This is more than just another homecoming for Vergil Ortiz Jr.
All eyes are on the rising welterweight contender, who makes his first appearance of 2021 in a local rivalry clash with former junior welterweight titlist Maurice Hooker (27-1-3, 18KOs). The bout—which airs live on DAZN from Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas (Saturday, 9:00 p.m. ET)—is viewed by Ortiz and his team as the table setter for what is expected to be a breakout year.
Boxing has remained active in Texas since the pandemic, in part due to it being among the few states allowing fans during that time. Saturday’s showdown sees the pair of Dallas-bred welterweights face each other rather than gain the benefit of separate hometown showcases. It only adds to what’s at stake just for the main even but for how it will shape the future of one of the sport’s most promising young talents.
“If this fight goes well, it just opens up more doors,” Ortiz acknowledged to BoxingScene.com. “I’m motivated for all of my fights. I train hard for all of my fights but when there’s something on the line always adds more fuel to the flame.”
Ortiz (16-0, 16KOs) has found himself in high demand, more so as Golden Boy Promotions continues to reshuffle the deck in its best efforts to remain an industry leader.
The unbeaten 22-year-old from Grand Prairie, Texas was tasked with headlining the first DAZN show since the pandemic which came last July at Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, California. It was precisely where he left off at the end of his 2019 Prospect of the Year campaign, having wrapped up that banner year with a 5th round stoppage of Brad Solomon for his fourth knockout in as many fights.
Ortiz returned to the venue last July, scoring a 7th round stoppage of veteran fringe contender Samuel Vargas. The bout was due to have taken place last March in front of fans at The Forum in Inglewood, California, only for the initial wave of the ongoing pandemic to delay such plans and leave Ortiz to fight behind closed doors.
Still, the moment came with the responsibility of flying the Golden Boy banner. A lot has changed in the past seven months, with the company still pushing forward with fan-friendly fights though in search of filling a superstar void at the top with the defection of pound-for-pound king Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez.
Ortiz is at—or at least close—to the top of a list which includes unbeaten lightweight Ryan Garcia (21-0, 17KOs), who had his own Texas-sized breakout performance. The wildly popular Californian climbed off the deck to stop 2012 Olympic Gold medalist and former two-time title challenger Luke Campbell (20-4, 16KOs) inside of seven rounds this past January, with Ortiz at ringside for the event at American Airlines Center in Dallas.
This Saturday sees Ortiz step up in competition—at least in name value—with Hooker having served as a WBO 140-pound titlist for 13 months and who also enjoys advantages in height, reach and experience. It’s the type of test Golden Boy asks of its fighters, clearly with its young gun game for the cause.
“That’s a positive. It makes me feel really good that they have a lot of confidence in me,” Ortiz says of the company founded and headed by Hall of Fame former six-division champion Oscar de la Hoya. “A lot of people take it as pressure, I use it as motivation to always be at my best.
“I don’t plan to let them down. I’m taking Maurice Hooker very seriously but this is just the start. I want this to be the first of at least three or four fights this year, hopefully one of them for a world title.”
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
