Tag Archives: Vergil Ortiz jr
Vergil Ortiz Jr. Falls Ill, Withdraws From Michael McKinson Showdown
By: Hans Themistode
Michael McKinson knew he was a heavy underdog heading into his showdown against Vergil Ortiz Jr. However, the relatively unknown welterweight contender was anxious to prove that he belonged.
Despite his unwavering self-belief, McKinson will be forced to wait a bit longer to prove himself. According to multiple reports, Ortiz Jr. has withdrawn from their March 19th showdown due to a non-Covid-19 related illness.
With the pair scheduled to face off in just a few more days, the entire card is in serious jeopardy. As of now, it’s unclear whether the co-main event between Blair Cobb and Alexis Rocha will be elevated as opposed to scrapping things entirely.
For Ortiz Jr., following the most productive year of his young star-studded career, the 23-year-old began knocking on the door for a world title shot. In 2021, Ortiz Jr. battled adversity in back-to-back showdowns against Maurice Hooker and Egidijus Kavaliauskas.
Ultimately, despite being pushed, Ortiz Jr. Continued his knockout streak, stopping both men in the seventh and eighth rounds respectively.
While McKinson knew good and well that most of the boxing world was siding with Ortiz Jr., facing an undefeated power puncher is something he’s gotten used to. In three of his past four ring appearances, McKinson has handed his opponents the first defeat of their careers.
In addition to Ortiz Jr. wanting to test the durability of his man, the heavy-hitting young star was set to enter the ring without Robert Garcia, his former noteworthy trainer. The two amicably parted ways several months ago. Now, the championship hopeful is trained full-time by his father, Vergil Ortiz Sr.
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Vergil Ortiz Jr. Intrigued By Kell Brook Matchup: “It’s A Good Fight”
By: Hans Themistode
Kell Brook violently ended his long and bitter rivalry with fellow Brit, Amir Khan.
With the boxing world waiting tirelessly for the pair to finally share the ring with one another, the two officially locked horns this past weekend in Manchester Arena in the United Kingdom.
Khan, 35, boxed well on the outside early on. His moments of success, however, were ultimately transient as Brook bullied his man. The former IBF welterweight titlist forced referee Victor Loughlin to jump in and save Khan in the sixth round as he dished out a merciless beating.
Since the win, Brook’s name has been linked to current unified welterweight contender Conor Benn and former middleweight interim belt holder, Chris Eubank Jr. At the moment, it’s unclear which path Brook will eventually choose. That said, Vergil Ortiz Jr. wouldn’t be opposed to stepping into the ring with him next.
A showdown against Brook could provide the 23-year-old with another former titlist to add to his ever-growing resume. But while Ortiz Jr. sees the benefits of facing Brook, he’s hesitant to face the 35-year-old due to one glaring reason.
“It’s a good fight,” said Ortiz Jr. during an interview with Fight Hub TV. “The only thing that worries me is that are people going to discredit a win over him? People are going to say that he’s old.”
Although Brook’s birth certificate has collected a considerable amount of dust, following his win over Khan, Brook revealed that he’s feeling as young and spry as ever, even going as far as to say that he felt 23 again.
Though a showdown between Brook and Ortiz Jr. is incredibly unlikely, if the heavy-fisted 147-pound contender wants to throw his name into the mix, he’ll first need to take care of business against Michael McKinson. The two are officially scheduled to face off on March 19th, in Los Angeles, California.
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Vergil Ortiz Jr. Tested, But Ultimately Stops Egidijus Kavaliauskas
By: Hans Themistode
Throughout most of his young career, Vergil Ortiz Jr. has craved for someone, anyone, to give him a true fight. With a jam-packed crowd filing into their seats at The Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, the 23-year-old was given just that, a fight.
As Egidijus Kavaliauskas sauntered his way to the ring, the former 147-pound title challenger, exuded an extreme amount of confidence. The Lithuanians self-belief only grew after a strong opening round.
In most instances, considering the overwhelming power of Ortiz Jr., his opponents have seldom been willing to stand there and trade with him. In the case of Kavaliauskas, he stood his ground and pushed out a strong jab. At times, Ortiz Jr. (18-0, 18 KOs) seemed bothered by the firepower that was coming in his direction.
As the bell rung to signal the beginning of the second round, Kavaliauskas (22-2-1, 18 KOs) came out aggressive. Unwilling to cede ground, Ortiz Jr. moved forward and found himself right in the wheelhouse of his man. Kavaliauskas took full advantage of his over-anxious opponent and landed a right uppercut that visibly shook Ortiz Jr. Kavaliauskas quickly followed up and landed several unanswered shots.
