Portsmouth's Mikey McKinson's message for Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions and Alexis Rocha amid suggestions Vergil Ortiz Jr will turn attention elsewhere for welterweight fight return

The Pompey Problem took to social media asking for Golden Boy Promotions - who take care of Rocha's affairs - to set up a States welterweight showdown with the 24-year-old in the coming months.

It comes after suggestions Ortiz Jr, who McKinson was due to fight in March before his opponent's injury withdrawal, is close to agreeing a deal to face David Avanesyan for his ring return, potentially taking place in August.

There were question marks over whether 18-0 Ortiz Jr would fight at 147lbs again having been hospitalised with a serious condition which could have resulted in kidney failure in the days leading up to his scheduled battle with 22-0 McKinson in Los Angeles.

Yet despite that issue being linked to his struggle to make welterweight, it now appears as though he will back at 147lbs to face Avanesyan.

No doubt, that will have come as a blow to southpaw McKinson, who is sure to have felt deserving of getting his crack at the man unfortunately forced to pull out of their arranged March 19 showdown.

But McKinson, 28, has swiftly turned his attention to California-based Rocha, with much respect between the two fighter's and their camps.

The pair crossed paths in Los Angeles in March as McKinson's American debut triumph victory over Alex Martin switched to co-main event, with Rocha knocking out Blair Cobbs as the headline act on the same Galen Centre card.

In the immediate aftermath, Brit McKinson and his American counterpart Rocha had openly spoken about possibly facing off this summer.

Now, once again, McKinson has made his feelings known of his willingness to head back out to the States to face against the come-forward 19-1 Californian.

In a post from his Twitter account, McKinson stated: ‘@GoldenBoyBoxing if you if you didn’t fancy Mckinson-Ortiz, a great fight to be made this summer would be Mckinson v @AlexisRocha777.

‘I would happily come back (American flag emoji). @Micheladatime @MatchroomBoxing @EddieHearn.’

It was a request which didn't go unnoticed by Golden Boy Promotions either, with vice-president and matchmaker for the Oscar De La Hoya's promotional team, Roberto Diaz, simply responding, ‘100 (hand clap emojis) I love it (thumbs up emoji).’

It remains to be seen comes next for McKinson, who is on the back of an American fight debut victory and currently standing fifth in the WBO world rankings - with his stock never previously higher.