Ortiz Jr. Calls Out Crawford, Spence & Ennis After KO Win

Virgil Ortiz Jr. added Terrence Crawford and the inactive Errol Spence Jr. among the names he wants to fight next, along with Jaron “Boots” Ennis, following his second-round TKO win over Erickson Lubin last Saturday night in Fort Worth, Texas.

Crawford? Not a chance

It’s a big deal for interim WBC middleweight champion Ortiz Jr. to be hoping for a fight against Crawford next. Virgil’s opponent, Lupine (27-3, 19 KOs) looked so bad in the fight that it’s hard for fans to give the hype he’ll need to lure Bud into facing him next.

Lubin, 30, looked terrible, fighting with his back on the ropes, not landing punches, and was stopped in a brisk manner by Ortiz Jr. (24-0, 22 KOs) in the second round. He appeared washed up. It wasn’t even remotely a competitive fight from the start, as Eriksson had nothing to offer in the fight.

Punching bag in fort worth

Lupine’s movements were cumbersome, as if he was moving on stilts, speed was nowhere to be found, and his decision-making was inept. Over and over, Lupine leaned against the ropes and pounded, allowing the slugger Virgil Jr. to unload on him at will with body and head.

Even if he had anything left, his decision making was terrible. It was the same thing we saw from Lupine in his losses to Jermell Charlo and Sebastian Fundora. These are the only two notable names in Lubin’s 12-year professional resume, and he has been knocked out in both fights.

Smoke, mirrors and marketing

This poor level of opposition has reinforced the argument some fans have that Vergil Ortiz Jr.’s career has been all smoke and mirrors. It gives more weight to those who believe Ortiz Jr. is a manufactured, fake fighter, made to look good out of matchmaking with weak opponents. Golden Boy had already chosen Lubin will, and had the perfect opponent to make Vergil Jr. It looks like 24 karat gold.

Manufacturer competitor

The lackluster selection of Eriksson Lubin over Bakhram Murtzaliyev and Enes “Boots” gives fans the impression that… Virgil’s career is a sham It is not what it is made out to be. In Chris Williams’ experienced eyes, and from his many years watching boxing, Virgil Jr. looked like a slightly bigger, slower version of boxing. Emantas stanionis. The only difference between them is that Stanionis is faster and a little smaller.

The Errol Spence fight won’t fool anyone

If Virgil Jr. fights 35-year-old Errol Spence Jr. (28-1, 22 KOs) next instead of “Boots,” he will receive a lot of criticism from the boxing public. Spence will turn 36 in March 2026 and has not fought in two years since his ninth-round knockout loss to Crawford on July 29, 2023. Furthermore, Errol has not looked good since being involved in a horrific car accident on October 10, 2019, in Dallas, Texas. He has fought three times since that incident and has looked like a shell of himself in each of them.

“I’m here to fight the best. I don’t care who it is. He could be the next ‘Boots’. He could be the next Spence. He could be the next Crawford if he’s still willing to do it. It’s a fight I’ve been calling for. I think it’s a great fight that should happen,” Virgil Ortiz Jr. said in the post-fight press conference last Saturday night, where he discussed his views on his next fight after a second-round TKO. Ericsson Lubin.

Better options for Vergil Jr’s next battle

1. Jaron Ennis
2. Bakram Murtazalev
3. Brandon Adams
4. Abbas Baro
5. Israel Madrimov – *Healthy version