The prospect of a fight between Vergil Ortiz Jr. and Terence Crawford has sparked considerable discussion in the boxing world. This analysis delves into the potential matchup, considering Ortiz's recent form, Crawford's move to a new weight class, and expert opinions on the matter.
Ortiz Jr.'s Ambitions and Recent Performance
Vergil Ortiz Jr., the WBC interim junior middleweight champion, has expressed a strong desire to face Terence Crawford. "I’m here to fight the best. I don’t care who it is. It can be ‘Boots’ next. It can be Spence next. It can be Crawford next if he’s still willing to do it. That’s a fight that I’ve been calling for. I think that’s a great fight to make happen still," said Ortiz Jr. However, some critics argue that Ortiz Jr.'s career is built on "smoke and mirrors," suggesting that his impressive record is a result of carefully chosen, weaker opponents.
Choosing a faded Erickson Lubin rather than Bakhram Murtazaliev and ‘Boots’ Ennis, it gives fans the impression that Vergil’s career is a sham and he’s not what he’s being made to look like.
In his recent fight, there’s controversy surrounding Vergil Ortiz’s win against Bohachuk because he was dropped twice in the fight in rounds one and eight. The judges gave the win to Vergil by the scores 113-113, 114-112, and 114-112. It’s fair to say the judges gave Vergil a gift based on his better marketability, but not because of what he did in the ring.
Crawford's Move to 154 Pounds and Potential Fight with Canelo
Canelo Álvarez vs. Terence Crawford | Official Teaser Trailer | Netflix
Terence Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) recently moved up to 154 pounds, securing a win against WBA champion Israil Madrimov in August of last year. This followed undisputed runs at 140 and 147 pounds. However, Ortiz believes that Crawford should have first fought someone at 168 to really get the feel of the division instead of jumping straight to Canelo.
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Ortiz is warning Terence Crawford that the Mexican star’s strength will be unlike anything he’s ever felt before when he faces the undisputed super middleweight champion on Sept. 13 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Netflix. “There are different kinds of power," Ortiz told The Ring. "With Canelo, it's like an unstoppable force. It wasn't really explosive, but man, it was [expletive] heavy. He has heavy hands. I don't say this out of bias toward Canelo, but logically, a great bigger fighter beats a great smaller fighter.”
“Crawford fought once at 154 pounds, and now he's jumping up two weight classes,” said Ortiz, The Ring’s No. 2-rated contender at 154 pounds. “It's a big jump, and it's not like he's fighting some random dude at 168 pounds."
Expert Opinions and Potential Outcomes
Chris Williams, a boxing analyst, sees Vergil Jr. as a slightly bigger, slower version of Eimantas Stanionis. He also suggests that fighting Errol Spence Jr. next instead of ‘Boots,’ he’s going to take a lot of criticism from the boxing public.
De La Hoya said it would be up to Vergil (22-0, 21 KOs) to decide whether to fight Crawford next, and he has stated that he wants that matchup rather than a rematch with Bohachuk.
Ortiz is warning Terence Crawford that the Mexican star’s strength will be unlike anything he’s ever felt before when he faces the undisputed super middleweight champion on Sept. 13 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Netflix.
Analyzing a potential fight between Ortiz and Madrimov, from a styles standpoint, I think Ortiz will dictate the pace of the fight and force Madrimov to be defensive for most of the fight. I simply think that Ortiz will be more active and outwork Madrimov for most of the rounds. If he can get to Madrimovs body consistently he may be able to stop him. Vergil wins because he usually sets a fast and aggressive pace throughout the fight while Madrimov likes to wait and calculate his shots.
Read also: Potential Rematch: Canelo vs. Crawford
Possible scenarios for Vergil Ortiz Jr.
If Tszyu is expected to face IBF champion Bakhram Murtazaliev for his belt. If he wins that fight and Ortiz Jr. is victorious against Bohachuk, a match between them can happen. If it plays out as De La Hoya wishes, Vergil could be the king of the 154-lb division and a new star.
Read also: Potential Crawford-Tszyu Fight