By: Hans Themistode
For years unified Welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr couldn’t buy a fight. Hell, at one point he could barely get any of the top name fighters to even say his name. Now however, things have changed.
With huge wins over Kell Brook, Lamont Peterson, Mikey Garcia and most recently Shawn Porter, Spence has no shortage of huge fights right at his fingertips.
Still, even with most believing that Spence is the best that the Welterweight division has to offer, he still has to make a bit of noise before some of the more notable names decide to fight him. One fighter however, is anxious to get in the ring with him right now.
“I think I’ll be ready for Errol Spence in less than two years, honestly,” said Welterweight contender Vergil Ortiz. “I don’t want to wait too long to where he’s already on his way out. I want to say that I beat Errol in his prime. Hopefully, we get it on in the Cowboys Stadium.”
Ortiz has grown his popularity over the years thanks to his knockout power. He hasn’t exactly faced the best competition, but through 15 career fights, he has yet to see the final bell. Calling Ortiz a contender would be a bit of a stretch, but he’s seemed to done enough to gain the attention of Spence who was in attendance to catch one of his most recent performance in 2019.
“I’m actually pretty happy that he showed up [for the fight]. It means a lot to me. He used to be my teammate, and he’s a great fighter,” said Ortiz after his win over Orozco last August. “I want to be a four-division world champion. I just want to be remembered.”
Both Spence and Ortiz do share a bit of history with one another as they grew up in the same area in Texas. They also trained in the same gym together.
With Spence being eight years older than Ortiz, the thought of a contest never actually crossed his mind. But with Ortiz making a bit of noise in his weight class, the unlikely pairing between the two could become a reality.