Vergil Ortiz Jr. hopes to transmute a victory over Serhii Bohachuk tonight into a mega-clash against Terence Crawford next at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
The unbeaten Vergil Jr. says he wants the Crawford fight “the most,” you can’t blame him because that match could launch him into stardom. It’s the ideal time for Ortiz Jr. to fight Crawford, with him coming off a less-than-stellar win over WBA junior middleweight champion Israil Madrimov last Saturday night.
Crawford looked like he would have folded if Madrimov had put it on him in the fight, but he chose to box instead of using his colossal power, size, and youth advantage against the Nebraska native. Vergil has the same youth and similar power as Madrimov, but he’s far more aggressive. He wouldn’t waste time trying to box Crawford the way he did and would see whether the aging champion could hold up under that nonstop pressure.
“Crawford is the guy I want to fight the most, and I would love Errol Spence at Cowboys Stadium, too,” Vergil told BoxingScene. “And if Jermell Charlo is ready to continue at 154, let’s do it. Hopefully, the Bohachuk fight will go well, and we will get the fight with Tzsyu, too.
Ortiz Jr. (21-0, 21 KOs) believes he can beat the pound-for-pound star Crawford, but he needs a statement win tonight against WBC interim junior middleweight champion Bohachuk (24-1, 23 KOs) to put him in position to get that fight.
Crawford only wants titles or money fights, and Vergil capturing the WBC interim 154-lb belt tonight might not be enough unless he looks spectacular against Bohachuk.
Ortiz Jr’s Hit List
- Terence Crawford
- Sebastian Fundora vs. Errol Spence winner
- Jermell Charlo
- Tim Tszyu
Vergil and Bohachuk headline tonight on DAZN at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas. This is by far the most dangerous opponent the 26-year-old Vergil Jr. has fought in his eight-year professional career, and he’s got to find a way to win if he wants to land the Crawford fight or one of the other fighters on his hit list.
“We got Crawford and the winner of Spence and Fundora. Charlo is a good one,” said Vergil Jr. to Shaka Wear about who he wants. “I would love to fight him [Crawford]. I think he’s the #1 pound-for-pound fighter right now.
“I think he is,” said Vergil when asked if he thinks Crawford is still in his prime. “I believe that I can [beat Crawford]. I respect your skills and want to see if I can beat you. It’s like that.”
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