Golden Boy asks for Keith Thurman vs. Vergil Ortiz to be ordered at WBC convention

Image: Golden Boy asks for Keith Thurman vs. Vergil Ortiz to be ordered at WBC convention
By Boxing News - 11/08/2022 - Comments

By Allan Fox: Golden Boy Promotions have petitioned the WBC to order a fight between #1 Keith ‘One Time’ Thurman and #2 Vergil Ortiz Jr. during the WBC’s convention today. We’ll find out tomorrow if the World Boxing Council orders the Thurman vs. Ortiz fight.

Even if the WBC does mandate a fight between Thurman and Ortiz on Wednesday during their convention, One Time’ probably won’t take it because he’s hoping to hit it big with the mother load by facing Spence without having to do any heavy lifting to get that big payday.

Thurman (30-1, 22 KOs) is the current WBC mandatory for welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr, and there are rumors that they’ll be fighting next. That’s a fight that Thurman has been after for the last year, but Spence hasn’t shown any interest in taking it.

With that said, it’s believed that Spence (28-0, 22 KOs) isn’t keen on fighting former WBA/WBC 147-lb champion Thurman, even though it would mean a boatload of money for the Texas native. Spence just doesn’t fancy the fight.

If Spence wants to make the same kind of money that Terence Crawford is getting for his December 10th title defense against David Avanesyan, his best option is to face Thurman next rather than someone like Eimantis Stanionis.

For Golden Boy to be trying to get a fight for Ortiz against the 33-year-old Thurman, suggests that they prefer going the Spence route for a world title shot rather than WBO champion Terence Crawford.

It’s nice that Golden Boy has confidence in Ortiz that he can beat Thurman, especially after the promotional company was burned last Saturday night with their fighter Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez getting schooled by WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol.

If Golden Boy lets Vergil face Thurman, they could get their fingers burned again because Keith might be too good for Ortiz.

You can argue their more money for Ortiz fighting Spence on pay-per-view than facing Crawford. Of course, if BLK Prime was ready to throw crazy money at Ortiz for fighting Crawford, that would be the way to go.

However, if BLK Prime takes a financial bath on Crawford’s December 10th pay-per-view fight against David Avanesyan and loses tons of money in the process, they’re probably not going to be eager to pay an arm & a leg on putting on another one of the Nebraska native’s fights. Once burned twice shy.