Tag Archives: Vergil Ortiz

Posted on 10/04/2021

By: Hans Themistode

There’s a sense of annoyance that Vergil Ortiz Jr. is currently feeling.

At 23 years of age, the hard-hitting welterweight contender has stopped everyone placed in front of him. In what many considered step-up bouts against the likes of Maurice Hooker and Egidijus Kavaliauskas earlier this year, the Dallas native managed to pick up the stoppage victories.

While Ortiz Jr. isn’t opposed to facing another former champion or highly rated contender, he has his eyes set on facing WBA titleholder, Yordenis Ugas.

“I would love that fight,” said Ortiz Jr. during an interview with FightHype.com. “If we can get that fight next, I would love that. I don’t see why not, I’m basically right under him.”

Ortiz Jr.’s assertions that he’s under Ugas in the WBA rankings isn’t entirely off. Presently, he holds the number two position in the sanctioning body. But while Ortiz Jr. is foaming at the mouth for his first crack at a world title, Ugas currently has a jam-packed schedule.

Since picking up the biggest win of his career earlier this year against Manny Pacquiao, Ugas has been ordered to defend his world title against highly-rated contender Eimantas Stanionis. If Ugas were to walk away from their showdown with his championship status still intact, he would then be obligated to take on the winner between Jamal James, the WBA “Regular” champion, and mandatory challenger Radzhab Butaev.

In the meantime, Ortiz Jr. could be forced to go in another route to see his world title dreams realized. Or, he could opt to play the waiting game. Regardless of the direction Ortiz Jr. decides to go, in the end, a matchup with Ugas is one that he craves.

In terms of how things would ultimately unfold in the ring between the pair, Ortiz Jr. is unquestionably backing himself in their showdown. With that said, he isn’t willing to go as far as to predict how it would end. He does, however, expect fireworks.

“As far as how the fight would play out, I really don’t know but it would be an exciting fight. That’s the only thing that I’m for sure on.”

Posted on 07/15/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Vergil Ortiz has continued to get better and better every time he steps foot inside the ring. As a result, his level of competition has continued to rise.

Recently, the Dallas native took on former 140-pound titlist, Maurice Hooker. Although he was considered a step up in competition, Ortiz took care of business in dominant fashion, stopping the former belt holder in the seventh round.

Next up for Ortiz, will be a showdown against Egidijus “Mean Machine” Kavaliauskas. The Lithuanian native is fresh off an eighth-round stoppage win over Mikael Zewski. Prior to that, Kavaliauskas suffered the first defeat of his career, via knockout in the ninth round against Terence Crawford in December of 2019.

While Kavaliauskas may have come up short, Brian “Bomac” McIntyre, head trainer of Crawford, was left incredibly impressed with his overall skills and durability.

In spite of Ortiz being pegged as a significant favorite, Bomac is going against the grain. Having watched Kavaliauskas up close and personal against whom he believes is the best fighter in the world, the long-time trainer is convinced that Ortiz doesn’t have a prayer to pull off the win.

“Mean Machine gonna beat the sh*t out of Vergil Ortiz,” said Bomac to a group of several reporters.

Ortiz, 23, has exploded onto the scene as of late. With each of his 17 career wins coming by way of knockout, he’s successfully navigated his way to the number one ranking in the WBO sanctioning bodies welterweight division. Currently, Crawford holds said title.

Regardless of his age, Ortiz has called for a showdown against Crawford as soon as possible. Another victory against a top contender could see Ortiz pushed to the mandated position. In the opinion of Bomac, however, the young budding star won’t get his crack at Crawford anytime soon. Not because he’s reluctant to place his pound-for-pound star in there with him but mainly because he believes Kavaliauskas will take care of business.

Not only does Bomac envision Crawford’s former opponent picking up the win, he ultimately expects him to do so in style.

“Probably stop him. I’m confident as hell. Mean Machine tough as sh*t.”

Posted on 06/26/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Egidijus Kavaliauskas is desperate to get another crack at a world title. So much so in fact, that he’s willing to face one of the biggest punchers in the welterweight division.

As first reported by Steve Kim of The 3 Knockdown Rule, Kavaliauskas is set to take on Vergil Ortiz Jr. on August 14th at the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. The bout will be broadcast on DAZN.

