Fundora said this week that he would welcome a match with Vergil Jr for the vacant Ring title, adding that he expects to be ready again in September if he gets by Keith Thurman on March 28. The opponent list, in his words, is open.
“It would be great to fight on the Canelo card,” Fundora told Ring Magazine. “I will be ready to fight again in September after the Thurman fight. I will fight Vergil.”
Vergil Jr has been available at 154 for some time, but Fundora hasn’t publicly pushed for that match in this way. Connecting it to a major platform changes how it reads. It comes across less like a voluntary risk and more like a calculated move tied to exposure and positioning.
Ortiz is rated No. 1 by The Ring in junior middleweight, with Fundora just behind him. A meeting between the two will interest fans.
Vergil Jr’s situation has yet to be clarified. He remains tied up in a legal dispute with Golden Boy, which has slowed his activity at a point in his career when regular fights are needed. Any progress there will have to come quickly to make a September timeline realistic.
Fundora also has its own hurdle in front of it. He faces Thurman on March 28 and enters as a clear betting favorite.
“I expect the best Keith Thurman, but this is a new era,” Fundora said. “I beat him down.”
A fight between Fundora and Ortiz Jr. will be a good one if it happens. There will be more interest than Sebastian’s current fight against the 37-year-old Thurman, which has not attracted much attention.