Shortly after his barrage, Ortiz Jr. hit the deck but it was ultimately ruled a slip. With the 23-year-old seemingly hurt for the first time in his career, he turned up the pressure in the third. The hard-hitting Dallas native found plenty of success as he nailed the former two-time Olympian several times over.
Their showdown ultimately went from a tactical boxing match, to a back and forth brawl. Unafraid to engage in Ortiz Jr.’s barnburner style of attack, Kavaliauskas fought fire with fire and found himself on the winning end of plenty exchanges. Still, while the 23-year-old ate plenty of leather, he began moving closer and closer.
In a moment’s notice, as Kavaliauskas continued to enjoy what appeared to be a round he was banking, Ortiz Jr. sent him to the canvas, courtesy of the straight right hand.
Under normal circumstances, Ortiz Jr. would waste no time in going on the attack. But, considering the damage Kavaliauskas dished out to him earlier in their contest, the Dallas product appeared content with taking his time and boxing on the outside.
Things between the pair continued to get heated during the midway point of their contest. Ortiz Jr. seemed to be getting stronger but Kavaliauskas was still very much in it. The long-standing 147-pound contender took the center of the ring and refused to back up an inch. A grinning Ortiz Jr. walked right into the mug of his much older opponent and traded punches, much to the delight of the crowd.
A visibly tired Kavaliauskas trudged out slowly out of his corner to begin the eighth round. Ortiz Jr., on the other, bounced on his toes and came out strong. He immediately dropped Kavaliauskas, something that would become a constant theme throughout the round. The Lithuanian quickly rose to his feet but found himself tasting the canvas once again.
Kavaliauskas showed plenty of heart by climbing back to his feet once again but was immediately sent to the ground once more, this time for good.
With the win, Ortiz Jr. made it clear that for his next showdown, he would love a matchup against WBO belt holder, Terence Crawford.
“I’m ready to fight whoever,” said Ortiz Jr. following his win. “I don’t care if it’s Crawford, [Errol] Spence, [Manny] Pacquiao you name it. I’ll fight anyone.”
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Terence Crawford On Vergil Ortiz Jr. Calling Him Out: “He Really Don’t Want Me”
By: Hans Themistode
Terence Crawford was a bit stunned as he watched his stablemate Maurice Hooker succumb to a seventh-round stoppage defeat at the hands of Vergil Ortiz Jr. last night.
The WBO welterweight belt holder was even more surprised by what took place soon after.
Immediately following Ortiz Jr.’s win, he grabbed the microphone and proceeded to call out Crawford for a showdown later on this year.
While most of the boxing world began wondering how a contest between those two would play out, Crawford simply brushed off Ortiz Jr.’s comments. According to the pound-for-pound star, Ortiz Jr. was merely following the same script that many fighters do.
“He really don’t want me,” said Crawford following Ortiz Jr.’s win. “That’s just the thing to do, call for the fighters that’s at the top.”
Despite Crawford believing that Ortiz Jr. won’t knock on his door for a possible showdown, the 22-year-old has reiterated on numerous occasions that he will in fact pursue the Nebraska native. Currently, Ortiz Jr. ranks number two in the WBO sanctioning body.
Although most are under the impression that he is a bit too inexperienced to make the leap, the Dallas native is firmly under the belief that the fashion in which he handled Hooker should prove to the world that in actuality, he is ready.
Coming into his showdown against Hooker, many pegged the young contender to stop his man at some point during their match. Hooker, on the other hand, would hear none of it.
Early on, the former 140-pound champion used his height and movement to somewhat befuddle his younger opponent. Though he found moments of success, they were few and far between as Ortiz Jr. began breaking him down.
A sixth-round knockdown was the beginning of the end and the following round sealed it.
In what appeared to be a bit of a whacky play, Hooker landed a shot on the top of the head of Ortiz Jr. and immediately grabbed his hand in pain and took a knee. Referee Laurence Cole waved off their contest soon after.
Officially, Hooker was down considerably on all three judge’s scorecards. Yet in the mind of Crawford, their matchup was a close call.
“It was a good fight, Mo (Maurice Hooker) broke his hand but both of them did good. Vergil was slowing down but Mo got caught with a couple of good body shots that slowed him down too.”
Unlike some of his counterparts who choose to insult their possible future opponents in an effort to drum up interest for a feasible showdown, Crawford refused to bash the young star. The former three-division world champion simply tipped his cap and praised his efforts.
“He’s doing his thing and he’s doing what he’s supposed to do. I got nothing negative to say about the dude.”
