Vergil Ortiz Jr. has had a tumultuous year. After being on the cusp of success, he was forced to withdraw from multiple fights due to weight issues. But his trainer, Robert Garcia, believes that he can make a successful move up to the middleweight division and face off against the best that it has to offer.
Garcia is optimistic that Ortiz will be able to make the transition, and his first step will be a fight against Fredrick Lawson on January 6th. After he gets his feet wet, Garcia sees a potential future for his fighter. He is interested in swiftly moving Ortiz up to 160 pounds, where he could tango with marquee names like Jermall Charlo.
Charlo is currently the WBC middleweight champion, and although he recently ended a two-and-a-half year layoff, Garcia is confident that Ortiz can beat him. In an interview with 210 Boxing TV, he expressed his eagerness to watch such a fight. “I wouldn’t mind watching him against (Jermall) Charlo,” said Garcia. “The one who just fought Jose Benavidez. I would love that fight. Why not?