As previously mentioned, Kavaliauskas (22-1-1, 18 KOs) is hoping to jump back into the championship mix. In his first shot for a world title against Terence Crawford in late 2019, Kavaliauskas gave a good account for himself. In the early going, the prohibited underdog tagged the pound for pound star with several hard shots and even appeared to drop Crawford after an awkward scrum in the early rounds.

While the Lithuanian may have enjoyed moments of success, Crawford immediately put an end to it as he found his rhythm. Kavaliauskas would eventually hit the deck in the seventh round before ultimately getting stopped in the ninth. Since then, Kavaliauskas has bounced back. He manhandled and stopped fringe contender Mikael Zewski in September of 2020. At the moment, he’s currently ranked number five in the WBO but figures to make a significant jump in the rankings should he hand Ortiz, the number one ranked fighter in the sanctioning body, his first pro loss.

After pocketing the biggest win of his career against Maurice Hooker, stopping him in the seventh round in March of 2021, Ortiz (17-0, 17 KOs) has made it no secret that he wants to compete for a world title. On several occasions, the 23-year-old has admitted that although he isn’t sure if he’s ready to face Crawford, he’s still willing to step inside the ring with him. Should Ortiz pull off the win and continue his knockout streak, he could be made mandatory for Crawford’s WBO title in 2022.

Posted on 03/04/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Legally, Vergil Ortiz is barely allowed to drink liquor. However, that isn’t stopping his current trainer in Robert Garcia from believing his man is ready to face who many believe is the best fighter in the world.

“We are going after Crawford,” said Garcia during an interview with Little Giant Boxing. “That’s the fight we’re going after right now. I think Vergil is ready.”

Obtaining a fight with Crawford, the WBO 147 pound champion, could be much easier than many anticipate due to Ortiz (16-0, 16 KOs) ranking number two in the sanctioning body. But while a win over Crawford would stun the boxing world, the Dallas native has a major roadblock standing in his way in the form of one-time 140 champion Maurice Hooker.

The two are scheduled to meet in the main event slot at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas on March 20th. Hooker, 31, is considered by far the toughest fight of Vergil’s career. A win is far from guaranteed, but if Vergil can pull it off, Garcia believes his welterweight contender would be in the best position possible to land a shot at Crawford.

“If everything goes well in the Hooker fight, we want Crawford next. Vergil is already ranked in the top two in the rankings, something like that. Golden Boy and Top Rank have been working together and doing championship fights together so I think it’s the easiest fight to make.”

After spending years facing what many would consider less than stellar opposition, Crawford is now staring down the barrel of a long line of several top contenders. Outside of a possible showdown with Ortiz, Crawford is rumored to be in the running to face either eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao or former two-time 147-pound belt holder, Shawn Porter. The pound-for-pound star was last seen in the ring roughly four months ago.

In an empty MGM Grand arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Crawford delivered a one-sided beating to former champion Kell Brook, dropping and later stopping the British native in the fourth round.

Posted on 02/07/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Things can change immensely in a short time span. COVID-19 has proven that statement to be true as most of the world is still adjusting to life with the infectious disease. In the case of rising welterweight contender Vergil Ortiz, he’s proving that his professional career is also changing in just the blink of an eye.

After winning ESPN’s boxing prospect of the year in 2019, Ortiz now finds himself on the fast track to a world title as he takes on former belt holder Maurice Hooker on March 20th, in his hometown Dallas area. While Ortiz is solely focused on convincing everyone that he is truly a player at 147-pounds, promoter Oscar De La Hoya doesn’t need to be convinced any longer.

Although he might be just 22-years-old, De La Hoya has sat ringside at nearly every single one of the Dallas native’s fights and has witnessed body after body crumple in agony after getting blasted by his young star. Not only is De La Hoya under the impression that Ortiz will get past Hooker in roughly two months but he ultimately believes that no matter who is placed in front of him, the results will be the same.

“When you think about Vergil Ortiz, he has to be the best fighter out there at 147, or any in weight class for that matter,” said De La Hoya during a recent press conference. “I’ve said this all along, Vergil Ortiz will beat anybody at 147 right now.”

