Vergil Ortiz Jr. To Collide With Serhii Bohachuk
According to ESPN, highly touted super welterweight Vergil Ortiz Jr. (21-0, 21 KO’s) will face interim WBC 154-pound champion Serhii “El Flaco” Bohachuk (24-1, 23 KO’s) in a summer showdown. Prior to this duel, Ortiz Jr., ranked #1 (WBA) and #2 (WBO), was slated to battle former WBO 154-pound champion Tim Tszyu. Well, that was before Tszyu had to withdraw from their dance date due to injury.
Despite the excitement that a match between Tszyu and Ortiz Jr. would have provided, this is an upgrade for the Golden Boy Promotions fighter due to the interim hardware in Bohachuk’s possession. Luckily for the fans, this new prizefight between the two heavy-hitters should maintain the same level of concussive action and brutality that that Ortiz Jr. and Tszyu would have.
OUT OF THE SHADOWS?
The Ukrainian born fighter claimed his interim title in his last bout along with Brain Mendoza’s scalp this past March 30. In that duel, El Flaco won a wide unanimous decision win as he largely battered and bruised Mendoza throughout the contest. The win marked his sixth straight victory since suffering his only professional loss, by knockout, at the hands of Brandon Adams over three years ago on March 4, 2021.
In fact, Mendoza was the only fighter in his last six that did not succumb to his vicious power within the distance. Unlike Bohachuk however, Ortiz Jr. has not risen through the ranks flying under the radar of the mainstream boxing fans. Instead, his very glossy record has been paraded around for the entirety of the boxing world to see.
BACK ON THE HORSE
While the intense spotlight that he operated under benefited Ortiz Jr., it also exposed him to extreme scrutiny. This harsh evaluation came into play when he was twice forced to withdraw from matches due his bouts with rhabdomyolysis. Within numerous boxing circles it was widely speculated that perhaps the Texan fighter could not physically handle the preparations of a professional prizefight any longer.
Since moving to the super welterweight division however, Ortiz has not had any further health complications. In fact, not only did he look good in against Fredrick Lawson and Thomas Dulorme, he was able to keep his perfect knockout streak intact. Now, the question will be: can he continue his dominance when facing Bohachuk? Or, will Ortiz Jr. finally have met his match?! Only time will tell, but securing the answers should make for some delightful boxing action!
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