American knockout artist Vergil Ortiz Jr. will continue fighting for Golden Boy Promotions over the next couple of years, as the promotion recently revealed on social media. Though the number of years within the contract has not been divulged, there are both concerns and plaudits regarding Golden Boy, who have managed to retain arguably their most prominent fighter on their roster.
Golden Boy Promotions happily announced the news of Vergil Ortiz Jr.’s extension yesterday, June 11th:
“Undefeated knockout monster Vergil Ortiz Jr. and Golden Boy Promotions extend contract for multi-year deal. Vergil Ortiz Jr. returns to the ring headlining in Las Vegas on August 10.”
Golden Boy Promotions
Vergil Ortiz Jr. (21-0, 21 KO’s) will be up for perhaps the biggest challenge of his life as he prepares to face Ukrainian WBC interim super welterweight (154 lbs) champion Serhii Bohachuk (24-1, 23 KO’s) on August 10th, who similarly carries a fearsome reputation due to his own high knockout (KO) ratio. With the interim title on the line, Ortiz is further set to vie for the most relevant title of his career.
Ortiz’s recent extension with Golden Boy Promotions can almost be considered a coup by the promotional outfit, with the American contender having had plenty of options to look elsewhere. Given his talent and potential, Vergil Ortiz would have been one of the most sought-after fighters had he chosen to enter the free agency market, but his extension has now afforded the promotion a genuine star on which they can continue to build.
The multi-year deal that Ortiz was involved in could be considered a double-edged sword, as multi-fight contracts are usually customary when it comes to a fighter’s signing or extension with a promotion. Through a multi-year deal, a fighter will be bound to their promotion for several years, which can have negative consequences if said fighter cannot be as active as they would want or should be.
With inactivity often attributed to declining performances in the ring, Vergil Ortiz Jr. has demonstrated uncanny loyalty in a time where boxers, such as Shakur Stevenson (22-0, 10 KO’s), are venturing away from promotions they have been with since the start of their careers.
The last-known fighter to have signed a significant multi-year deal was Anthony Joshua (28-3, 25 KO’s), who signed on with global streaming service DAZN for several years.
