Vergil Ortiz Jr. is covering all bases to ensure that his next fight is a title eliminator or better.
A request by Golden Boy Promotions vice president and executive matchmaker Roberto Diaz on behalf of Ortiz called for the WBC to order a final elimination bout between the unbeaten welterweight contender and former unified titlist Keith Thurman. The proposal was made Tuesday afternoon during the ratings portion of this year’s annual WBC convention in Acapulco, Mexico.
Thurman (30-1, 22KOs) is currently the number-one contender, while Ortiz (19-0, 19KOs) is ranked number-two. If granted, the bout would determine the next WBC mandatory challenger for unified WBA ‘Super’/WBC/IBF titlist Errol Spence Jr. (28-0, 22KOs). A final ruling is expected on Wednesday, when the convention covers all mandatory and voluntary title fight and final elimination contests.
The WBC already tipped its hand with its immediate response to Golden Boy’s request. WBC longtime president Mauricio Sulaiman was of the belief that Ortiz is already the WBO mandatory challenger per a declaration during the WBO convention, to which Diaz remarked that no such documentation was in his possession. The matter was tabled by the WBC, who was previously already on record stating its plans to order Spence-Thurman during the convention.
Such a fight would still leave Ortiz in a position to then go the WBA route. The unbeaten knockout artist from Grand Prairie, Texas is the number-one and mandatory challenger to secondary WBA welterweight titlist Eimantas Stanionis, whose mandatory is due by January 16, 2023.
Spence holds the ‘Super version of the title, with welterweight one of seven weight divisions boasting multiple WBA titleholders.
As previously reported by BoxingScene.com, the 24-year-old Ortiz has already petitioned the WBA to order the fight. BoxingScene.com has confirmed that Stanionis and his team have until November 16 to confirm his next opponent, before his voluntary period expires at which point he will be required to honor his mandatory title defense.
Ortiz is still left in a good position even if Stanionis is the welterweight of choice to next face Spence, who is in search of an opponent after plans collapsed for an undisputed championship clash with WBO titlist Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford. Confirmation of a Spence-Stanionis fight would in turn force the WBC to honor Golden Boy’s request for Thurman-Ortiz, be it for a final eliminator or even an interim title.
Thurman was moved to the number-one position earlier several months after his February 5 win over Mario Barrios in their semi-final title eliminator. It wasn’t until David Avanesyan was declared unable to proceed with a sought title eliminator with Ortiz, when the WBC adjusted its rankings in its July 2022 update. Thurman landed in the top spot, followed by Ortiz and then Philadelphia’s Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis (29-0, 27KOs) who is the IBF number-one contender.
Ortiz maintained his lofty place in line with all four sanctioning bodies following a ninth-round knockout of unbeaten Michael McKinson on August 13 in Fort Worth, mere minutes from Ortiz’s hometown.
There were preliminary talks of Ortiz landing on a mid-December DAZN show, though the plans were removed once it became clear that a big fight was well within reach. Wednesday’s session at the WBC convention should at least provide clarity as to which opportunity will potentially come his way.
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox