Vergil Ortiz Jr.Unmuted silence and shows interest in fights with Terence Crawford, Sebastian Fundora after breakthrough win

The 154-pound boxing world has become unbeaten Vergil Ortiz’s oyster as he improved to 4-0 in the division last weekend following a major health scare that robbed him of two years of his career and forced him to move up in weight.

Ortiz (23-0, 21 KOs) may have seen his career-long knockout streak get snapped in his last two fights, but the pair of wins over the last six months doubled as the two best of his entire career after the native of Dallas, who resides in the town of Grand Prairie, Texas, got up from the canvas twice to edge Serhii Bohachuk in a fight of the year candidate last August before returning on Saturday to outpoint former champion Israil Madrimov in Saudi Arabia.

Considering Madrimov was fresh off of nearly upsetting pound-for-pound star Terence Crawford in their title bout last August, many in boxing wondered how the 26-year-old Ortiz would deal with the movement and awkwardness of Madrimov. But Ortiz’s close victory by unanimous decision showcased as mature and patient a boxing performance as the often all-action fighter has yet to author since turning pro in 2016.

“I’m very proud of my performance and I’m in a good place right now,” Ortiz told CBS Sports on Wednesday. “[My gameplan was] just to not overcomplicate things. There was a lot of smoke and mirrors going on [with Madrimov’s movement] and I just needed to keep it simple. That’s all it was.”

In the process, Ortiz became the overnight darling of the junior middleweight division even though he has yet to fight for a world title.

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“I think that I proved that I am, if not the best, one of the best 154-pounders,” Ortiz said. “I think that I am but it’s just only a matter of time before I get the opportunities to prove that. I think I’m one of the best fighters in the game right now but I’m just looking for opportunities to show that.”

Although he is more known as a two-fisted slugger on the inside and a murderous body puncher, Ortiz proved himself as a world-class boxer by controlling Madrimov from middle distance and constantly cutting off the ring. Not only did Ortiz avoid the bait of Madrimov’s constant feinting, he poured on the offense in the second half as Madrimov slowed and the fight progressed.

Given that Crawford is likely headed toward a fall showdown with unified super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez, Ortiz believes Crawford should’ve been stripped and that his fight with Madrimov contested for the vacant WBO title.

That doesn’t mean Ortiz is complaining, however. And given his prior history of being willing to fight any name put in front of him — he signed to fight former titleholder Tim Tszyu last August before Tszyu pulled out with a cut and Ortiz fought Bohachuk, instead — he’s ready for quite literally anyone that his promoter, Golden Boy, or Saudi Arabian adviser, Turki Alalshikh, can secure.

Let’s take a closer look at Ortiz’s biggest options at 154 pounds and what he thinks about a possible fight against them.

Terence Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs), age 37, WBO titleholder: “I don’t know how we would do it but if it does happen, that would be amazing. We have been calling for that fight since [they both were at welterweight] and it has been a few years now. I don’t think that fight is going to happen. I spoke to a few people and they said that it’s only a matter of time before he retires. I hope for it but I’m not very optimistic that fight happens.”

Sebastian Fundora (21-1-1, 13 KOs), age 27, unified WBO/WBC titleholder: “I don’t think [fans would turn this fight down]. I think it’s a good fight. It’s a very fan-friendly fight, for sure. Every fight that Fundora is in is pretty much entertaining, in my opinion. I think this one is very simple [provided Fundora defeats Chordale Booker on March 22] and it’s a fight that pretty much everyone would want to see.”

Bakhram Murtazaliev (23-0, 17 KOs), age 32, IBF titleholder: “I don’t think anyone was really familiar with Murtazaliev, at least not here in the states, [until his upset knockout of Tszyu last October]. That was the first time most people had watched him and we all thought Tszyu was going to do his thing against him. I was shocked, I really was. I didn’t expect that at all and I was like, ‘Damn, this guy is good.’ Nevertheless, that just makes me even more excited because it’s just another good fighter I can test my skills against.”

Tim Tszyu (24-2, 17 KOs), age 30, former IBF titleholder: “Maybe me and Tim can run it back. Respectfully, I think he’s a great fighter. We both wanted that fight so bad. It sucks that it didn’t happen.”

Jermell Charlo (35-2-1, 19 KOs), age 34, former undisputed champion: “I think Charlo is still at 154 [despite having been idle since 2023]. I don’t have anything against him. I would love to test my skills against him, as well. I think he’s a great fighter.”

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Errol Spence Jr. (28-1, 22 KOs), age 34, former unified welterweight champion: “I don’t think Errol should fight again. And I say this as a fighter who really looked up to him being in the same gym. I think he’s done. I don’t want to see him fight again, I really don’t. It’s just for his health concerns. He already had the car crash and he had a bad night against Crawford [in 2023]. If he made the money that he has needed and doesn’t need anymore to survive and can live comfortably, just retire. I really don’t want to see him fight anymore as a friend.”

Jaron “Boots” Ennis (33-0, 29 KOs), age 27, IBF welterweight titleholder: “Ennis is a great fight!”

