Golden Boy Picks Up Vergil Ortiz vs Eimantas Stanionis
Golden Boy Promotions purchases a “Golden Ticket” to promote a banger involving two rising talents within the welterweight division. In November, the WBA ordered a defense for their regular champion Eimantas Stanionis vs #1 contender Vergil Ortiz Jr.
No initial agreement had been reached involving the purse split. Therefore, the WBA ordered the fight to go to purse bids in early December. The result saw TGB Promotions being out bid by Golden Boy 2.3 to 2.1 million!
A FIGHT BOXING NEEDS
This is a very significant fight for both men. Not only are they top-level contenders in the division, the winner could be seen as one of the next in line to take over at welterweight once unified champ Errol Spence Jr. and WBO champion Terence Crawford have moved on. Of course, Jaron “Boots” Ennis would also be in that conversation.
Stanionis (14-0, 9KO) last defeated his amateur rival and former undefeated contender Radzhab Butaev by split-decision. The 28 year-old from Lithuania has been seen as a wildcard of a contender behind Ortiz and Ennis for a few years now and is known for calling out the fighters most would be mum on. A big fight is what he needs to show he is just as good or better than the aforementioned.
RELATED: Stanionis Jabs Ennis: “Talk Is Talk But Nobody Walks The Walk!”
Ortiz (19-0, 19KO) has already fought his way to earning a title shot to be honest. Whether it was former WBO junior welterweight champion Maurice Hooker or former WBO welterweight mandatory challenger Egidijus Kavaliauskas, he has stopped them all! The 24 year-old is ranked in the top three by all four major sanctioning bodies. In his last outing, he stopped then WBO #4 ranked contender Michael McKinson in a major mismatch. This fight would almost surely grant him an opportunity at a major world title.
Hopefully, the teams can negotiate ASAP and get a deal struck. Undefeated and two of the best rising fighters of the division, this is exactly what boxing needs!
By: EJ Williams
