Vergil Ortiz Jr’s proposed showdown with Tim Tszyu was anticipated to steal the show on the upcoming Israil Madrimov vs. Terence Crawford card until Tszyu was forced to pull out of the contest, but that has opened the door for one man who seems set to step in and attempt to put an end to Ortiz Jr.’s perfect record.
Tszyu was poised to defend his WBO super-welterweight title against Keith Thurman in March, until an injury to the latter saw him withdraw from the bout, being replaced by a polarising figure in Sebastian Fundora – appropriately nicknamed as ‘The Towering Inferno’.
The Aussie accepted the short-notice opponent and received great respect for doing so, but ultimately the decision proved to be a costly one as Fundora claimed a shock majority-decision win, with the help of a sizeable cut to the champion which saw the contest turn into a bloodied war.
Seeking to bounce back to the forefront of the division, Tszyu agreed to take on Ortiz on the much-lauded Madrimov-Crawford bill, in what was sure to be a high-octane affair. Unfortunately, that clash has now fallen apart, as Tszyu’s cut has not healed in time, much to the disappointment of George Rose, CEO of No Limit Boxing (Tsyzu’s promotion).
“We are bitterly disappointed with the setback, and Tim is extremely frustrated after a great pre-camp with Kostya.
“He showed everyone that he’ll fight through anything against Fundora, but this decision was taken out of his hands to be honest. Ultimately, it was his body and medical professionals telling him he wasn’t ready yet.”
However, the absence of Tsyzu has not encouraged Ortiz Jr. to cancel his plans to fight on the card, aiming for a 22nd knockout in as many outings. Instead, the Texan is expected to take on Serhii Bohachuk (24-1) – the man who was expected to fight Fundora on what turned out to be the Tszyu-Fundora card but ended up outpointing Brian Mendoza, his promoter Tom Loeffler told ESPN.
“Serhii is in a great position as the WBC interim champion and mandatory challenger, but is definitely interested in the fight with Vergil.
“Serhii lives and trains in L.A. as does Vergil, so it would be the perfect L.A. fight if the fight can be made.”
As Loeffler states, Bohachuk could prove to be a smarter option for Ortiz Jr. as a win will line him up for a shot at the WBC super-welterweight title. At present, Fundora holds the WBC belt but he is expected to make a first defence of the strap against Errol Spence Jr. who will debut at the weight when they meet in October, 16 months after he lost his unified welterweight titles to Terence Crawford.
Madrimov-Crawford will take place on August 3rd, with Isaac Cruz defending his WBA super-lightweight title, David Morrell making his light-heavyweight debut and Andy Ruiz Jr. taking part in his comeback on the undercard.
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