Golden Boy promoter Oscar De La Hoya says Vergil Ortiz Jr. is poised to be “the next superstar” in the sport if he successfully defeats Erickson Lubin this Saturday in their 12-round headliner on November 8th at the Dickies Arena in Las Vegas. The event will be promoted by Golden Boy and shown on DAZN.

(Credit: Golden Boy Promotions / Cris Esqueda)

Ennis Looming on the Horizon

De La Hoya believes Ortiz Jr. (23-0, 21 KOs) is two fights away from stardom by beating Lubin (27-2, 19 KOs), and then potentially Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis if they go in that direction next. Understandably, he doesn’t want Ortiz Jr. to look past the fight that he has on Saturday against Erickson.

Vergil Jr., 27, can’t afford to struggle like he did against Israil Madrimov and Serhii Bohachuk for him to beat Lubin. He might not come up short the way those two did when they gassed out in the later rounds.

“Vergil Ortiz, to me, will be the next superstar in boxing,” said Oscar De La Hoya today to the media at the final press conference for Vergil Ortiz Jr. vs. Erickson Lubin. “He’s on the right path. He’s on the right trajectory.”

Ortiz Jr. lacks the personality to be a superstar. He comes across as nerdy and doesn’t talk trash or brag about himself the way needed to become a star. Moreover, his illnesses and injuries further hinder his ability to become a big name.

Two Wins From the Top

“Fighting Lubin and beating him will take him to a super fight, which will lead him to superstardom,” said De La Hoya. “It’s what we do at Golden Boy. We make sure they have the opportunity. He has to win on Saturday, and he has the opportunity to taste superstardom in his next fight.”

It’s going to be interesting to see if De La Hoya lets Vergil Jr. take a risky fight against Jaron Ennis next if he’s victorious against Lubin on Saturday. He sounded today like he was already coming up with reasons why Ortiz Jr. doesn’t fight Ennis next. De La Hoya said repeatedly that Ennis might get scared and not want to face Vergil Jr. after he sees how good he is on Saturday.