Ortiz could still fight in LA on August 3

Golden Boy have not given up on Vergil Ortiz boxing on the August 3 bill in Los Angeles.

Ortiz, the 21-0 (21 KOs) junior middleweight from Texas, had been due to face Australia’s Tim Tszyu in an eagerly-awaited clash, but the damage Tszyu suffered on his head from his March 30 fight with Sebastian Fundora has ruled him out.

The LA at the BMO Stadium card was announced on Wednesday, and is topped by Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov, and features heavyweight contests between Andy Ruiz and Jarrell Miller and Martin Bakole and Jared Anderson. 

There are also appearances for David Morrell and Andy Cruz, and the WBA junior-welterweight champion Isaac Cruz defends his title against Jose Valenzuela. 

Golden Boy’s Eric Gomez still has hopes that Ortiz might be able to still take his spot on the show.

“We’re working on a suitable opponent, someone who, when you lose a Tszyu it’s hard to get an opponent at that level, but there’s a few guys there we’re looking at,” Gomez said.

“We’re trying to repair the fight right now, we’re working with Sela Sports, the group out of Saudi Arabia, and we’re working to repair the fight and we’re also talking about potentially postponing the fight with Tszyu until he gets better. 

“There’s a lot of different things we’re working on.

“They announced it [the show] yesterday, but they said that if we find the right opponent, a suitable guy, which we’re working on now, that they will consider putting him on.”