Vergil Ortiz Jr. Could Return In December Following Health Scare – Says De La Hoya

November 15, 2023
1 year

Oscar De La Hoya is optimistic that Vergil Ortiz Jr. will return back to the ring in December. 

Ortiz is one of the most exciting boxers in the sport. His current record stands at 19 wins and 19 by way of knockout. However, his health took a turn for the worse in the build up to his last fight.

He was set to face Eimantas Stanionis at welterweight. However, the fight was called off before the pre-fight presser after Ortiz fainted and was then taken to hospital.

The suggestions were that he was struggling to make 147. After all, it was clear that the boxer had to move up in the future. This was the third time that such a bout had been canceled as Ortiz had been dealing with rhabdomyolysis.

Despite this being the case, the Golden Boy Promoter was optimistic that Ortiz would bounce back stronger. And in the process of doing so, De La Hoya was optimistic that Ortiz would fight at 154 or 160 moving forward. 

De La Hoya On Ortiz

“Sure, ’54, ’60, whatever weight division he and his father feel strong and ready to go. We’re still nailing down the date for December, but that’s the plan. Early December, and get him that win so he can feel good and so he can get his mind right and so he can get back on top and get back on track. Health is—you have to take care of yourself and you have to put that first. We’ve taken the necessary steps to make sure that he is 100% come December,” De La Hoya

And yet, Ortiz will have to consider his options carefully. Moving up to 154 or 160 is not going to be easy, given that Ortiz has not fought at the weight class.

In addition, there is no guarantee that his power will transfer up to that weight class. This is especially since he is a knockout artist at 147.

And there is also the question of rebuilding his way to a title shot at a higher weight class, which may take some time. Regardless of what the case may be, De La Hoya refused to give a full answer on Ortiz’s health. 

Ortiz’s Health

“I really don’t know. I’m not a doctor. I don’t know exactly what happened. All I know is that he’s a hard worker. He’s a gym rat….that’s what it takes to become a world champion. I don’t know exactly what happened. But we’re moving forward. He’ll fight at a different weight division and he’ll be back on top of the world,” De La Hoya

This naturally begs the question: who could Ortiz face? Well, there could be a mega fight against Terence Crawford down the line if the latter does move up to 154.

The same could also be said for Errol Spence Jr, who will no doubt be looking to redeem himself following his loss to Bud.

In addition, a move up to 160 could also provide other opponents such as Jermall Charlo or Erislandy Lara as the two hold the WBC and WBA titles respectively. And that is something that De La Hoya was keen on doing. 

“We’re looking forward to the opportunities against Crawford, against Spence, against —I hate naming PBC fighters, because Al Haymon has them all protected, yeah, the likes of Crawford. You want to go after those top guys and Vergil’s gonna be waiting in line, waiting for that opportunity to become world champion,” De La Hoya

You can stay up-to-date with the latest happenings in the world of boxing and MMA by visiting boxingblitz right here.

THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING boxingnews.COM

TAGS
COMMENTS

RELATED NEWS