Vergil Ortiz Jr. could be Golden Boy Promotions’ next star

Vergil Ortiz Jr. quickly got the attention of Golden Boy Promotions when he left Texas for California three years ago in search of more exposure as a boxer.

Golden Boy Promotions officials attended the 2015 Desert Showdown to scout Ortiz, but they were also interested in a different prospect.

Both fighters won by knockout on Day 1 of the amateur tournament, giving the Oscar De La Hoya-led company a tough decision on whom to sign.

The boxers had final say.

“The next day we were in the same match,” Ortiz said. “I knocked him out.”

Ortiz ended up getting that contract from Golden Boy Promotions and turned professional two years ago.

He’s now 10-0 with 10 knockouts, none going past the third round, and is considered one of boxing’s top prospects at age 20.

Ortiz, a junior welterweight, said he’s not sure he would have received that contract if his fight went the distance. He quickly learned that knockouts lead to more opportunities.

“I didn’t think it was going to be that easy,” Ortiz said about recording knockouts against pros. “It was easy at first, and now they’re coming because I’m learning as a fighter and I’m finding my way.”

He also didn’t expect to already have two appearances on Saul “Canelo” Alvarez’s undercards with a third on Saturday for the highly anticipated rematch between Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin at T-Mobile Arena.

Ortiz has yet to be featured on one of Alvarez’s pay-per-view broadcasts, but he’s moving up the bout sheet. He will face Roberto Ortiz in a 10-round bout that will be shown on the HBO freeview, the final fight before the PPV broadcast.

For his second professional bout, Vergil Ortiz returned home to fight at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, for the Alvarez-Liam Smith undercard.

The Dallas native headlined an ESPN-televised card in June when he delivered a vicious left hook to the liver that knocked out Juan Carlos Salgado in the third round. It was Ortiz’s first main event bout.

Vergil Ortiz has set some lofty goals for the next two years.

“At 22, I’ll already be a world champion, for sure,” Ortiz said. “Maybe a two-time champion.”

PPV undercard

Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez contemplated retirement after suffering back-to-back losses to Srisaket Sor Rungvisai last year.

After spending most of 2018 helping aspiring fighters in his native Nicaragua, the former pound-for-pound king has the desire to fight again.

Gonzalez makes his return Saturday against Moises Fuentes in the HBO pay-per-view opener.

In the co-main event, rising Mexican fighter Jaime Munguia defends his WBO junior middleweight belt against Brandon Cook.

Middleweight contenders David Lemieux and Gary “Spike” O’Sullivan meet after Gonzalez’s fight. Lemieux and O’Sullivan spent most of the week trading oral jabs.

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Contact Gilbert Manzano at gmanzano@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GManzano24 on Twitter.