Vergil Ortiz Jr. feels at home at 154 pounds as he fights Serhii Bohachuk

LAS VEGAS – The drive for a world title belt motivates Vergil Ortiz Jr.

So are the voices from the naysayers and skeptics.

Ortiz will challenge Serhii Bohachuk for the interim WBC world junior middleweight title (not seen by The Ring) on ​​Saturday night at the Michelob Ultra Arena inside Mandalay Bay (DAZN, 8 pm ET/ 5 pm PT).

Ortiz, 26, (21-0, 21 knockouts) returned to the ring on January 6 after a 17-month layoff, stopping Fredrick Lawson in the opening round. Ortiz scored another opening round win in his last fight on April 27, dropping Thomas Dulorme with a nasty left hook to the body.

Ortiz will face a fighter in Bohachuk (24-1, 23 KOs), who will be bigger than him and has won his last six fights since a knockout loss to Brandon Adams in March 2021.

A compelling fight on paper, combined for 44 knockouts in 45 victories, Ortiz understands the challenge facing Bohachuk, but also what he brings to the table.

“He's just a volume puncher,” Ortiz told The Ring in a recent interview. “He is a person who fights for pressure. That is very good. I can't say that there is anything specific that he does well (in the ring). He is a volume punch that is hard to tire of.”

Although he was the betting favorite going into the fight against Bohachuk, Ortiz has heard criticism in recent months about whether he has fully recovered from rhabdomyolysis and COVID-19, which sidelined him in 2022 and 2023, to not fight until 154 pounds. limit. Ortiz weighed in at 156 pounds in the Lawson fight, and 155.5 pounds in the Dulorme fight.

Some wonder if Bohachuk's punching power might be too much for Ortiz to handle. Ortiz caused a stir on social media Thursday after refusing to shake Bohachuk's hand after an argument after a press conference. Ortiz stated on social media that it was not Bohachuk's personal fault, but refused to shake hands because of negative comments from a member of Bohachuk's team.

Ortiz said he was motivated to win Saturday because of the trash talk against him and wanted to make a statement using Bohachuk.

“It would mean a lot to me (to win Saturday) because I know a lot of people doubted me and, as much as I don't like it, it's an encouragement to me,” said Ortiz, who lives in Grand Prairie, Texas. . “Definitely, because I want to prove everyone wrong. I feel like I'm feeding myself off of it, somehow. I understand when people say that if I fight in someone's home then they are mocking you and that gives you that power. Because you shouldn't win. Then you say, yes, I will show you that I will win.”

Ortiz's jab remains a power punch – Photo by HoganPhotos

Before moving up to 154 pounds, Ortiz was one of the top fighters in the welterweight division, even holding the No. 1 ranking in the WBO and WBA. Some questioned whether Ortiz should have fought at a higher weight, but he is happy to finally fight at a weight where he is comfortable.

“I feel like we're fighting (at 154 pounds) at the right time of my career,” Ortiz said. “We knew that Michael McKinson's fight (August 2022) was my last (at 147 kilograms). But when the battle of (Eimantas) Stanionis came, we entered there thinking that we would fight (the Stanionis that) December. I signed a contract that forced me to fight in December of that year. December turned into March (Stanionis withdrew due to having his appendix removed). The camp started in September or October. March became April. We were ready to fight him.

“It's been a long time now. I did what I could do there against anyone available. We are ready to take the 154-pound division.”

Ortiz is in his second season with trainer Robert Garcia. His father, Vergil Ortiz, Sr., has always been in his son's corner. Before being brought in by Garcia as a trainer, Ortiz was trained by Joel Diaz and Manny Robles, respectively.

Garcia has earned a reputation as one of the best coaches in the sport. Last Saturday, Jose Valenzuela, trained by Garcia, defeated Isaac Cruz to win the WBA junior welterweight world title.

Ortiz is grateful to have good coaches in his corner, and considers Garcia a great asset to his career.

“It is a combination of all three coaches. Robert, my Father (Vergil Ortiz, Sr.), and Hector Beltran. They all testify when they see me doing mitts. They look at each other and do things with me. They give each other directions on what to do. An outsider saw something different. It's a team effort. We literally take everything out. Boxing, (what) can we add to it, watch out for other boxing, defenses after that. It is a combination of all three coaches.

“Robert has experience. He is a former world champion. He has been on both sides of the game. He has been a world champion and has trained world champions. He has been (a) manager too. I can't even call him a student of this game. You are probably an expert. You might say you have a Ph.D. It's always important to have someone like him in my corner who has all that experience, inside the ring (and) outside the ring. Politics. Everything else. He is the best player in the team.”

Ortiz made his pro debut in July 2016. Since then, he has fought under the Golden Boy Promotions banner.

Eric Gomez, President of Golden Boy Promotions, made it a point to sign Ortiz to a promotional deal.

Since then, Ortiz has thrived in the ring. Despite some obstacles, Ortiz was able to overcome them and is on the verge of becoming a champion in this sport. He has been adamant that he will face the best, including the recently crowned WBA junior middleweight champion Israel Madrimov.

That could happen next year. On Saturday, he has a worthy opponent in Bohachuk. He hopes to make a name for himself at 154 pounds and dominate this division.

“It means a lot (to be signed by Golden Boy). I first met (Eric Gomez) at the 2015 (amateur) 'Desert Showdown' in Indio, California. I met him. I saw Golden Boy there. I was happy. At the same time, once you're in, you just forget about it. So I did my thing anyway. They saw what I could do, and they were very happy with me. It really meant a lot to me. It means even more now.”

“Both sides have been honest, we believe in each other and we know that we are meant for each other's greatness.”

Francisco A. Salazar has written for The Ring since October 2013 and has handled boxing in Southern California and internationally since 2000. Francisco also covers boxing for the Ventura County (California) Star newspaper. They can be reached at [email protected]

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