’s got good footwork and good speed, so I don’t think Boots is the type of brawler that’s going to push Fundora back.”
Robert also admitted Ennis getting hurt against Zayas influenced his thinking.
“Both,” Garcia said when asked if his prediction was based on Ennis being rocked or Fundora’s recent form. “After we all seen that Boots does get hurt, I think everybody could feel the same way about Fundora versus Boots.”
While Garcia favors Fundora in that matchup, he made it clear his priority remains getting Virgil Ortiz Jr. into the ring with Ennis. Garcia said the decision now rests entirely with the unified champion, who can either pursue a unification bout with Fundora or accept a showdown with Ortiz.
“If Boots wants to fight Virgil, he’s going to say no to the Fundora fight and fight Virgil,” Garcia said. “It’s going to be up to Boots. Does he want to fight Fundora or does he want to fight Virgil?”
Ennis has quickly become one of the division’s biggest attractions after adding another world title against Zayas, while Fundora is coming off an impressive stoppage of Tim Tszyu in their rematch. A clash between the two champions would produce the division’s first three-belt unification, although Ortiz remains firmly in the title picture after recent knockout wins over Erickson Lubin and Israil Madrimov.
