An enormous card with Terence Crawford vs. Vergil Ortiz Jr. and Shakur Stevenson vs. William Zepeda might be happening.
Turki Alalshikh’s Ambitious Plan
In line with DAZN, His Excellency Turki Alalshikh is keen on a Crawford-Ortiz Jr. and Shakur-Zepeda fight card. Newly crowned WBC interim Junior middleweight champion Vergil (22-0, 21 KOs) is on board with the concept of fighting Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) next.
Last night, Vergil defeated WBC interim 154-lb champion Bohachuk (24-2, 23 KOs) by a twelve-round majority decision on the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas. The scores were 113-113, 114-112 and 114-112.
“Let’s do it, man. I’m ready for a challenge,” said Vergil Ortiz on a possible unification match between him and WBA Terence Crawford next after his win over Serhii Bohachuk.
“I believe ‘Bud,” I got what it takes to beat him.”
It’s a dangerous fight for Ortiz and Crawford. In Bud’s last contest against WBA junior middleweight champion Israil Madrimov on August third, he absorbed numerous right hands and looked very average.
Picture Superman in a room filled with kryptonite. That’s what it was like with Crawford. He wasn’t the identical fighter going up against Madrimov as he had previously at 147. It might have been worse for Crawford if Madrimov threw many punches.
If Crawford fights Vergil Ortiz, he might be getting hit rather a lot since the young lion has a high work rate and never stops punching. Vergil’s power isn’t on the extent of Madrimov or Bohachuk, but he makes up for it by throwing rather a lot.
Ideally, Vergil Jr. should fight Bohachuk in a rematch to clear up the controversy over their fight last Saturday night, which saw Ortiz Jr. getting dropped twice and taking a beating by the powerful champion. But when that is about business, it’s comprehensible why His Excellency would need to make a fight between Crawford and Vergil Jr. next slightly than wait on a dangerous rematch involving Bohachuk.
Turki can at all times make the Vergil vs. Bohachuk rematch after Ortiz fights Crawford. Even when Vergil is coming off a loss to Crawford, there’ll still be fan interest in a Vergil-Bohachuk match.
Stevenson’s Hardest Test Yet
WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson (22-0, 10 KOs) could have his hardest profession test fighting unbeaten #1 William Zepeda (31-0, 27 KOs), who will put withering pressure on him throughout.
If Shakur thought he had it bad last November when he fought the powerful knockout artist Edwin De Los Santos, just wait and see what he suffers through against Zepeda, The Mexican slugger has been knocking everyone out recently, and he focuses on cutting off the ring against fighters that try to move.