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Maurice Hooker: “Everybody Overlooking Me”
By: Hans Themistode
At this point, Maurice Hooker has lost track.
For most of his ten-year career, Hooker believes he has walked into the boxing ring with little to no one firmly in his corner. With undefeated knockout artist Vergil Ortiz Jr. taking him on at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, tomorrow night, it neither surprises nor upsets him that he is considered a sizable underdog.
Despite being a former world champion, Hooker knows that many are banking on Ortiz Jr. to score the knockout win. In his opinion, however, those who doubt him may want to avoid watching what he does this Saturday night.
“I’m okay with it,” said Hooker during an interview with Fight Hub TV. “Everybody overlooking me. I’m prepared for this and ready to go in there and upset a lot of people.”
Presently, Ortiz Jr. is pegged as one of the bright young stars in the sport of boxing. His 100% knockout ratio has positioned him as the number two contender in the WBO welterweight sanctioning body. Currently, pound-for-pound star Terence Crawford holds that title. Should he win, both Ortiz Jr. and his promoter Oscar De La Hoya, have expressed an interest in making that fight happen next.
Hooker, on the other hand, believes they are wasting their breath even mentioning a Crawford showdown. After spending a good portion of his training camp sparring and discussing a game plan with the aforementioned Crawford, Hooker maintains that Ortiz Jr. will never get his chance to face him.
Regardless of Hooker losing his 140-pound title to Jose Ramirez in 2019, he is under the impression that the best is still yet to come.
“I’m anxious man. I’m ready to get in there and show the world why I’m still one of the best in the world.”
While Hooker claims that he pays little to no attention to the odds, the Dallas, Texas product has a difficult time understanding their reasoning.
Granted, Ortiz Jr. has annihilated everyone he has walked into the ring with, including his most recent opponent, Samuel Vargas. Yet for Hooker, he has several key advantages, the most glaring of them all, a ten-inch reach.
That, paired with his experience at the world class level, has the former belt holder incredulous that most are giving him no shot at winning.
“My skills, height and everything. I have all the advantages. A lot of people are going to be upset.”
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Vergil Ortiz Jr. Gives His Prediction On Mikey Garcia vs Manny Pacquiao: “Mikey Is A Better Version Of Marquez, Smokes Him”
By: Hans Themistode
Nothing is official just yet, but according to former four-division world champion Mikey Garcia, his contest against Manny Pacquiao is reaching the home stretch.
Earlier this week, Garcia announced that after spending years chasing the future Hall of Famer, their showdown is just about complete. In the eyes of many, Pacquiao will be a conformable favorite going in. Yet, in the opinion of welterweight contender Vergil Ortiz Jr., he believes Garcia is going to outclass him.
“Mikey smokes him,” said Ortiz Jr. during an interview with ESNews.
Despite being only 22-years-old, Ortiz Jr. knows his boxing history. So much so, that he’s rewatched Pacquiao’s four contests with Juan Manuel Marquez.
All in all, the two all-time greats faced each other on four occasions. More times than not, Pacquiao picked up the win going 2-1-1 in their four meetings. Regardless of his success though, every single one of their showdowns was razor close.
With Pacquiao’s tendency to struggle with his long-time rival, Ortiz Jr. is under the impression that he won’t stand a chance against someone who is essentially twice as good as Marquez.
“Mikey is a better version of Marquez. I think he’s smarter, more explosive and I think he’s stronger than him.”
For Garcia, the praise he’s receiving from Ortiz Jr. might be flattering but he’ll need much more than that to convince the majority of boxing fans of his chances against Pacquiao.
Most of the dubious voices surrounding Garcia stem from his awful showing against unified welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. in early 2019.
After pushing forward with the narrative that he could move up two weight divisions and not only compete with Spence Jr. but flat out beat him, Garcia was made to look like a fool as he was dominated for every second of every round.
The Mexican native has since demonstrated that he can at the very least, hang with the best at 147 pounds as he thoroughly dominated former two-division champion, Jessie Vargas, in February of 2020. As for Pacquiao, he was last seen in the ring roughly a year and a half ago in 2019.
The future first-ballot Hall of Famer proved that he still has plenty left in his 42-year-old tank as he dropped and out mostly outclassed former WBA belt holder Keith Thurman.
While it was a great performance, Ortiz Jr. is still standing firmly in the corner of Garcia. In the welterweight contender’s opinion, he’s shared the ring on too many occasions with Garcia to start doubting him now.
“Mikey is the only boxer who’s broken me down in the ring. I’ve gotten ten times better just sparring Mikey than I ever did sparring anyone else.”
