Home Boxing News Vergil Ortiz Jr wants Terence Crawford, Errol Spence Jr, says Manny Pacquiao...

Vergil Ortiz Jr wants Terence Crawford, Errol Spence Jr, says Manny Pacquiao fight unlikely to happen

Vergil Ortiz Jr
Vergil Ortiz Jr. Photo credit: Tom Hogan-Hoganphotos/Golden Boy Promotions

Fast-rising welterweight knockout artist Vergil Ortiz Jr 15-0 (15) is ready to test his mettle against any of the top 147-pounders after his fight against seasoned campaigner Samuel Vargas 31-5-2 (14) later this month.

The destructive 22-year-old power-puncher is scheduled to face Vargas in California on July 24.

The welterweight division remains one of the most stacked weight classes in boxing, with Terence Crawford, Manny Pacquiao and Errol Spence Jr all vying for supremacy. Former world champions like Keith Thurman, Shawn Porter and Danny Garcia are still in the mix, with a host of hungry young contenders nipping at their heels.

“I feel like I’m ready after this fight, because as of right now, I feel like I can give any welterweight champion a hard fight,” Ortiz Jr told Sky Sports.

“I don’t necessarily have a hit list, because I want to fight everyone, I really do. The top five, six welterweights, there’s Danny Garcia, there’s [Yordenis] Ugas, who is definitely a great fighter that everyone tends to overlook.

“I don’t think I’ll be able to fight Manny Pacquiao, I feel he’s on his way out by the time I get up there, so I’m not necessarily worried about him. I’m not worried about anyone, but I don’t think my time to fight him will come.

“But there’s Crawford as well and there’s Errol Spence, Keith Thurman and Porter. I literally want to fight all those guys.”

Ortiz Jr is expecting a tough fight from Vargas, with four of five of the Colombian’s losses coming against future or former world champions.

“I feel like it’s going to be a very tough fight,” he said. “I know that this guy can take a punch.

“He will come forward and he doesn’t care. If he takes a punch, he’s going to give a punch, and that’s the kind of fight we’re expecting.”