He’s been called the future.
Vergil Ortiz Jr. will take another step in that direction with his first fight in 2020 against veteran welterweight Samuel Vargas on March 28 at The Forum in Inglewood, California on DAZN, Golden Boy Promotions announced Saturday.
“I’m excited to be returning against Samuel Vargas,” said Ortiz (15-0 15 KOs), a Dallas prospect who turns 22 on March 25, three days before opening bell. “He’s a tough fighter with a lot of experience, so I know that my talent and skills are going to be put to a tough test.
“I’m also happy to be fighting in Los Angeles at such a historic venue where many legends in the sport have fought. I love this city, and I love the people here, so I’m going to work very hard to perform to the best of my abilities.”
Vargas (31-5-2, 14 KOs), a Colombian living in Toronto, has a well-traveled resume that includes world-class experience in losses to Errol Spence Jr., Danny Garcia, Amir Khan and Luis Collazo.
“I have always taken the challenges that other fighters in the division don’t want, and that’s exactly what I’m doing again,” Vargas said. “Vergil Ortiz Jr. is one of the brightest young stars in boxing, but he hasn’t had to go through a war yet.
“I’ve shown that I’m willing to go through hell in that ring, so if Ortiz is everything he’s hyped up to be, he better be on point March 28 because I know I will.”