Vergil Ortiz Jr. targets middleweight move and potential November fight

Vergil Ortiz Jr. is targeting a move to the middleweight division for a potential fight in November following the resolution of a legal dispute with Golden Boy Promotions. The WBC interim 154-pound champion has identified several potential opponents at 160 pounds, including Erislandy Lara, Carlos Adames, Jermell Charlo, and Tim Tszyu.

Ortiz’s career was recently stalled by a breach of contract lawsuit against Golden Boy Promotions, which prevented a scheduled bout with Jaron “Boots” Ennis. While the parties settled in July, Ennis has since moved forward to capture WBA and WBO gold and is expected to pursue unification bouts.

Trainer Robert Garcia has criticized Ennis for potentially avoiding Ortiz, suggesting that Ennis is prioritizing championship unifications over a high-profile matchup with Ortiz. However, analysts note that because Ortiz does not currently hold a major championship belt, Ennis faces little professional obligation to interrupt his path toward becoming undisputed to face him.