By Jeff Aronow: Vergil Ortiz Jr (16-0, 16 KOs) came out on top last Friday night in beating Samuel Vargas (31-6-2, 14 KOs) by a seventh-round KO, and he now wants Keith ‘One Time’ Thurman or Danny Garcia for his next fight.
Unfortunately, Thurman and Garcia might not have the qualifications needed to get a fight against the 22-year-old Vergil Jr. His promoter Oscar De la Hoya says he would like to see him challenge for a world title next, be it Manny Pacquiao, Errol Spence Jr, or Terence Crawford.
Thurman and Danny are ex-147-pound champions. They both lost their welterweight titles recently, and they’re trying to recapture their belts.
Vergil Jr looks like he’s ready to step it up against one of the top welterweights. Last night, the Golden Boy promoted Ortiz Jr bludgeoned the Colombian Vargas last Friday at the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, California.
Vergil Jr ready to face Thurman and Danny Garcia
“I would like to fight Danny Garcia or Keith Thurman,” Ortiz Jr. said during the post-fight interview.
“They’re good opponents I can beat. I want to take risks. I’m not here to take easy fights. I’m in the hardest division in boxing, so when I win a title it will mean a lot more.”
The former two-division world champion Danny Garcia, 32, is already training for a fight against IBF/WBC welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr next. Danny is not going to pull out of that fight to face the 22-year-old contender Ortiz Jr.
Former WBA/WBC 147lb champ Thurman (29-1, 22 KOs) says he’s open to fighting anyone in the division, but they’ll need to send him the contract for him to consider. Thurman wants to compete this year, preferably against WBA champ Manny Pacquiao, Errol Spence Jr, Danny Garcia, or Shawn Porter.
It’s risky or Ortiz Jr to fight seasoned pros like Thurman and Danny because those guys are still close to their prime, and they’re smart. Both also pack a lot of pushing power, and they’ll make it tough for Ortiz t land his shots without getting hit back.
If Golden Boy has the money to make a big offer for Thurman, then he might consider facing Ortiz Jr. Thurman vs. Ortiz Jr would probably need to be on pay-per-view, and that would mean Golden Boy would be taking a significant risk.
What happens if Thurman-Ortiz Jr doesn’t sell? It might be a little too early for Ortiz to be asking for fights against former world champions like Thurman and Danny Garcia.
Vergil may need to wait until 2022
In a year or two from now, Ortiz will be better known to U.S boxing fans, provided that Golden Boy puts him in with better opposition. It’s not going to help Ortiz if his promoters continue matching him against fighters like Vargas, Antonio Orozco, Brad Solomon, and Mauricio Herrera.
Ortiz Jr showed dramatic improvements in his game in terms of his footwork. He shifted angles frequently, making it nearly impossible for Vargas, 31, to defend against his attacks. In round three, Vergil Ortiz Jr was warned by referee Jack Reiss for him spinning Vargas to get him out of position.
What was interesting, though, is the way that Ortiz Jr used his feet to work all the way around to the back of Vargas. The move was so fast by Ortiz that the referee Reiss assumed that he had grabbed Vargas to spin him out of position. That’s not what happened. Ortiz’s footwork is what allowed him to get in place to land shots to the back of Vargas.
To get fights against the big dogs at 147, Ortiz needs to earn his position by fighting at least the top ten level contenders. For the record, Vargas is a 2nd tier fighter, and he’s on the slide at 31. If Golden Boy makes a big offer to Yorgenis Ugas or Kell Brook, they might be able to get one of them to agree to a fight against Ortiz Jr.
But without the gate money needed to come up with that offer, it’s unlikely Ortiz will face one of those two talented fighters.