Golden Boy promoter Bernard Hopkins was still in denial about his fighter Vergil Ortiz Jr. having been knocked down twice by WBC interim junior middleweight champion Serhii Bohachuk last Saturday night at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas.
A Less Controversial Win?
Rather than being happy about Vergil’s controversial 12-round majority decision win over Bohachuk (24-2, 23 KOs), Hopkins continued to talk about the knockdown Ortz Jr. suffered in the eighth round. It was already confirmed by instant replay to be legit, caused by a punch from Bohachuk.
Looking at it from Hopkin’s possible angle. If both knockdowns had been waved off, Vergil’s win would have been less controversial in the eyes of the world than it is now. In other words, it wouldn’t be seen as highway robbery where the more popular fighter, Vergil Jr, is given an undeserving win over the fighter who appeared to beat him in the eyes of fans.
It would still be controversial because Bohachuk fought well enough to win 8-4 or 9-3, but it wouldn’t be quite as bad. The judges gave it to Vergil 113-113, 114-112 and 114-112. However, the boxing world saw Bohachuk winning and overruled the three.
Hopkins says he wants Vergil Ortiz to “get his shot,” which I think is code for wanting him to fight Terence Crawford next. If Vergil does move on, he’ll continue to be seen as a pampered fighter who should have a loss on his record.
Refusing Reality
“Even though we don’t have instant replay, the audience could see that it was a slip and not a knockdown,” said Golden Boy promoter Bernard Hopkins to the Fight Hub TV YouTube channel about his stable fighter Vergil Ortiz Jr not having been knocked down in the eighth round by Serhii Bohachuk.
Hopkins may not like this, but the replay showed that Vergil was hit with a shot from Bohachuk in the eighth round. That wasn’t a slip. It was a punch that landed, causing Vergil to go down.
“The referees can’t see everything. Things happen. It’s human error or just bad angle,” said Hopkins. “I want to see now Vergil get his shot to become a superstar. He’s a star now but a superstar. Move on to the next once he heals up, licks his wounds, and gets back in there when it’s time.”
Yeah, referees can’t see everything, but neither can judges, and that was pretty clear when they saw who they gave the win to. The replay clearly showed that Vergil was knocked down by a punch in the eighth round, and that’s why the knockdown stuck. If it had been a slip, the knockdown would have been overturned.
A Gifted Decision
It doesn’t matter now. Vergil got this controversial win and will have to live with being seen as receiving a gifted decision like many A-side fighters over the years. If he and Golden Boy wanted to do the right thing, they’d take the high ground and give Bohachuk a rematch, perhaps in New York, where it would be neutral territory.
“Of course, I think that will be with a fight like that of some would say was controversial. There were some close rounds. It could have gone to any guy. Those fights can be made, and those fights will be made,” said Hopkins when told that former WBO junior middleweight champion Tim Tszyu is interested in fighting Vergil Ortiz Jr. now.”
Almost all the rounds of the Bohachuk-Ortiz Jr. fight could have gone to either guy, but surprisingly, they all went to Vergil Jr. That’s why there’s so much controversy: He got knocked down twice, which means that he had to make up for four points.
“The best want to fight the best. I think this is the time when people are going to see the best fight the best. That’s what Golden Boy and others have echoed what we’ve been doing and what we’ve seen saying,” said Hopkins.
If Hopkins is serious about wanting the best to fight the best, he and the Golden Boy staff will continue to make fights like Bohachuk vs. Vergil Jr. This was the first fight of the 26-year-old Ortiz’s eight-year career in which he fought a good opponent, and many fans felt he lost. Interestingly, Hopkins wasn’t pushing hard in this interview for a rematch.
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