Errol Spence Jr has been presented with a monumental opportunity for his next assignment, even though the former unified welterweight champion has not fought since July 2023.
It came as a sizeable shock for many fans when Spence found himself on the receiving end of a one-sided beatdown against Terence Crawford.
Prior to that, the Texan had amassed a solid unbeaten run against the likes of Shawn Porter, Danny Garcia and Yordenis Ugas, only to then lose his three major titles at 147lbs in convincing fashion.
It was that ninth-round stoppage that plunged the future of Spence’s career into uncertainty, or at least gave credibility to claims that he was no longer at the peak of his powers.
It has recently been rumoured that the 35-year-old is expected to end his two-and-a-half year layoff, perhaps in 2026, and attempt to reinvent himself as a rejuvenated super-welterweight operator.
Hoping to spoil those plans before they really begin is Vergil Ortiz Jr, who insists that their potential match-up could quite easily headline a card at the AT&T Stadium, Texas.
Since moving up to 154lbs, Ortiz has claimed notable wins over Serhii Bohachuk, Israil Madrimov and, more recently, Erickson Lubin, who he stopped in the second round earlier this month.
Then, shortly after his last outing, the 27-year-old faced off in the ring with his American rival, Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis, in what appeared to be a promotional push for their possible showdown next year.
Ortiz’s manager, Rick Mirigian, however, later took to social media and expressed his interest in an all-Texas clash with Spence.
Echoing his handler’s thoughts, Ortiz told FightHype after his victory over Lubin that it would be his ‘dream’ to fight Spence at the home of the Dallas Cowboys.
“It doesn’t matter who’s next. If I had to pick, I’m gonna be honest, it would be Spence, because that’s my dream fight.
“I’ve been calling [for] it [to happen] at the Cowboys Stadium. I just think that’s my dream fight. I don’t care what anyone says about it.”