Vergil Ortiz Jr. wants Terence Crawford at 154

Golden Boy-promoted Vergil Ortiz Jr. is focusing on a struggle in opposition to Terence Crawford in 2024, focusing on the extremely ranked pound-for-pound fighter together with the champions within the 154-lb division.

Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) is shifting as much as junior middleweight for his rematch with Errol Spence Jr. and can start campaigning on this weight class, hoping to get an opportunity to tackle Canelo Alvarez & probably Jermall Charlo.

The 36-year-old Crawford might not wish to face Vergil Jr., as he says he solely needs to be concerned within the big money-making fights in opposition to the massive names. Sadly, Ortiz Jr. isn’t one of many widespread fighters within the sport as a result of his inactivity and weak resume, that are principally full of lesser opposition.

Ortiz wants some stable wins

For Ortiz to have an opportunity of sharing the ring with Crawford, he’ll should be tremendous busy in 2024 and knock off a few of the greatest within the 154-lb division, beating these fighters:

Tim Tszyu
Jermell Charlo
Brian Mendoza
Erickson Lubins
Sebastian ‘The Towering Inferno’ Fundora

Ortiz (19-0, 19 KOs) is coming back from his lengthy interval of inactivity this Saturday, January sixth, going through Fredrick Lawson (30-3, 22 KOs) in a twelve spherical headliner on DAZN at The Theater at Virgin Accommodations Las Vegas.

Earlier than Ortiz Jr’s lengthy layoff & well being issues, he’d been one of many high welterweights within the division. Nevertheless, he’d by no means fought any of the top-echelon 147-pounders, so it was troublesome to understand how good he was.

We nonetheless gained’t know that after Saturday as a result of the 34-year-old Lawson is just not one of many high fighters within the 154-lb division. He’s a tune-up-level opponent picked out by Golden Boy for Ortiz Jr. to get the rust off.

Ortiz Jr. needs Crawford

“There’s not a complete lot of tape on him. I do know he’s fought somebody that I’ve sparred earlier than,” stated Vergil Ortiz Jr. to Boxing Social about his little-known opponent Fredrick Lawson. “He’s from Ghana, he’s an African fighter, in order that they’re robust. They’re right here to win. They’re not right here to put down and lose. So, we’re prepared for that.”

Ortiz Jr. didn’t look that sharp in his final struggle in opposition to Michael McKinson in August 2022 and was getting outboxed earlier than stopping the British fighter within the ninth spherical. He’s going to should look so much higher than that in opposition to Lawson if he needs to impress followers this Saturday evening on DAZN.

A yr earlier, Vergil Jr. was damage by Egidijus Kavaliauskas within the early going and was near being stopped in August 2021. Fortunately for Ortiz, Kavaliauskas ran out of gasoline whereas going for the KO and couldn’t get his second wind.

“To coach particularly for him was laborious. So, I labored on common stuff, like my power,” stated Ortiz Jr. “Typically, you could have a plan, and the struggle finally ends up being utterly completely different and never what you anticipated it to be, or possibly you see a quicker strategy to do it. Typically, it doesn’t matter.

“There’s plus sides for each side. One, I get the rounds in and form of make-up for misplaced time. Two, I get him out of there in lower than 4 rounds. That’s an enormous assertion proper there that I’m nonetheless the identical man. Both approach, it’s a win-win for me. I don’t care,” stated Ortiz Jr. about the advantages of getting rounds or getting a quick knockout on Saturday evening in opposition to Lawson.

“That’s a extremely good struggle. I’ve a variety of respect for him,” stated Ortiz Jr. about Terence Crawford shifting as much as 154 and his ideas on probably going through him sooner or later. “I wouldn’t say he’s the highest pound-for-pound man. I believe he’s undoubtedly high two, and I’d like to see what I might do in opposition to him,” stated Vergil Jr. about his want to struggle Crawford.

“I’m only a aggressive individual. I don’t have any hate for anybody. I don’t say, ‘I wish to struggle him as a result of I don’t like him.’ I’ve respect for each fighter, and I simply wish to see what I can do in opposition to the very best,” stated Ortiz Jr.