What’s Next For Vergil Ortiz Jr. Following Recent Win?
According to Golden Boy, the sky is the limit for Vergil Ortiz Jr. The WBA Gold Welterweight Champion, who has won all sixteen of his fights via knockout, is ready to prove to the promotion he has what it takes to face the top fighters out there.
If it were up to Golden Boy, he would be doing so already.
Golden Boy Matchmaker Roberto Diaz told The 3 Knockdown Rule that he’d like to see him face off against a former world champion. As far as who, it is all up to how the next few months of boxing turn out.
Ortiz (16-0) made his professional debut in 2016. The 22-year-old fought four times in 2019, winning the WBA title from Antonio Orozco. He recently fought in July, beating Samuel Vargas via TKO in the seventh round. Regaining his power, Ortiz landed 154 out of 318 shots to the body and face to the veteran in Vargas (31-6-2).
A seven-time national amateur champion, Ortiz has shown interest in facing world champions. He has called out Terence Crawford, stating it is an easy fight to make. Diaz commends his enthusiasm for wanting to fight someone of Crawford’s caliber.
“Look, he called them out,” Diaz stated, via Boxing Scene. “He wants to fight the best. You know, for Vergil, it’s not being cocky or arrogant, like many others, ‘Oh I’ll fight him and him,’ you know, just to put a name out. He actually wants to compete, he wants to show the world, he wants to show himself. And if he can’t beat them, you know what, that’s how you make a great fighter. Before the end of the year he’ll be knocking very close on one of those doors.”
Crawford, the WBO Welterweight Champion, does not have a current matchup in place, due to COVID-19 restrictions. Ortiz has also thought about fighting Keith Thurman and Danny Garcia. The latter will be facing off against Errol Spence Jr.
“Vergil Ortiz keeps doing and showing why he is on the verge of becoming a world champion and one of the best fighters in boxing,” Diaz went on to say. “Obviously he’s still young and he’s still learning and still growing, but he’s on a faster track than many.”
The only reason Ortiz would have to wait is if there are mandatory challengers before him. Because Crawford is with Top Rank and Garcia and Thurman are with PBC, that may halt talks. Diaz believes that Ortiz will need to continue to face tough competition to become one of those mandatory challengers.
“We’re going to have to get them in a position where they are mandatories and the champion has no choice but to fight him or vacate,” Diaz stated.