By: Hans Themistode
Michael McKinson knew he was a heavy underdog going into the match against Vergil Ortiz Jr. However, the relatively unknown semi-ranked candidate is anxious to prove that he belongs.
Despite his firm convictions, McKinson will be forced to wait a little longer to prove himself. According to multiple reports, Ortiz Jr withdrew from their March 19 performance due to an illness unrelated to Covid-19.
With the pair slated to go head to head in just a few days, the entire deck is in grave jeopardy. For now, it’s unclear whether the Blair Cobb and Alexis Rocha co-star event will be elevated rather than scrapped altogether.
For Ortiz Jr., after the most productive year of his young star career, the 23-year-old is starting to knock on the door for a world championship title. In 2021, Ortiz Jr faced adversity in head-to-head confrontations with Maurice Hooker and Egidijus Kavaliauskas.
In the end, despite being pushed, Ortiz Jr continued his knockout streak, stopping both men in the seventh and eighth rounds, respectively.
Although McKinson knew well that much of the boxing world was on Ortiz Jr.’s side, facing an undefeated powerful puncher was something he was used to. In three of his previous four appearances, McKinson has let his opponent receive the first defeat of his career.
Aside from Ortiz Jr wanting to test the endurance of his senior, the young heavyweight star is set to enter the ring without Robert Garcia, his notable former coach. The two broke up amicably a few months ago. Now, the championship hopeful is coached full-time by his father, Vergil Ortiz Sr.
