So much of what we’ve heard about Vergil Ortiz Jr. from Golden Boy Promotions’ executives in recent weeks is about some of the other junior middleweights Ortiz could face, whether it’s Terence Crawford or Tim Tszyu.
Of course, Golden Boy has another junior middleweight contender in its stable. In the co-feature of Ortiz’s close-fought win over Serhii Bohachuk on Saturday, Charles Conwell won his second bout as a Golden Boy fighter, then said he believes he’s “levels above” Ortiz and Bohachuk.
Bernard Hopkins, a Golden Boy executive and all-time-great boxer, was asked about whether he wants to see Ortiz vs. Conwell.
“Absolutely. It’s in-house, so it’s not like you have to go through hurdles to get there,” Hopkins told media. “That’s the plus side of it. The side that people want to see, whether it’s fans, whether it’s the networks, all that plays a role, but we have both fighters are with us. I wouldn’t mind seeing that fight when it happens. It could be this year, I’m hoping. Because we want to make the best fights.”
Ortiz is 22-0 (21 KOs) and just went the distance for the first time in his career. This victory over Bohachuk was his third fight at junior middleweight, and his first against a ranked opponent at 154. Conwell is 20-0 (15 KOs) and has been in the weight class since turning pro in 2017.
“Both of their styles make a great fight,” Hopkins said. “That’s what I want to see, and I believe that’s what the world wants to see.”
Follow David Greisman on Twitter @FightingWords2. His book, “Fighting Words: The Heart and Heartbreak of Boxing,” is available on Amazon.
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