By Dan Ambrose: Welterweight contender Vergil Ortiz Jr. has a fight in the works against Michael McKinson on August 6th on DAZN.
According to Dan Rafael, the unbeaten #1 WBA, #1 WBC, #1 WBO, and #4 IBF Ortiz (18-0, 18 KOs) will no longer be fighting David Avanesyan next.
Those two had been in negotiations for a WBC title eliminator, but Avanesyan failed to return the contract. With Ortiz’s high rankings with virtually all four sanctioning bodies, he hardly needs a title eliminator for him to get a title shot.
The Golden Boy promoted 24-year-old Ortiz had been scheduled to fight McKinson (22-0, 2 KOs) on March 19th at the Galen Center in Los Angeles, but he pulled out due to an illness.
McKinson stayed on the card and labored an unimpressive 10-round decision win over little-known Alex Martin (17-4, 6 KOs).
If Martin had a tad bit more ability, he would have beaten #5 WBO McKinson because he was beating him to the punch the entire fight.
That was a fight in which Dan Ambrose was left shaking his head, wondering how on earth McKinson was given a top 15 ranking because he looked godawful. Putting McKinson in with Vergil Ortiz Jr will be a crime.
It’s unclear why the World Boxing Organization gave McKinson a top-five ranking because his resume is filled with domestic & European level fighters and no contenders.
McKinson’s best wins:
- Przemyslaw Runowski
- Chris Kongo
Avanesyan would have been a more interesting opponent for Ortiz’s next fight, but that fight isn’t happening. Again, it’s not a big deal. Ortiz will be getting a world title shot sooner or later, and he’s got time on his side.
The four welterweight straps are going to be fragmented soon after IBF/WBA/WBC champion Errol Spence Jr. fights WBO champ Terence Crawford later this year. After the belts are vacated by the winner of that match, Ortiz can pick & choose which one he wants to go after.
It’s predictable that Ortiz will be steered away from fighting for the WBA or WBO titles because Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis is the likely one that he’d have to fight for one of those belts.
Golden Boy Promotions will likely have Ortiz fight for the WBC title because he would only need to defeat Avanesyan or Keith Thurman.
Ortiz had two excellent wins in 2021 against Maurice Hooker and Egidijus Kavaliauskas. Either of those fighters are an upgrade to McKinson.
“Mirigian told Fight Freaks Unite that Ortiz likely will face British southpaw Michael McKinson,” said Dan Rafael to Fight Freaks Unite.
“Looks like Avanesyan and his team are running away as Vergil was given three opponents and didn’t hesitate to take the toughest one weeks ago,” Ortiz Jr’s manager Ricky Mirigian said.
“Golden Boy did everything they wanted, accommodated their every crazy need they asked for and Vergil even kicked in some money to help make the fight,” said Mirigian.
