LOS ANGELES – The scrap between knockout artists Serhii Bohachuk and Vergil Ortiz Jr. is shaping up to be a scintillating slugfest, and the headliners gathered Thursday at Golden Boy headquarters to start stewing interest for their summer showdown.
Bohachuk (24-1, 23 KOs), a WBC interim junior middleweight titleholder, and Ortiz (21-0, 21 KOs) have nearly 50 rounds of sparring between them and will finally fight for real on Aug. 10 at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas on DAZN.
The winner of the showcase should be in prime position to face the victor of the Sebastian Fundora vs. Errol Spence Jr. fight, a yet-to-be-announced matchup slated for November.
Fundora is the WBC’s current 154-pound titlist, a belt he won from Tim Tszyu in March. Fundora was also in attendance at the presser to get a closer look at his potential future opponent, and to support his sister and flyweight titleholder Gabriela Fundora (13-0, 6 KOs), as it was announced that she’ll be featured in a fight against Daniela Asenjo (16-3-3, 2 KOs) on the Ortiz-Bohachuk undercard.
“Vergil is extra-special,” said Ortiz promoter Oscar De La Hoya, who also announced a multi-year contract extension with Texas’ 26-year-old Ortiz earlier in the day. “From the moment we saw him as an amateur, we knew we had a generational talent. He has a killer instinct and incredible power. If he hurts you and smells blood, he’s going to finish you, and that’s something special. That’s the bottom line, and I love that.
“It’s almost like looking in the mirror – it’s incredible how Serhii has the same abilities and the knockout power [as Ortiz]. Serhii is an amazing boxer, a hard worker and an old-school fighter.
“I’m not blowing smoke, but I need to make sure the world knows that this will be Fight of the Year. This is a throwback, action-packed fight that calls for an all-out war and an all-out brawl, and I don’t think it makes the distance. You have two warriors with power and skill who never take a step back. These are the fights you get excited for and talk about for a long time.”
De La Hoya is rightfully bullish on the bout, which has all the ingredients on paper to be a barnburner. But it’s important that the headliners themselves feel the same way.
“I think it will be something like [a war],” Ortiz said. “Our fighting styles complement each other, for sure. It’s going to be a good one. We’re pretty familiar with each other.
“It’s been a long time coming here. I’ve been training since I was five years old, and I work hard every day. I didn’t have anything growing up. This means a lot to me, and come Aug. 10, it’s going to be a great fight. I’m going to be excited to watch it afterward.”
Ortiz is coming off back-to-back first-round knockout wins, against Fredrick Lawson in January and Thomas Dulorme in April, following a 16-month layoff during which he dealt with health issues. Ortiz was originally set to face Tszyu on Aug. 3, but Tszyu was forced to pull out of the fight because the forehead gash he sustained in his loss to Fundora was not properly healing.
The sequence of events opened the door for Bohachuk to step in. Bohachuk, a 29-year-old Ukrainian, will defend the interim title he won when he beat former Fundora conqueror Brian Mendoza in March via unanimous decision. The matchup marked the first time Bohachuk had fought to the full distance. Bohachuk was supposed to fight Fundora that night, but Fundora was pulled in to face Tszyu as a late replacement for the injured Keith Thurman.
“I’m happy to be here against a big and strong opponent like Vergil,” said Bohachuk. “It’s interesting for me. Vergil is a good opponent, and it’s good for me. It’s not going to be a fight; it’s going to be a war. It’s going to be an interesting fight. … It’s a big chance for me to represent Ukraine in Las Vegas and put on a big show.”
The power-punching pair of Ortiz and Bohachuk are incredibly familiar with one another due to their time training with coach Manny Robles at the Legends Boxing Academy in Norwalk, California, and serving as sparring partners for each other in 2022. Ortiz has since been reunited with trainer Robert Garcia while Bohachuk is still cornered by Robles.
Ortiz describes his previous relationship with Bohachuk as their being “co-workers.”
“Sparring is sparring, and a fight is a fight,” said Bohachuk, who is signed to Tom Loeffler’s 360 Promotions. “In sparring, you learn. And a fight is very different.”
The 154-pound division is heating up.
In addition to Ortiz, Bohachuk, Fundora, Spence and Tszyu, pound-for-pound king and three-division titlist Terence Crawford is now stepping into the weight class, and his first foray as a junior middleweight begins Aug. 3 against WBA titleholder Israil Madrimov. A WBO interim title will also be on the line.
The following week, Ortiz and Bohachuk will try to see to it that their cross-promotional matchup lives up to its Fight of the Year potential and the war they are promising.
“Vergil’s time is now, and he deserves [the shot against Bohachuk],” said De La Hoya. “We’re going to put our efforts and machine around him because I strongly feel Vergil can become the sport’s next superstar. It’s going to be an incredible night for him.”
Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist, writer and broadcast reporter. He’s also a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the MMA Journalists Association. He can be reached on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube at @ManoukAkopyan, through email at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com or via www.ManoukAkopyan.com.
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