Vergil Ortiz discusses summer showdown with Tim Tszyu
Super-welterweight title hopeful Vergil Ortiz (20-0, 20KO) has been linked to a clash with Aussie superstar Tim Tszyu (24-1, 17KO) since the beginning of the year and it seems that the pair have now agreed to fight, although it will no longer be for a world title, since ‘The Soul Taker’ conceded his WBO belt to Sebastian Fundora in his last fight.
26-year-old Ortiz looked ahead to the showdown – which his father has labelled as a ‘man’s fight’ – but the Texan first has to come through his next test against Puerto Rican Thomas Dulorme, who once challenged Terence Crawford for the WBO super-lightweight title in 2015.
WBA Gold titlist Ortiz sensationally knocked out Ghanaian Fredrick Lawson (30-5, 22KO) in the first-round of their January 6 encounter, extending his perfect record of 20 bouts and 20 stoppages.
The performance led to suggestions that the young prospect should be next in line for Tim Tszyu’s WBO title, who was perceived by many as the man to beat at 154lbs.
However, last month Tszyu lost his world title in a shock defeat to Sebastian Fundora, where the champion was badly hampered by a prevalent cut throughout the affair but battled on through the cascading blood without hesitation before ultimately losing on points in an incredibly brave showing.
Speaking to 210 Boxing TV, WBA #3 Ortiz explained why Tszyu has gained his respect despite the loss and detailed why his father described their proposed fight as a ‘man’s fight’.
“What I really took away [from the Fundora fight] is that he has heart, he is not going to quit. That was a lot of blood coming out of his head and going into his eyes, he couldn’t see and even then he wasn’t complaining and after the fight he didn’t complain about it. He just fought through it the whole fight, that says a lot about his character.
“It doesn’t matter [whether I dislike my opponent or not]. It really doesn’t matter, I respect him in a way but I don’t know the guy – I have never met him before. We have had one interaction on Twitter, it’s not like we are friends. It is more that I respect him as a fighter, I think that he is a great fighter and I think that, if we do fight and I hope that it does happen, we are going to bring out the best of each other. It is more in that sense, ‘I respect you, so you are going to get the best out of me’.
“A man’s fight is two fighters that don’t necessarily stand there and brawl, because that doesn’t really make you a man – a dumba** can stand there and brawl because they don’t know better. A fighter that can stay in the pocket when fire is coming at them and return something back [that shows that you are a man]. We are both strong, we’re very strong fighters, we are very smart and fast, it is not going to be a fight that you are going to want to miss.”
Tszyu-Ortiz is expected to take place on the Madrimov-Crawford undercard on August 3, with the winner poised to take on the victor of the main-event for a world title. However, Ortiz must first get past Thomas Dulorme, who he fights on Saturday night.