Big fight opportunities await Vergil Ortiz in the reloaded junior welterweight division. Names like Terence Crawford, Errol Spence, Jermell Charlo, Tim Tzysu, and many more seem to be on the table, especially with the Golden Boy Promotions recent partnership with Saudi Boxing. However, let’s not put the cart before the horse and get too lost in the sauce.
Vergil’s opponent this Saturday is Serhii Bohachuk, who is riding a 6-fight winning streak since suffering his only loss at the pro ranks to Brandon Adams. This Golden Boy Promotions event will be streaming live on DAZN.
Vergil Ortiz’s career has been stuck in the mud to an extent due to health reasons. Postponements and cancellations by him and potential foes have stunted his growth as a rising star in the sport of boxing. His fighting style is a blend of power and skill, a combination that could one-day pack arenas and sell pay-per-views with the right dancing partners. That’s not to say he doesn’t draw a crowd; Vergil’s fan base has been growing even with long stretches of inactivity. This fight in Las Vegas has been a slow ticket seller but will likely close well down the stretch this week.
2024 will mark the first time Vergil has fought three times in a year, dating back to 2019. Ortiz fought just once in the Covid-19 riddled year of 2020. Did manage two fights in 2021 but only had 1 in 2022. 17 months had passed, and finally, Ortiz returned to the ring in January. In the two fights so far this year, he finished in the first round. That said, having two full training camps and now a legit contender level in Bohachuk has Ortiz back on course.
Vergil Ortiz is a pressure fighter targeting the body and head with fluid punches. Not a great defender, Vergil does use fundamentals to exploit weaknesses offensively. He keeps a fairly tight guard as he works his way inside, cutting off angles to corner or force boxers to the ropes. Coming forward is an underappreciated art and is something he could still sharpen up on. This will be his toughest test in quite some time. The two fighters that stand out on his resume are Maurice Hooker and Egidijust Kavaliauskas, both of whom he fought in 2021.
As the old saying goes, “styles make fights,” and boy, can we expect fireworks this Saturday? Ortiz is 21-0 with an impressive 21 knockouts. Serhii is 24-1 and has 23 stoppages. Nathaniel Gallimore and his last outing versus Brian Mendoza are Bohachuk’s best wins. On the now-defunct Ring City boxing series, Brandon Adams scored a TKO in the 8th round over Serhii in 2021.
There won’t be many feel-out rounds at the main event on Saturday. More like feel-out seconds once the first bell rings. This boxing podcaster does expect Serhii to find a home with his power punches and make this a fire-fight for however long it lasts. Both men will get their licks in during the exchanges. Vergil Ortiz will come through fire to land the more meaningful blows.
Vergil will be the more accurate and effective boxer on fight night. At some point, Vergil Ortiz will gain the upper hand, so look for him to close the show in style with a highlight finish. I’m still pondering the over/under set at 8 ½ rounds, to be honest. Vergil by KO is -123, and that appears to be the best bet as far as bang for the buck.
My Official Prediction is Vergil Ortiz by mid-to-late Stoppage.
PODCAST LINK: http://tobtr.com/12360447
Side Note: Don’t forget to keep an eye out for the main event between Luis Alberto Lopez and. Angelo Leo on ESPN. It should be a BANGER as well.
Written by Chris Carlson, Host/Producer of The Rope A Dope Radio Podcast Available at www.blogtalkradio.com/ropeadoperadio Follow on Twitter @RopeADopeRadio
