Trainer Robert Garcia says Vergil Ortiz Jr. would be too strong for former undisputed welterweight champion Terence Crawford if the two meet at 154.
It’s questionable whether the 36-year-old Crawford would even be willing to fight Ortiz because the Omaha, Nebraska native wants two or three big-money fights before retiring.
Vergil Ortiz Jr. = Alfredo Angulo 2.0
The 25-year-old Vergil’s lack of hand speed was hard to ignore last Saturday night as he looked very slow. Robert has got to have noticed how slow he is, but he’s not saying anything.
Crawford would have a field day against a slow fighter like Vergil Jr., who reminded this writer of Alfredo Angulo. Ortiz Jr. looks like a smaller, weaker version of Angulo. Vergil Jr. will likely run into problems as soon as he faces a guy with halfway decent speed at 154, and at that point, he’ll wind up like Angulo and start losing.
Ortiz Jr. is a perfect copy of Angulo. If you were to recreate a replica of Angulo from star to finish, you’d get Vergil Ortiz, which is why he would have no chance against Crawford.
Ortiz Jr. isn’t a big enough name for Crawford to get the kind of money that he’d like for it to be worthwhile. Robert states that he would like Vergil (20-0, 20 KOs) to face Crawford, but he would need to win a world title.
Last Saturday night, Ortiz fought for the first time in 16 months, stopping Fredrick Lawson (30-4, 22 KOs) by a premature first-round stoppage at the Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. The referee spoiled Vergil Jr’s fight by hastily stopping it out of the blue.
Three Fights in 2024
Ortiz, 25, is being moved quickly in 2024, with the ambitious plan of fighting three to four times, with the final fight being for a world title at the end of the year against either Jermell Charlo or Tim Tszyu.
“We’re going to keep him busy, fighting three times this year, and one of them could be for a world title,” said trainer Robert Garcia to Boxing Social about Vergil Ortiz Jr.
If Ortiz Jr. is going to be as busy as Robert hopes, he needs to face better opposition, considering he’s not going to improve fighting guys like Lawson and Michael McKinson.
He’s got to fight solid contenders, ones that have the kind of talent and power that can mimic the champions, Jermell Charlo and Tim Tszyu. To get ready for those fighters, Vergil Jr. should fight these guys in his three fights:
1. Erickson Lubin
2. Xander Zayas
3. Brian Mendoza
It’s questionable whether the Angulo-esque Vergil Ortiz Jr. beats any of those three fighters due to his slow hand and foot speed. Those guys would put hands on Vergil with the way he plods forward face first, and he won’t last long.
“That would be awesome. Terence Crawford is the best fighter in the world right now, pound-for-pound,” said Robert when asked about his thoughts on Crawford moving up to 154.
Vergil Jr. too strong for Crawford?
“For me, ever since he was fighting for Top Rank. He had one fight against Mikey [Garcia] and one against my nephew; we knew the great talent hat Terence Crawford had.
“To be the best fighter pound-for-pound in the world, on my list, it would be an honor to share the ring with him. To share the ring with BoMac. To share the ring with Terence Crawford and BoMac, I would love that.
“I think Vergil is too strong for Terence Crawford. People can give me a hard time for what I’m saying, but Vergil is too strong. Beterbiev, but there’s also Subriel Matias at 140, who has 19 knockouts in 20 wins, but he has a loss. So that doesn’t put him at 100% because he already has one loss,” said Robert.
What Robert isn’t saying is Vergil Jr’s 20 knockouts have come against pedestrian-level opposition, the whole lot of them. His opponent last Saturday, Fredrick Lawson, was the typical type that Vergil has been padding his record with his entire career. Ortiz Jr has been matched in the same way that Edgar Berlanga was in his first 16 fights.
“Yeah, Beterbiev and Vergil. I know Vergil wants four fights [in 2024], but I know, realistically, we’re going to have three,” said Garcia. “The third fight could already be for a world title. I think this one and then another in the summer, and then we should get a world title fight towards the end of the year.
“We want to go for the title. Crawford’s not a champion yet. So, he has to come and pick up a title. [Jermell] Charlo would be my first choice,” said Garcia on who he wants Vergil Ortiz to fight for a world title at 154.