In the case of Hooker, he’ll present a much sterner test for Ortiz than what he has grown accustomed to. Not only has the 31-year-old former titlist faced fighters similar to Ortiz and managed to walk right through them but he’ll also have every physical advantage checked on his side of the boxes, including a ridiculous ten-inch reach over his man.

All of those reasons and more, have led De La Hoya to having a few restless nights as he admits it won’t be a walk in the park.

“I think Hooker has the advantage. He’s going to present to Vergil different movements, footwork, speed and mannerisms. They’re all totally different than what Vergil has been used to fighting. He’s fast, explosive and very elusive – it’s going to be different for Vergil. The question is will he pass that test? Will he knock Hooker out? Vergil Ortiz has been knocking everybody out so we want to see Vergil go several rounds.”

With Hooker holding the upper hand in nearly every category other than youth, many have questioned why on earth would De La Hoya place his young and quite possibly brightest star, in harm’s way with only 16 fights under his belt? For the former multiple division champion, however, he views the number of fights that Ortiz has accrued during his career as just that, merely a number.

Once upon a time, De La Hoya was in the same position as Ortiz. Just like the 2014 Hall of Famer managed to pass several tests placed in front of him at a young age, De La Hoya believes both he and Ortiz are cut from the same cloth. Should his young star leave the ring with another explosive victory on the night, then he’ll be well on his way to superstardom.

“I fought for my first world title when I had 11 fights. I believe Vergil Ortiz is on the verge of becoming a superstar. I think skies the limit if he gets past Hooker.”

Posted on 01/27/2021

By: Hans Themistode

The Dallas Texas area will be split right down the middle come March 20th.

Former 140 pound WBO belt holder Maurice Hooker and current welterweight contender Vergil Ortiz Jr., are officially set to clash from their respective Dallas hometown with a chance to take a big step forward in their careers.

For Hooker, his upcoming showdown against Ortiz Jr. will represent his first in his new weight class. Originally, the former Jr welterweight champion was expected to take on a much lesser foe in order to get his feet wet in his newly joined division. However, with Ortiz Jr. currently holding the distinction as one of boxing’s hottest prospects, the 31-year-old views a matchup with Ortiz Jr. as a no brainer.

“I’ve never been one to shy away from a fight,” said Hooker. “The decision to fight Ortiz was an easy one as it allows me to prove to the world something that I already know, that I’m one of the best welterweights in the world. I have a new team around me who has taken my game to a whole new level, and I feel amazing at this weight class. I can’t wait to put on a show for all the fans on March 20. Dallas, get ready.”

While Hooker might be brimming with confidence, Ortiz Jr. feels the exact same way. Although he has yet to face anyone the caliber of Hooker, the soon to be 23-year-old has sent a statement to the welterweight division each and every time he has stepped foot inside of the ring. With none of his 16 career contests making it past the seventh round, Ortiz Jr. is not only excited to be facing someone that he has known most of his life but also someone that he knows will fight fire with fire.

“First and foremost, I’m really grateful to be fighting back at home again,” said Ortiz Jr. “Not only that, but I’ll be fighting another Dallas native in Maurice Hooker. I’ve known Hooker since back in the amateur days. I know we’re going to give the fans back at home a fight to remember.”

Posted on 12/08/2020

By: Hans Themistode

At the age of 22 with only 16 pro fights under his belt, Vergil Ortiz is largely viewed as a prospect. One with an extremely bright future, but a prospect nevertheless.

Despite that, Ortiz wants to shed his prospect label and jump immediately into title contention. The normally active Dallas native was forced to settle for one ring appearance during the calendar year. A seventh-round stoppage win over fringe contender Samuel Vargas in late July.

For most, the win wasn’t surprising considering he was a 5000-1 favorite on the night. At this point in his career though, Ortiz isn’t interested in facing below-average opposition. While the easy wins may keep his perfect record intact, if it was up to him, he’d be matched up with those at the very top.

“I want Keith Thurman, Danny Garcia or Porter next,” explained Vargas on the Ak and Barak show. “If I could choose that’s who I would want next but if they were to offer me Terence Crawford I would definitely take it.”

