Promoter Oscar De La Hoya said today he wants WBC interim junior middleweight champion Vergil Ortiz Jr. to fight Terence Crawford, Sebastian Fundora, or Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis next on February 22nd in Riyadh.
Oscar’s Wishlist for Vergil Jr
- Jaron Ennis
- Sebastian Fundora
- Terence Crawford
De La Hoya’s first choice ‘Boots’ Ennis (33-0, 29 KOs), but he’s not sure that Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn still wants to make the fight with Vergil Jr. (22-0, 21 KOs) after the lackluster performance Jaron had in his rematch against Karen Chukhadzhian on November 9th.
“It’s one of those three. It’s one of those three,” said De La Hoya to DAZN about wanting a big name for Vergil Ortiz Jr.
Oscar Wants Big Name For Vergil Jr
Ennis was exposed in that fight, and it would be a mistake for Hearn to put him in with a killer like Vergil Ortiz Jr.
That fight showed that Boots is vulnerable and can be outboxed. Hearn might not want to risk putting him in with Vergil Jr. and have him spoil all the hard work he’s put in trying to make a star out of him.
WBA 154-lb champion Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) is still in a holding pattern, waiting to see if Canelo Alvarez will throw him a bone by giving him a shot at his unified titles at 168. That fight isn’t likely to happen.
Vergil, 26, still lacks the popularity to lure fighters like Crawford, WBC, and WBO champion Fundora to want to fight him. It’s too risky for them, and it would be a lot harder going up against a powerful young guy like Ortiz Jr. He’s in the ‘Who needs him’ club right now.
In other words, Ortiz Jr. is more trouble than he’s worth without the Saudis stepping in to entice Fundora, Crawford, or Boots Ennis to want to tangle with him.
If His Excellency Turki Alalshikh can help lure one of those big names, Vergil Jr. will have an excellent opponent on February 22nd. However, without Turki’s help, De La Hoya will have to look in another direction for Vergil to face former WBC interim 154-lb champion Serhii Bohachuk in a rematch.
Vergil beat Bohachuk (24-2, 23 KOs) by a controversial 12-round majority decision on August 10th in a fight that many fans saw Serhii winning.
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