By Gilbert Manzano

Vergil Ortiz Jr. and Mauricio Herrera have a 17-year age difference, but they also have a few things in common.

The co-main event fighters for the Saul “Canelo” Alvarez-Daniel Jacobs May 4 undercard both train in Riverside, California, and get their haircut at the same barbershop.

Just imagine, Ortiz and Herrera accidentally scheduling their haircut appointments at the same time before taking off to Las Vegas for their 10-round welterweight clash. It would be a pre-fight face-off at the local barbershop.

That likely won’t happen, but Ortiz did receive information regarding Herrera the last time he sat in the barber’s chair.

“I’ve heard in the barbershop that he said, ‘I’m not going to be stopped by some little kid,’” Ortiz said in an interview with BoxingScene.com. “That’s what I heard. I’m not offended.”

Ortiz, a 21-year-old top prospect for Golden Boy Promotions, has knocked out all 12 of his opponents since turning pro in 2016. Herrera, a savvy 38-year-old veteran, has never been knocked out in 32 pro fights. One of those streaks will end inside the T-Mobile Arena ring.

“I expect (Herrera) to try to show that he’s not going to be stopped by some kid who’s 12-0,” Ortiz said. “If he wants to underestimate me that’s on him. That’s cool, but when it comes to the ring, he’s going to see how big of a deal I am.”

It won’t be easy for Ortiz to record a knockout in what could be the toughest fight of his young career. Herrera (24-8, 7 knockouts) gave former unified junior welterweight champion Danny Garcia all he could handle in a majority decision loss, but that was five years ago.

Herrera has also been in the ring with notable fighters such as Sadam Ali, Jose Benavidez Jr. and Mike Alvarado, and has a win over Ruslan Provodnikov that came in 2011.

Ortiz respects Herrera’s resume and doesn’t plan on overlooking the former interim WBA junior welterweight champion.

“That’s a big challenge and that’s the first thing I noticed about him that he hasn’t been knocked out yet,” said Ortiz, who’s making his welterweight debut. “He’s had pretty good competition and I know he’s going to make me earn it, and I’m going to try hard for (the knockout).”

The Ortiz-Herrera bout will be streamed on DAZN before Alvarez and Jacobs take the ring for their highly anticipated middleweight unification match. Ortiz and Herrera were elevated to the co-main event after David Lemieux pulled from his fight against John Ryder because of injury.