Bouts against those at the top of the division is something that many believe isn’t exactly warranted considering his current position in the welterweight landscape. With a return date roughly scheduled for the first half of the new year, Ortiz isn’t expected to face anyone in the division’s top ten. Whomever is chosen to face the hard hitting 22-year-old, Ortiz won’t complain. He simply wants to let everyone know that his name should be mentioned amongst the best that the division has to offer.

“I just feel like I’ve grown as a fighter. I’m only getting stronger and faster as time goes on so I just feel like I’m starting to belong with those names. I know what I’m capable of.”

Although Ortiz gave his list of preferable names to face, one fighter that stuck out to him immediately was pound for pound star and current WBO 147 pound champion Terence Crawford.

For the aforementioned Crawford, he’s coming fresh off his own impressive stoppage win against former belt holder Kell Brook just a few weeks ago. Following his fourth-round dismantling, Crawford received high praise for his performance.

Ortiz though, just so happened to be watching as well. Unlike several who were tuned in, he wasn’t impressed.

“That fight gave me a little confidence boost. He’s not completely untouchable like everyone thinks he is. I can give anyone a tough fight.”

Posted on 07/24/2020

Another contest, another knockout win for Vergil Ortiz (16-0, 16 KOs). His latest victim in Samuel Vargas (31-6-2, 14 KOs) was thought to be a much stiffer opponent, but that simply was not the case.

Ortiz simply walked through Vargas much like his previous 15 opponents. With the win, Ortiz finds himself in line to compete for a world title sooner rather than later.

Posted on 07/17/2020

By: Hans Themistode

For the first time in months, streaming service DAZN, will give its waning audience a live boxing event. 

Taking center stage one week ago today on Friday July 24th, will be welterweight knockout artist Vergil Ortiz (15-0, 15 KOs). Joining him in the ring will be fringe contender Samuel Vargas (31-5-2, 14 KOs). The two are set to meet in a closed door venue in California. 

For Ortiz, the mission has always been the same. Make the life of the judges as easy as possible. With 15 knockout wins in 15 career appearances, he has effectively done just that. But with each jaw breaking right hand that he lands, he hasn’t made much headway in the talent rich welterweight division. 

With unified champion Errol Spence Jr, WBO belt holder Terence Crawford and WBA titlist Manny Pacquiao leading the way, Ortiz has found himself on the outside looking in. His dream of becoming a world champion in his own right will begin against a contender who has fallen just short. 

Samuel Vargas has yet to fight for a world title during his ten year career. He has, however, found himself in the ring with belt holders. In 2016 and 2017, Vargas was left kissing the canvas courtesy of Danny Garcia and Errol Spence Jr. He did manage to bounce back from those losses to win four straight, only to lose at the hands of another pair of former champions in Amir Khan and Luis Collazo. 

With a number of shortcomings in his career, the confidence of Vargas is still trending upwards. That statement is mostly due to his most recent win against Silverio Ortiz in June of 2019. 

Although his contest against Ortiz will not have any championship implications, he will have a chance to make a statement.

Also featured on the card will be two undefeated prospects in Seniesa Estrada (18-0, 7 KOs) and Hector Tanajara Jr. (19-0, 5 KOs). 

The action kicks off on DAZN at 8 PM on July 24th. 

Posted on 07/10/2020

Welterweight knockout artist Vergil Ortiz is currently hard at work for his July 24th clash against Samuel Vargas. However, he momentarily paused his preparations in order to give Boxing Insider radio a bit of his time. Together they discussed various topics such as the names he is currently eyeing for future matchups and if he expects to leave his upcoming opponent unconscious for the 16th consecutive time in his career. 

To listen in on the conversation, head over to Spotify, iTunes or BoxingInsider.com to subscribe.

Vergil Ortiz finds himself in boxing purgatory. 

With only 15 fights under his belt, the word prospect comes to mind when discussing his current standing. A high level one, but a prospect nevertheless. Yet with every single one of 15 wins coming via stoppage, including a third round pounding against former title challenger Mauricio Herrera, Ortiz would rather have the contender tag attached to his name instead. 

The path to achieving his immediate goal will be directly in front of him on July 24th, when he takes on the always durable Samuel Vargas at the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, California. 

