Vergil Ortiz Jr's punching power got questioned by Serhii Bohachuk after their recent fight. The Ukrainian boxer went the distance with Ortiz, becoming the first to do so in the American's 22-fight career.
Ortiz Jr claimed a majority decision win over Bohachuk in Las Vegas last August. The fight was for the WBC interim super-welterweight title and ended up being a bit controversial.
Before this bout, Ortiz Jr had knocked out all 21 of his opponents. He'd stopped tough fighters like Egidijus Kavaliauskas, Maurice Hooker, and Samuel Vargas inside the distance. But Bohachuk wasn't impressed by Ortiz's power.
In an interview with Fight Hub TV, Bohachuk said:
"He is not strong. Before me he has 21 knockouts. I don't feel this. I don't feel this in the fight. He's not very strong. He's not a bad boxer, but not he's a big puncher."
The fight was a tough one for Ortiz. He got knocked down twice - in the first and eighth rounds. It was the first time in his career he'd hit the canvas.
Since their fight, both boxers have moved on. Bohachuk recently beat Ishmael Davis by corner retirement on the undercard of the Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson Fury rematch. Ortiz Jr is set to defend his WBC interim belt against Israil Madrimov in February.
Interestingly, Madrimov was originally supposed to fight Bohachuk but had to pull out. Now, he'll face Ortiz Jr instead, giving us a chance to see if Bohachuk's assessment of Ortiz's power holds up.
