By: Sean Crose
“You want me to shake someone’s hand,” Virgil Ortiz asked rhetorically on social media on Thursday, “after people on his team called me unprofessional this and that? I respect what is due respect.” Ortiz was referring to a press conference in which he did not shake the hand of Serhii Bohachuk, whom he faces tomorrow night in Las Vegas. “Everyone here knows I’m respectful. You want to say I’m unsportsmanlike and switching sides? I really do.” [sic]. What the 21-0 Ortiz CARES about is beating the 24-1 Bohachuk. After all, these two men are training partners.
Ortiz is nothing if not one of the sport’s rising stars. At 26, the undefeated Texan has yet to make it very far in the professional ring. Ortiz’s last fight was a first-round demolition of veteran Thomas Dulorme in April. Ortiz’s previous bout, against Fredrick Lawson in February, also did not make it past the opening round. Indeed, none of Ortiz’s fights have made it past the ninth round. With that said, Bohachuk has some serious firepower of his own. All but one of his 24 victories have ended before the final bell.
Ortiz’s promoter, Oscar De La Hoya, however, has so much faith in his man that he wants Ortiz to face Terence Crawford in a superfight next year. That is, of course, assuming Ortiz can get past the fearsome Ortiz. With Bohachuk’s interim WBC super welterweight title on the line, there is more than bragging rights at stake this weekend at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. A loss may not spell the end of Ortiz’s career, but it would certainly derail the train he is currently running around the world on. A loss to Bohachuk could prove to be even more damaging for the LA (via Ukraine) fighter.
On the other hand, a win would set both men up for big things. World title shots, top competition, the like could be on the cards for the winner. This would be a crossroads fight between two hungry power punchers, which means it should be an interesting main event on Saturday night in Vegas.
And, if anything, this weekend will show how well suited Ortiz is to the middleweight division. This is just his third fight at 154 pounds, which means Ortiz has something to prove. Expect both fighters to enter the ring on Saturday night with strong momentum.