As of late, consistency has not been on the side of Vargas. He’s split his past four ring appearances while scoring a draw against fringe contender Mauro Godoy. With that being said however, the name Vargas does bring a level of cache to the table that Ortiz is hoping to capitalize on. With fights against former champions in Danny Garcia, Amir Khan and Luis Collazo Vargas has proven to be a viable name. 

While a win has always been the most important goal when a fighter steps in between the ropes, for Ortiz, the win is a formality. He more so finds himself focused on how he’ll look in the ring, rather than the end result. 

“I’m looking for win number 16,” said Ortiz on Boxing Insider radio. ”But I don’t care about getting him out honestly. The only thing that I care about is winning and I look good doing it. You have to look a certain way. Just because you stopped someone doesn’t mean you did good. Also just because you didn’t stop someone doesn’t mean you didn’t do good. I know he’s not someone that I will have to go catch, he’s going to come to fight. I’m going to be ready for that and everything that he brings to the table.” 

For the 22 year old Ortiz, his performances have always been bombastic inside of the ring, but 2020 has been a quiet one. The 2019 ESPN prospect of the year has built his reputation on not only eye catching knockouts, but also quick fight turn arounds. Yet with COVID-19 not appearing to slow down, Ortiz has found himself outside of the ring for seven months. Nevertheless, regardless of the lack of punches he has thrown inside of the ring, he has thrown plenty on social media. 

Over the past several months Ortiz and fellow Dallas native and unified Welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. have been going back and forth on both YouTube and their respective social media accounts. 

Spence recalled Ortiz visiting his gym as a young fighter and described the knockout artist as a “cry baby.” Those words were immediately followed up with an innocuous laugh. But to Ortiz, there was nothing to smile about. The undefeated young star not only fired back at Spence, but also claimed that a future showdown was inevitable. 

On the outside looking in, it would appear that the issues between the two fighters were anything but benign. Now however, Ortiz wants to make his words clear. 

“Basically he said a few things in an interview where it felt like a slight jab. Nothing too serious, but when somebody says something about you, you can’t let it slide. I don’t have a problem with him, I still respect him. I grew up watching him.”

Spence isn’t the only name on the mile long hit list of Ortiz in which he wishes to scratch off. The knockout artist is eyeing everyone at the top of the Welterweight division.

“I want to fight everyone man. I legitimately want to fight everyone. Danny Garcia, Shawn Porter, Keith Thurman hopefully if he is healthy. Down the line I want to fight Errol, Crawford and Ugas as well, he’s another great fighter. I just want to fight everyone. I’m looking to prove to people that I deserve to be up there with the top dogs.”

Posted on 04/05/2020

By: Hans Themistode

For years unified Welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr couldn’t buy a fight. Hell, at one point he could barely get any of the top name fighters to even say his name. Now however, things have changed. 

With huge wins over Kell Brook, Lamont Peterson, Mikey Garcia and most recently Shawn Porter, Spence has no shortage of huge fights right at his fingertips. 

Still, even with most believing that Spence is the best that the Welterweight division has to offer, he still has to make a bit of noise before some of the more notable names decide to fight him. One fighter however, is anxious to get in the ring with him right now.

“I think I’ll be ready for Errol Spence in less than two years, honestly,”  said Welterweight contender Vergil Ortiz. “I don’t want to wait too long to where he’s already on his way out. I want to say that I beat Errol in his prime. Hopefully, we get it on in the Cowboys Stadium.”

Ortiz has grown his popularity over the years thanks to his knockout power. He hasn’t exactly faced the best competition, but through 15 career fights, he has yet to see the final bell. Calling Ortiz a contender would be a bit of a stretch, but he’s seemed to done enough to gain the attention of Spence who was in attendance to catch one of his most recent performance in 2019. 

“I’m actually pretty happy that he showed up [for the fight]. It means a lot to me. He used to be my teammate, and he’s a great fighter,” said Ortiz after his win over Orozco last August. “I want to be a four-division world champion. I just want to be remembered.”

Both Spence and Ortiz do share a bit of history with one another as they grew up in the same area in Texas. They also trained in the same gym together. 

With Spence being eight years older than Ortiz, the thought of a contest never actually crossed his mind. But with Ortiz making a bit of noise in his weight class, the unlikely pairing between the two could become a reality.