Vergil Ortiz Jr Open To Fighting Pacquiao, Crawford Or Spence
Unbeaten welterweight contender Vergil Ortiz Jr finished the “Mean Machine” Egidijus Kavaliauskas this past weekend and afterwards sent a huge statement to all the to the top contenders and champions in the division.
Ortiz Jr dropped Kavaliauskas five times en route to an eighth round finish on Saturday night, a fight that served as the biggest test in his career. The fight which took place at The Ford Center, was barely a stay busy fight for Ortiz Jr, who hopes to eventually land a crack at WBO welterweight Champion Terence Crawford.
“Yes,” Ortiz emphatically exclaimed regarding his willingness to take that fight next, though noting the business side. “There’s so much shit going on in boxing right now, I don’t even know what I have to do anymore.”
Ortiz Jr is definitely willing but facing Crawford in his next fight will definitely not be possible as the unbeaten titlist from Omaha, is currently in talks with former welterweight title challenger Shawn Porter as ordered by the WBO.
Ortiz (18-0, 18KOs) no doubt defeated the biggest test of his professional career but might need to take a tune up fight while waiting for a shot at Terence Crawford WBO Belt. Before taking out Kavaliauskas, Ortiz Jr knocked out former WBO 140 pound champion Maurice Hooker, who is also Terence Crawford’s stablemate.
“I’m here whenever. I’m ready to fight whenever,” insists Ortiz. “It doesn’t matter if it’s Crawford, if it’s WBC/IBF welterweight titlist Errol Spence, or eight-division titlist Manny Pacquiao. You name it, I’ll fight anyone.”