Vergil Ortiz Jr. has revealed that his team made an official offer to Jermell Charlo for an all-Texas junior middleweight showdown — but the former undisputed champion declined.
Ortiz, who faces Erickson Lubin on November 8 in Fort Worth, told Boxing Scene that before finalizing the Lubin deal, he tried to secure a fight with Charlo. “We offered him a fight and he turned it down,” Ortiz said. “This was kind of recently, this was like for this fight [in Texas]… he did have a reason, I think it was just an excuse, but yeah, he turned it down. So, we did try for that one already.”
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Charlo hasn’t fought since his one-sided defeat to Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in September 2023 but has teased a comeback. The Houston native, who still holds the WBA “Champion in Recess” status, recently posted cryptic images on social media, including a lion attacking a bull labeled “Ortiz.”
While Ortiz admitted he was confused by Charlo’s mixed signals, he remains eager for the fight down the line: “Oh for sure, yeah, I would love to fight him.”
Charlo may have little time to wait. Once Terence Crawford steps into the ring against Canelo on September 13, he will be stripped of the WBA belt at 154lbs, automatically elevating interim titlist Abass Baraou to full champion. The WBA will then order Charlo to face Baraou in his return.
Loose talk has also linked Charlo to a December clash with former training stablemate Errol Spence Jr., though nothing has been confirmed.
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