Promoter Oscar De La Hoya says he spoke to His Excellency Turki Alalshikh, and they’re going to get Vergil Ortiz Jr. (22-0, 21 KOs) a fight against Terence Crawford next if that’s what he wants after his grueling twelve-round majority decision win over WBC interim junior middleweight champion Serhii Bohachuk (24-2, 23 KOs) last Saturday night at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas.
Fight of the Year
Calling it a “Fight of the Year,” De La Hoya wants a big fight for Vergil against Bud Crawford after he overcame two knockdowns in the first and eighth to rally for a close decision by the scores 113-113, 112-114, and 112-114.
After that performance, fans might not be excited about seeing a fight between Vergil and Crawford. It was too close of a fight for the 26-year-old Ortiz Jr. to move on without giving Bohachuk a rematch.
The two knockdowns that Vergil suffered in the fight made the outcome controversial in many fan’s eyes, and it would look pathetic for him to treat the victory as if it were unanimous.
Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) is coming off a controversial victory over WBA junior middleweight champion Israil Madrimov on August 3rd in a fight that he narrowly won by a twelve-round unanimous decision. A lot of people thought Crawford lost that fight against the Uzek-born Madrimov.
A fight between Crawford and Vergil would look like a match between two fighters, gifted decisions by the judges. It would be a bad look.
“We just discussed it with His Excellency, and if that’s what Vergil wants, then that’s what we’re going to get him,” said promoter Oscar De La Hoya to Title Sports Network about Vergil Ortiz Jr. potentially fighting Terence Crawford next following his win over WBC interim junior middleweight champion Serhii Bohachuk last Saturday night.
His Excellency Turki Alalshikh Favors Rematch
His Excellency Turki Alalshikh said in an interview last night at ringside that he viewed the Bohachuk vs. Vergil Jr. fight as a draw and would like to see a rematch. Obviously, De La Hoya has other ideas, such as wanting Crawford for Vergil.
You can’t blame De La Hoya for being eager to make the Crawford match for Vergil because he might lose a rematch with Bohachuk or get so beaten up that he’ll be useless to anybody from that point.
“Everything is up in the air. Vergil is in the hospital. Bohachuk is in the hospital. Let’s respect that. Once they get better, we’ll discuss it again and make something happen,” said De La Hoya on whether there will be a rematch between Bohachuk and Vergil Ortiz.
If Turki is willing to make the Crawford-Vergil fight next, De La Hoya will readily agree to it rather than put Vergil in a risky rematch with Bohachuk and watch him lose by knockout. He took many heavy shots from the WBC interim champion Bohachuk last night, and he might not be able to handle a second fight without getting knocked out.
Bohachuk’s blows were more punishing, as he had better power and landed right hands that damaged Ortiz Jr’s face.
“He’s okay. They’re both okay. They’re hurt. It’s literally like the Rocky movie. Apollo Creed and Sylvester Stallone in the hospital. It was a tough fight. Let’s let them rest, and then we’ll reconvene.”
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