Serhii Bohachuk (25-2, 24 KOs), age 27, lost majority decision to Ortiz last August: “They wanted so much money on the last fight, they just kept asking for more money. They had so many demands that it was just insane. The fight almost didn’t happen. They wanted the money so bad that we said no rematch clause. But, now you want to fight again? They still got the money. You sold your belt for that extra $200,000. I’m conflicted about it. It’s like, ‘Yeah, I’ll fight you again but give me half of your purse or something. You are going to pay for that.’ I’m very conflicted by that because I’m a proud person. But me being a fighter, I would love to [have a rematch].”

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Errol Spence Jr. or Jermell Charlo, Who Should Vergil Ortiz Jr. Fight Next?

The light middleweight division has been experiencing a churn. Excitement surged with the arrival of Terence Crawford. Reasons were aplenty—from talks of bridging the gap toward Canelo Alvarez to a more practical achieving glory in yet another division. Now, Bakhram Murtazaliev has shocked the world. At Florida’s Caribe Royal Resort, he knocked out the heavy favorite Tim Tszyu and retained his IBF light middleweight title. Though a title defense, the upset might have set in a chain reaction.

But it appears in this shake-up that one low-key entry seems to have slipped out of the collective memory. After a prolonged break, Vergil Ortiz Jr. returned early this year. After two non-title bouts, on August 10, he squared off against Serhii Bohachuk for an interim title. For the first time in his career, Vergil Ortiz Jr. had to walk the distance. Nevertheless, the explosive KO artist delivered a solid ‘Fight of the Year’ contender. However, it’s over two months now. There’s still no clarity as to who the Grand Prairie-born boxer will fight next. There are a few potentials, though.

The Fight That Almost Was: Vergil Ortiz Jr. vs. Tim Tszyu

Interestingly, one of the earliest names that cropped up for a matchup was that of Tim Tszyu. In fact, the Sydney-born fighter and Ortiz Jr. were slated for a face-off on the August 3 Crawford-Madrimov card. But Tszyu’s injuries that he suffered during the Sebastian Fundora bout led to a cancellation. The prospect of an Ortiz Jr.-Tszyu fight was foremost in their thoughts when Oscar De La Hoya and HE Turki Alalshikh joined an interview.

But ‘The Soul Taker’s second career loss yesterday might have put a spanner in the works for any future matchup. Speaking about the divisional upheaval, following last year’s loss to Crawford, reports emerged that Errol Spence Jr. too joined the 154-pound weight class.

Could Vergil Ortiz Jr. face Errol Spence Jr.?

Vergil Ortiz Jr. had already expressed a keen interest in pursuing a face-off against the former welterweight champion. The idea of a showdown at the Cowboys Stadium held particular appeal to him. “I think the fight that makes that happen is the Spence fight. If he gets through Fundora and he’s healthy… we can run it at Cowboy Stadium,” he said during an interview. The fight makes for an intriguing contest. Though passingly, Spence Jr. has hinted at retiring from the sport. Hence, there’s a good chance he might want to go out on a high note—perhaps as a world champion.

Jermell Charlo: Another target for Ortiz Jr.?

Apart from Errol Spence Jr., Vergil Ortiz Jr. had Jermell Charlo as well in his sights. The former undisputed light middleweight champion has yet to make a comeback following the loss to Canelo Alvarez last September. Ortiz Jr. made his intentions clear even before he could mark his 154-pound debut against Frederick Lawson. Though he said, ‘anyone at the time,’ when a reporter specifically took Jermell Charlo’s name for a future fight, Ortiz Jr. made it explicitly clear, “I just, I just want to fight the best. I want to prove that I’m the best.”

Incidentally, promoter Oscar De La Hoya too appeared interested in a Charlo fight. Reportedly, he went back on an old tweet from the ‘Iron Man’ and told him to reach out following the April 27 Thomas Dulorme match.

But like Spence Jr.’s case, Charlo’s case is a bit complicated. Following the Canelo fight, the Louisiana-born fighter faced a slew of personal problems. Then, early in January, reports emerged that WBC had conferred on him the status of ‘champion in recess’. The decision led to the title being declared vacant. A few months later, the WBA followed suit. As of now, Jermell Charlo has been keeping a low profile, and there’s no clarity about his next move.

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Nevertheless, after a few months, even if he steps into the ring, will the fight with Ortiz Jr. resonate with fans?

Winding Up

Both Errol Spence Jr. . and Jermell Charlo turned 34 this year. They might be at the tail end of their careers. Hence, there’s a big question. Would either of them risk a fight against a younger, hungry contender like Ortiz Jr., especially with a loss potentially spelling the end of their time in the sport?

Of course, things have not been easy for the Grand Prairie-born fighter either. A move to a higher division seemingly exposed his vulnerabilities. It may only be a matter of time before a determined boxer of high caliber exploits it to his advantage. Could it be Terence Crawford? There are quite a few who support the matchup. Then there’s a high possibility of Jaron Ennis finally making a move to 154 pounds, presenting another enticing challenge for Ortiz Jr.

Let us know what your takes are on Vergil Ortiz Jr.’s options. Who do you feel he should fight next?

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