Vergil Ortiz Jr. is Boxing’s “Golden Ticket”

By Elliot Raines: Promoter Oscar De La Hoya says his fighter, Vergil Ortiz Jr., is the “golden ticket” for all other boxers from 147 to 154 to fight for them to be part of a “mega fight” in front of a packed Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

(Credit: Golden Boy Promotions / Cris Esqueda)

Ortiz (23-0, 21 KOs) faces a big test against Erickson Lubin (27-2, 19 KOs) this Saturday, Nov. 8 that will affect whether he becomes the star De La Hoya predicts.

Cowboys Stadium Dream

Vergil Jr. is still largely unproven at 27, and he hasn’t exactly looked like gold in his last two fights at 154 since being matched up against solid B-tier fighters Israil Madrimov and Serhii Bohachuk. Lubin, another B-level fighter, could be too much for Ortiz Jr., who would hinder Oscar’s vision.

As WBC interim junior middleweight champion Ortiz jr. lose this fight, it will put De La Hoya in a tough spot to have to explain what happened and confront the truth about his fighter. He’s not as good as he thinks he is.

“Ennis is going to tell Eddie, ‘I don’t want Vergil next. Give me another tune-up fight.’ Vergil Ortiz is so hungry right now to win a world title,” De La Hoya told the media Thursday, talking about Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis and his promoter, Eddie Hearn. They plan to be the prime spot for Ortiz Jr’s fight against Lubin.

“He won on Saturday night and he’s fighting ‘Boots.’ He’s still got something going because Vergil comes with everything,” De La Hoya said.

Golden Ticket Vision

“Vergil Ortiz, in whatever weight class he is, everyone follows because everyone knows that wherever he is, that he is the golden ticket. He is the only one who knows that he is going to be able to fill the Cowboys stadium.

“Just like he told Jerry Jones when he was a kid, ‘I’m going to fill that stadium for you,’ and I believe it now. But he’s the only one who can do it. Without Vergil Ortiz, nobody can do it right now. If we put Vergil against anybody in his next fight, it’s going to be a mega event

Elliot Raines has been covering British and European boxing since 2010. Known for his sharp pen and low tolerance for hype, Raines analyzes the sport’s politics, promoters and paper champions with dry precision.