Vergil Ortiz Jr’s punching power came into question as Serhii Bohachuk raised doubts following their recent fight. The Ukrainian boxer managed to go the full distance with Ortiz, marking the first time anyone had done so in Ortiz’s 22-fight professional career.
In a closely contested bout held in Las Vegas last August, Ortiz Jr secured a majority decision victory over Bohachuk. The fight was for the WBC interim super-welterweight title and stirred some controversy, as noted by many observers.
Before facing Bohachuk, Ortiz Jr had knocked out all 21 of his previous opponents, including formidable fighters such as Egidijus Kavaliauskas, Maurice Hooker, and Samuel Vargas. However, Bohachuk expressed skepticism about Ortiz’s power after their encounter.
Discussing the fight in an interview with Fight Hub TV, Bohachuk said, “He is not strong. Before me, he has 21 knockouts. I don’t feel this. I don’t feel this in the fight. He’s not very strong. He’s not a bad boxer, but not he’s a big puncher.”
The fight proved challenging for Ortiz, as he faced adversity by getting knocked down twice, once in the first round and again in the eighth. These were the first instances in his career where he had been knocked to the canvas.
Following their bout, both fighters have continued their careers. Bohachuk recently claimed victory over Ishmael Davis by corner retirement, fighting on the undercard of the Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson Fury rematch. Meanwhile, Ortiz Jr is preparing to defend his WBC interim belt against Israil Madrimov in February.
Interestingly, Madrimov was initially slated to face Bohachuk but withdrew from the bout. Now, Madrimov will challenge Ortiz Jr, providing an opportunity to see if Bohachuk’s assessment of Ortiz’s punching power holds true.
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