Vergil Ortiz Jr. (21-0, 21 KOs) scored another first-round knockout, crushing the hapless veteran Thomas Dulorme (26-7-1, 17 KOs) with a shot to the midsection.
The former welterweight contender Ortiz impressive with his win over Dulorme, fighting at middleweight at the Save Mart Arena in Fresno, California. Vergil’s knockout showed that his power has carried up from the 147-lb division, and is just as lethal at 154+.
Despite knocking out Dulorme, Vergil is still rusty, untested, and completely unprepared for what’s ahead of him.
Is Ortiz Ready for Tszyu?
The win over Ortiz sets up a bigger fight against former WBO junior middleweight champion Tim Tszyu on August 3rd. With all of Vergil Jr’s past medical problems, I have my doubts about whether he’ll make it to the ring on August 3rd to fight Tszyu.
Vergil Jr not someone you can count on getting through camp without falling apart with some ailment. For someone so young as Ortiz, it’s hard to believe all the physical problems he’s already having. What’s going to happen when he gets older?
It’s a big step up for the 26-year-old Vergil Jr. to be taking on knockout artist Tszyu (24-1, 17 KOs) from the guys that he’s been facing over his entire career, especially lately with Ortiz’s promoters at Golden Boy matching him against mediocre opposition.
Vergil Jr. has had two fights this year, with each of them ending by first-round knockouts. While Ortiz has good power, he’s never shown that kind of KO ability until recently, and the reason for that is that he’s being matched against soft opposition.
Golden Boy doesn’t want to take any chances with him after his repeated medical problems, which have slowed his career in the last couple of years. Ortiz has had lengthy layoffs, and he’s not fought anyone that can adequately prepare him for a fighter of Tszyu’s ability.
It’s not a good idea for Vergil to fight a grueling match before his fight with Tszyu, but he should have at least fought a fringe contender at 154 instead of consecutive second-tier journeymen. Vergil already has a weak resume, and it’s gotten worse lately.
Vergil’s Last Six Opponents
– Thomas Dulorme
– Fredrick Lawson
– Michael McKinson
– Egidijus Kavaliauskas
– Maurice Hooker
– Samuel Vargas