Vergil Ortiz Predicts a Swift Return to Dominance After Long Layoff
Had everything stuck to the script, top welterweight contender Vergil Ortiz Jr (18-0, 18 KO’s) would have gone to war earlier this year in March versus Michael McKinson. Sadly, those plans were fated to turn to ash when Ortiz fell victim to a medical condition known as rhabdomyolysis. While the #1 (WBO), #1 (WBA) and #1 (WBC) ranked fighter made a full recovery, the initial dustup was scraped.
Not to fret though, because his match with McKinson has been rescheduled for August 6. When he slides back through the ropes however, Ortiz will be shaking off a full year’s worth of ring rust. In his last at bat, on August 14, 2021, the highly ranked contender stopped a hard-nosed Egidijus Kavaliauskas in eight. The stoppage win also kept his perfect knockout streak alive. Confident in his skills, Ortiz doesn’t foresee the time away being an issue.
“I don’t think it should have any impact […] I’ve been training these past few weeks in sparring, I’ve been doing really good. I feel great, I feel like I’ve been fighting every week. So I don’t think it’ll have any impact on my performance.”
NOT OVER LOOKING, BUT…
Obviously, Ortiz would love to get another knockout on his ledger but is more concerned with nabbing the win. If victorious, as he believes he will be, Ortiz will then focus his attention on getting the winner of the match likely to be made between WBO welterweight champion Terence Crawford and unified 147-pound champion Errol Spence Jr. With his standing in the rankings, Ortiz has legitimate leverage to chase either titlist.
“It really doesn’t matter [which one I fight]. I want my shot with whoever; it honestly doesn’t matter to me.”
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By: Bakari Simpson
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