A massive card with Terence Crawford vs. Vergil Ortiz Jr. and Shakur Stevenson vs. William Zepeda could be happening.
Turki Alalshikh’s Ambitious Plan
According to DAZN, His Excellency Turki Alalshikh is interested in a Crawford-Ortiz Jr. and Shakur-Zepeda fight card. Newly crowned WBC interim Junior middleweight champion Vergil (22-0, 21 KOs) is on board with the idea of fighting Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) next.
Last night, Vergil defeated WBC interim 154-lb champion Bohachuk (24-2, 23 KOs) by a twelve-round majority decision at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas. The scores were 113-113, 114-112 and 114-112.
“Let’s do it, man. I’m ready for a challenge,” said Vergil Ortiz on a potential unification match between him and WBA Terence Crawford next after his win over Serhii Bohachuk.
“I think ‘Bud,” I got what it takes to beat him.”
It’s a dangerous fight for Ortiz and Crawford. In Bud’s last contest against WBA junior middleweight champion Israil Madrimov on August 3rd, he absorbed a lot of right hands and looked very average.
Picture Superman in a room full of kryptonite. That’s what it was like with Crawford. He wasn’t the same fighter going up against Madrimov as he had in the past at 147. It could have been worse for Crawford if Madrimov threw many punches.
If Crawford fights Vergil Ortiz, he will be getting hit a lot because the young lion has a high work rate and never stops punching. Vergil’s power isn’t on the level of Madrimov or Bohachuk, but he makes up for it by throwing a lot.
Ideally, Vergil Jr. should fight Bohachuk in a rematch to clear up the controversy over their fight last Saturday night, which saw Ortiz Jr. getting dropped twice and taking a beating by the powerful champion. But if this is about business, it’s understandable why His Excellency would want to make a fight between Crawford and Vergil Jr. next rather than wait on a risky rematch involving Bohachuk.
Turki can always make the Vergil vs. Bohachuk rematch after Ortiz fights Crawford. Even if Vergil is coming off a loss to Crawford, there will still be fan interest in a Vergil-Bohachuk match.
Stevenson’s Toughest Test Yet
WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson (22-0, 10 KOs) will have his toughest career test fighting unbeaten #1 William Zepeda (31-0, 27 KOs), who will put withering pressure on him throughout.
If Shakur thought he had it bad last November when he fought the powerful knockout artist Edwin De Los Santos, just wait and see what he suffers through against Zepeda, The Mexican slugger has been knocking everyone out lately, and he specializes in cutting off the ring against fighters that attempt to move.
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