21-year-old boxing star in the making Vergil Ortiz Jr. will fight his fourth fight of the year this Friday versus veteran Brad Solomon.
Vergil Ortiz Jr. has emerged as a young knockout artist, with 14 fights, 14 victories, and all 14 of them coming by knockout. But Ortiz is more than just a big hitter; he is defensive-minded, he stands tall with his chin tucked and gloves high at all time, he is fundamental, often working off his jab. He is cerebral, breaking down opponents systematically while patiently waiting for his opportunity to end it all.
This year specifically, we have seen a step up in opposition for Vergil Ortiz, with each opponent being tougher, smarter, and more skilled than the fighter before him. So far, he has passed every test with flying colors.
His last win came against Antonio Orozco, who had never been knocked out before. It took Ortiz 6 rounds to do what 29 men before him could not. He knocked Antonio Orozco out. And in spectacular fashion.
Prior to that: Mauricio Herrera, who had never been stopped. Ortiz knocked Herrera down in the 2nd round but Herrera was saved by the bell. But not for long, because Ortiz knocked Herrera out with a huge vicious right hand early in the 3rd.
This weekend, Vergil Ortiz Jr. will face Brad Solomon, another fighter who has never been knocked out. Solomon has a record of 28-1. He has notable wins over Adrian Granados and Ray Robinson and his only loss came to then undefeated Konstantin Ponomarev by split decision. Solomon presents a different type of challenge for Ortiz, because he isn’t the type of fighter who will stand in the pocket and brawl. He uses his legs and the ring pretty effectively, and Ortiz will have to find a way to cut off the ring to get his 15th knockout.
The fight airs Friday, December 13, 2019 on DAZN from Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, CA.
Flip the pages for Ortiz’s Top 10 knockouts.