VERGIL ORTIZ JR has used 2024 to get his career back on track after health issues threatened to derail his ambitions.
The 26-year-old returned to the ring at the beginning of the year needing just one round to beat Frederick Lawson. His 20th career win ended an absence of 15 months without a fight and in April and then August Ortiz he racked up victories against Thomas Dulorme and Serhii Bohachuk. The latter was the real test in the Ortiz comeback which resulted in a fight of the year contender.
With the WBC Interim super-welterweight belt in his possession Ortiz is near to a first legitimate world title shot. And the 154lb powerhouse is in Riyadh this week to talk business with promoters Golden Boy who will stage ‘Latino Night’ tomorrow night headlined by the world cruiserweight title unification between Gilberto Ramirez and Chris Billam-Smith.
Boxing News caught up with Ortiz and asked what’s next for the unbeaten contender.
“I don’t know what fight would be next. We do have a few names lined up and that’s part of the reason why I’m here to actually talk business and see who we’re going to have lined up. I’m ready for any of those fights. I’m always down for a great fight. I love it when fans come up to me [and] say, ‘Man, I loved your fight, it was so exciting,’ I get a kick out of that. I take pride in that to be a part of fights everyone likes and people will enjoy for years to come. It’s just awesome.”
The super-welterweight division is packed with great fights for Ortiz wherever he looks. But there is one man in particular who he would love to share a ring with to find out how good he really is.
“I love testing myself,” he said.
“When I say I want to fight someone it’s not that I don’t like them or anything. I respect them as a fighter. I’m not going to go and call out some guy that’s two wins and 13 losses that doesn’t do me any good. I want to fight the best. I believe [Terence] Crawford is top two, three pound-for-pound in the world and I would love to test myself against someone like that. I just want to test my ability.”
Crawford holds the WBA title at 154lbs after narrowly beating Israil Madrimov in August. Fellow champions Sebastian Fundora and Bakhram Murtazaliev will return in 2025 along with Crawford. And with challenges potentially coming from Vergil Ortiz Jr, Xander Zayas, Callum Walsh, Madrimov, Tim Tszyu, Errol Spence Jr and Erickson Lubin next year could be a memorable period for one of the hottest divisions in the sport.
