Ryan Garcia or Vergil Ortiz, who is Golden Boy ‘s favorite young player?

Saturday night was a Vergil Ortiz Jr. show.

In the toughest test of Ortiz ‘s young career, he lifted TKO’ s victory in the sixth round over Maurice Hooker ‘s old welterweight title list at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Dallas. Ortiz made his case for a possible welterweight title fight by the end of 2021. After the victory over Hooker, Ortiz certainly showed that he has the skills to be real.

But perhaps the biggest winner of the night is the Golden Promotions as he tries to move into a time after Canelo Alvarez. The two firefighters left to carry the Alvarez torch are Ortiz and light star Ryan Garcia.

Ortiz has always had the talent, but it has yet to come close to the mainstream appeal that Alvarez (or even Garcia) is ordering. That’s why Saturday’s performance was a real hit as it negatively impacted a welterweight competitor.

It leaves Golden Boy with an interesting question: is Ortiz or Garcia the best prospect? Cameron Wolfe at ESPN and Ben Baby talk about the different layers of the situation and why the answer is not as clear as one might think.

Wolfe: First, we need to explain what we mean by the best forecast. Are we looking for the best longtime winner or cheater with the best chance of managing the pound-for-pound rankings? Garcia has the brightest star potential of any pro boxer, time.

But I tend to follow my preview rankings of what they do in the ring. I still have a lot of questions about Garcia. I have a lot less about Ortiz, which has already impressed me with its advanced boxing skill set and unique percussion power. Both fighters are 22, so I project five years down the line – I would feel very comfortable predicting that Ortiz will be considered the best and most acclaimed champion.

Who got you, Ben? Promising your luck on Ortiz or Garcia?

Child: I tend to agree with you, but it’s more uncertain than it once was. Until recently, Ortiz seemed far removed as the best pure fighter when comparing him to Garcia, who is certainly a slouch. But then Garcia shot Luke Campbell with a body shot and showed he is more than his social media follower. Garcia, for his glamorous power and budding star, can scratch a bit.

It’s hard to pinpoint how good one of these winners is. Hooker won the belt from Terry Flanagan, an undeveloped British fighter who had a series of reasonable wins. Garcia ‘s victory came against Campbell, who doesn’t have a big win but has fared better and is a much bigger name than Flanagan.

Garcia has proven that his speed, power and boxing acumen are going to be a legitimate hero and certainly compete with the other cheaters around his weight class like Gervonta Davis, Teofimo Lopez Jr. and Devin Haney.

What this equation could change dramatically is if Ortiz wins a title first. And if it does, oh let’s say, Terence Crawford, who was next to the ring supporting his stable Hook, how does that affect a dynamic?

Wolfe: Let’s take a little easy on Crawford. No one has come close to defeating Bud, but yes, sign up for that fight. Ortiz seems to be chasing the belts and building a resume while Garcia seeks the money and follows. I believe that separates them and their career paths.

Ortiz seems to have a more stable future with Golden Boy than Garcia, and Oscar De La Hoya ‘s friendly association with Top Rank opens up the door for a potential Crawford bout. Is Ortiz ready for Crawford? I do not know. But that’s the kind of bet and bout that will instantly catch you on pound-for-pound lists if you win, as Lopez won over Vasiliy Lomachenko.

Child: And that’s the biggest question for both men right now. At this point, are Garcia and Ortiz ready to go against a champion? With the recent gains they have made, we know that all the hype is guaranteed. But with their status as elite hopes, the only way we will know is whether the talk of their abilities is fully justified when they get a title fight.

Yes, there is a danger of pitting young prime soldiers against premature established heroes. However, Teo changed everything when he defeated Lomachenko. Not only did he show that the right type of fighter can challenge one of the best for a pound, but he also accelerated the timeline for the rest of the chances of success in the sport if they want to struggling with Lopez as the sport’s young premier star. One day.

Also, let’s not forget that Lopez could find himself against Garcia one day down the line in the top. It’s not long enough, either, to consider them moving up in weight to bring Ortiz forward one day, more.

Wolfe: They’re both on the verge of becoming a champion, and it’s clear what each must do to become an undisputed star hero. Garcia needs to prove his charm in the ring against major controversies enough to believe he can put Lopez, Tank Davis, Haney or Lomachenko off. Ortiz needs to do more to increase its appeal and image, because at this point, unless a fighter sells it is difficult for him to rise to the top of the sport.

Whoever closes the gap first wins this debate. It’s a good problem for Golden Boy in the years to come.