Although he had to walk the whole distance, Vergil Ortiz Jr. finally did it! The Grand Prairie-born boxer remains unbeaten. At the Michelob Ultra Arena, Ortiz Jr. defeated Serheii Bohachuk by a majority decision to become the new WBC (interim) light middleweight champion.
The triumph might have caused a dent in his 100% KO record; nevertheless, it has also opened new pathways for the 26-year-old, who has been striving for his share of boxing glory for quite some time. Thus, making his next move on the board, during the post-fight in-ring interview, he called out Terence Crawford.
With the much-sought-after fight between Crawford and Canelo Alvarez falling off the radar, roads appear open for a potential showdown between Vergil Ortiz Jr. and ‘Bud’ Crawford. It’s a matchup that has even caught the attention of His Excellency Turki Alalshikh. Ortiz Jr. returned to boxing after a break that lasted nearly 17 months. He announced his arrival with a quick dispatch of Frederick Lawson and Thomas Dulorme in the year’s first half. Needless to say, several renowned names from the boxing world took to their keyboards to pen their thoughts; some of them deemed the fight a modern-day classic!
JUST IN: Vergil Ortiz wins despite 2 knockdowns, eyes Crawford
Perhaps both Vergil Ortiz Jr. and Serhii Bohachuk, who had previously sparred with each other, had decided on not giving either any quarter. Both went after each other. Round after round, crowds in the arena witness a slugfest, which is sure to enter this year’s fight of the year’s contention.
🚨 Vergil Ortiz Jr. defeats Serhii Bohachuk #BohachukOrtiz #Ortiz pic.twitter.com/wR1pngyM8u
— Ringside promotions (@Ringsidepromo) August 11, 2024
For the first time in his eight-year-old career, Ortiz Jr. suffered two knockdowns. but as rounds proceeded, he got busier, working his way up through precision body shots that slowed down his Ukrainian opponent. Full credit goes to Bohachuk for the fight he gave that eventually witnessed one of the judges going neutral with a 113-113 scroecard. However, for the remaining two, Ortiz Jr. had worked sufficiently to deserve a win: 114-112, 114-112.
The Grand Prairie-born boxer’s feat followed ‘Bud’ Crawford’s light middleweight debut on August 3. The Nebrskan defeated Israil Madrimov to secure the WBA and WBO (interim) titles. Though he has always expressed interest in a fight with Canelo Alvarez, the Mexican icon, it appears he isn’t too keen on the matchup. His price quote for the Crawford fight eventually saw HE Alalshikh release a statement on parting with the project. So what could be next for ‘Bud’ Now that there are two new champions in the 154-pound weight class, a title unification seems like a logical move.
As far as the outcome of the fight is concerned, views fall on either side of the fence. While a few felt the fight could have been a draw, others don’t seem eager about Ortiz Jr.’s future moves, especially the Crawford duel. Let’s check what a few of them had to say.
What a fucking fight Ortiz and Bohachuk just gave us. I have a draw … probably because i don't want a loser! #boxing
— Lou DiBella🥊 (@loudibella) August 11, 2024
Vergil wants Bud.
#Boxing #BOXINGnBBQ#OrtizBohachuk pic.twitter.com/oxJqXH0txV
— BOXING n BBQ (@BOXINGnBBQ) August 11, 2024
Respectfully to Virgil Ortiz, Crawford gon beat the hell out of him
— Naji (@NajiChill) August 11, 2024
Got dropped twice got hit with right hands that you can see coming
Face messed up
Don’t talk like you are someone that’s unbeatable when this fight was close close
— RYAN GARCIA (@RyanGarcia) August 11, 2024
Those who understand boxing know what just happened 😂
— Serhii Bohachuk 🇺🇦 (@SBohachuk) August 11, 2024
WHAT. A. FIGHT. Bohachuk and Ortiz just put on a classic, and it elevated BOTH men. There is NO loser in this. #OrtizBohachuk
— Kevin Iole (@KevinI) August 11, 2024
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