Terence Crawford and Vergil Ortiz Jr. have both kept their undefeated records intact, but one fighter might pack a heavier punch. That's according to Egidijus Kavaliauskas, who's been in the ring with both men.
Crawford's career has seen him climb through the weight divisions. He started as a lightweight back in 2014 and has since become a four-weight world champion. He's held undisputed titles at both super-lightweight and welterweight. In his last fight, Crawford moved up to 154lbs and won the WBA super-welterweight title against Israil Madrimov.
Ortiz Jr. has also made the move up to super-welterweight, but for different reasons. He struggled to make the 147lb limit and decided to campaign at the higher weight. His last fight saw him pick up the WBC interim super-welterweight title against Serhii Bohachuk. Ortiz had to recover from two knockdowns and won a controversial majority decision. It was the first time in his career that he'd gone the distance.
Kavaliauskas, known as 'Mean Machine', has shared the ring with both fighters. Crawford stopped him in the 9th round back in December 2019. Ortiz Jr. finished the job quicker, winning by 8th round stoppage in August 2021.
When asked about the punching power of both men, Kavaliauskas gave a clear answer. In a recent interview, he said:
"I think Vergil Ortiz has more power. He's a more powerful and more stronger and aggressive guy."
Ortiz Jr. was set to face Jaron Ennis in February, but the fight couldn't be agreed upon. Now, he's looking at a possible bout with Israil Madrimov. If Ortiz wins that fight, he'll have a strong case for a shot at Crawford, who's seen as the pound-for-pound king of boxing right now.
