'Boots', Adams, Lara: Who could Ortiz face on long-awaited return?

The WBC interim super-welterweight champion has not fought in the ring since a stoppage over Erickson Lubin late last year.

But manager Rick Mirigian has now confirmed there will be options at his current class, or middleweight, before 2026 is up.

With an eye on a return to Texas or a trip to Las Vegas, Ortiz will not be short of potential foes - but just who could he face?

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DAZN News profiles some of the likely candidates that could be in the mix to meet the star as he plots his path back to action.

Jaron Ennis

Long linked to 'Boots', Ortiz was expected to battle with his fellow pound-for-pound star before he sued Golden Boy Promotions.

With matters now settled, the idea that the pair could return to the table feels even more thrilling with his rival's new gongs too.

Freshly minted as WBA and WBO super-middleweight champion, any bout would arguably prove to be definite box-office gold.

One small problem - Ennis could well be expected to face IBF champion Josh Kelly next and take a big unification shot instead.

Brandon Adams

With WBC champion Sebastian Fundora on course to meet Ermal Hadribeaj, could Ortiz turn to the next-ranked challenger too?

Due to contest an IBF eliminator with Caoimhín Agyarko in April, a medical emergency forced Adams to drop out just hours before.

The star's impressive rank with multiple bodies means he would offer a durable option to keep Ortiz ticking over on his return too.

That said, if the former is not yet back to full fitness, then questions over the level of test he offers could make him less palatable.

Erislandy Lara

Rey Del Rio / Premier Boxing Champions

If Ortiz is chasing a move to middleweight, could he be rewarded with an immediate shot at a world title in the shape of the Cuban?

Lara, the incumbent WBA champion, is among the division's most respected operators and would offer a litmus test in a new class.

Like Ortiz, he has been forced to wait too, having last been out in a lopsided win against stop-gap foe Johan Gonzalez last December.

That could work to the benefit of both men, and allow them to come out guns blazing in a potentially career-defining encounter to boot.

Aaron McKenna

Freshly minted as IBF middleweight kingpin, the Irish star is already turning his attention to his next plans after earning those stripes.

Ortiz may not bring the chance of unification, but the star's impressive wattage and flawless record would make it a bumper contest.

Of course, promotional crossfire could put the brakes on any such encounter, with McKenna currently on the books with Zuffa Boxing.

But as Ryan Garcia and Conor Benn have shown, a deal can be brokered - and Ortiz would surely relish a shot at the star's new belt.

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