Vergil Ortiz Jr. says he’s ready to challenge WBO junior middleweight champion Tim Tszyu for his title next after his strange-looking first-round knockout win over Fredrick Lawson last Saturday night in Las Vegas.
It’s doubtful, though, that promoter Oscar De La Hoya will give the 25-year-old Vergil Jr. (20-0, 20 KOs) the greenlight to face the unbeaten Tszyu (24-0, 17 KOs) for his title yet because he’s been too inactive over the last four years to fight at this level.
Is De La Hoya turning Vergil Jr. into Canelo-lite?
De La Hoya protects his fighters, keeping them out of harm’s way until the ideal time to put them in risky fights. You can argue that Ryan Garcia is the one exception to this rule, as De La Hoya seems eager for some reason to throw him in with WBC light welterweight champion Devin Haney, a fight he has virtually no shot at winning.
Oscar is very high on Vergil Ortiz Jr., believing he can transform him into a superstar in the sport, and some believe that he’s hoping to make him the next Canelo Alvarez.
It seems hopeless, as Ortiz Jr. doesn’t possess the hand speed, counter-punching ability, or Canelo’s appeal. The most important thing Vergil is missing is an ability to stay healthy, and that’s worrisome because you don’t normally see a fighter as young as him ailing with one health issue after another.
Tim Tszyu: “You, Vergil Ortiz Jr., Welcome to the 154 club. I’m always keen for a modern-day classic,” said Tszyu on X.
Vergil Ortiz Jr: “I knew you would be, man. Let’s do it.”
Ortiz Jr. could live to regret it if he does get the fight with Tszyu anytime soon because he’s not ready for this type of fighter, and with the way De La Hoya is keeping him under wraps, matching him carefully, he’s not going to improve enough to compete with this type of talent.
Tszyu would feast on a fighter like Vergil Ortiz Jr., who has been facing cabdriver-level opposition his entire career and arguably coddled with the matchmaking done on his behalf. Putting him in with Tszyu would be an utter disaster in 2024, similar to how we saw Jeff Lacy get handled by Joe Calzaghe years ago.
Ortiz Jr. needs to be put in with these types of fighters to prepare him for Tszyu:
- Jaron ‘Boots Ennis
- Janibek Alimkhanuly
- Caleb Plant
- David Benavidez
- David Morrell
- Erickson Lubin
This writer included 160 & 168-lb fighters due to Vergil Ortiz Jr’s walk-around weight being in the 170s and his fight against Lawson being at middleweight. That is to say, Vergil Ortiz Jr. is a true middleweight right now, NOT a 154-pounder, and he should be fighting guys like Janibek, Benavidez, Morrell, and Plant.
