Early this year, Vergil Ortiz Jr. returned to the ring after a break of 17 months. He wasn’t going to settle for anything short of a triumphant comeback. The Grand Prairie-born boxer did just that by the third bout of the year. Serhii Bohachuk forced him to walk the whole distance. Nonetheless, Ortiz Jr. secured a victory that elevated him to world championship status. Now he could call out the opponents to make some great fights, both for fans and himself.

Despite a swollen face, he confirmed an interest in pursuing Terence Crawford. Just a week before his victory in Los Angeles, Crawford had won his fourth division title against Israil Madrimov. He has been talking about a fight with Canelo Alvarez. Many even felt the move up a division might have been a step in that direction. Unfortunately, during the fight, a divergence of opinions surfaced between His Excellency Turki Alalshikh and Canelo Alvarez. Thus, the light middleweight division tentatively opened to new equations. Talks have been rife about a potential match between Ortiz Jr. and Crawford. Now WBC’s new interim light middleweight shared a message where he revealed the fights he would love to pursue. It didn’t take much time before fans too joined, sharing their thoughts.

Vergil Ortiz Jr.: Some recommendations from my end

While expressing his respect and admiration, Vergil Ortiz J. revealed that he wants to establish a legacy that will narrate a story—him taking on some of the best. Hence, the “Top 3 fighters who I would love the chance to run it against” included Terence Crawford, Errol Spence Jr., and Sebastian Fundora.

In the lead-up to the Bohachuk clash, Oscar De La Hoya joined HE Alalshikh at the venue. The head of Riyadh Season said, “Ortiz, if he do the job today, we want to see him against Crawford.” De la Hoya soon added Tim Tszyu‘s name as another alternate.

Earlier, while talking to a bunch of reporters, Vergil Ortiz Jr. himself stated how it had been one of his dreams to pursue a fight against one of the big names, such as Errol Spence Jr., at the Cowboy Stadium. “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 had opined.

Options Galore

Nevertheless, not all fans agreed with his list. A few added some names they felt would be better options for a matchup against Ortiz Jr. Let’s check what some of them had to say.

This fan had a word of caution for Ortiz Jr. Considering some of the fans and critics held that on the August 10 fight, it was Serhii Bohachuk who deserved the win, this fan suggested that Ortiz Jr. might not be ready to face a boxer of Terence Crawford’s caliber. “After losing to @SBohachuk, I advise you to stay far away from @terencecrawford Vergil,” said this fan.

Taking a step ahead, the next fan rather had all the outcomes of the suggested matchups laid out. So Ortiz Jr. would lose a tightly contested battle against ‘Bud’ Crawford. He might score a victory over Spence Jr., but over Fundora, he has an assured victory. “My prediction: 1. You lose a dog fight to Bud. 2. You beat Spence by decision 3. You annihilate Fundora.“

The next fan expressed excitement over the names Ortiz Jr. suggested. Nevertheless, they seem to wonder why he doesn’t show any interest in pursuing a fight with Tim Tszyu. An earlier planned fight between them eventually caved in. The fan said, “Love to see it! But also no appetite for Tszyu considering the fight was cancelled? That would be great.”

Likewise, the next fan wanted to know why Jermell Charlo‘s name wasn’t mentioned. According to the fan, the ‘Iron Man’ still lords over the 154-pound weight class. “Why no, @TwinCharlo, he still 👑 of 154 didn’t lose his belts in the ring??” said the fan.

One fan wondered why Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis‘ name wasn’t mentioned: “Where’s Boots Ennis?” Then, according to another, Israil Madrimov also makes for a competent alternative: “If none of these guys are available, Madrimov would be a good substitute, champ 🫡🔥.”

Considering the fact that Spence Jr. is the number one ranked contender in the WBC rankings, a fight with Ortiz Jr. makes the most logical sense.

Undoubtedly, a fight between Vergil Ortiz Jr. and Terrance Crawford makes for a memorable blockbuster. However, on understandable grounds, the Nebraskan might be looking for that huge payday that he deserves as he progresses into the twilight years of his glorious career.

Hence, in that scenario, a fight for Sebastian Fundora’s world title could be the next option. An attempt at title unification might put him at a crossroads against the heavy-hitting Russian Bakhram Murtazaliev. Nevertheless, if Ortiz Jr. dreams of undisputed glory, then he will have to go through the Crawford wall.

Who are your personal views could be the best choice for a matchup against Vergil Ortiz Jr.?