Vergil Ortiz Jr.

Vergil Ortiz Jr. (born March 25, 1998) is an American professional boxer who has held the World Boxing Organization (WBO) International welterweight title since 2021.

As an amateur, he was a seven-time national champion and was the winner at the 2013 Junior Olympics.

His seventh bout came on September 16, 2017, on the undercard of Canelo Álvarez vs. Gennady Golovkin I against Cesar Valenzuela, which he won by second-round technical knockout.

After improving to 11-0, Ortiz appeared a year later on the undercard of Canelo Álvarez vs. Gennady Golovkin II to face Roberto Ortiz.

Vergil Ortiz knocked down his opponent with a right hand early in the second round.

Roberto got up, but he was still hurt.

Vergil attacked him immediately and knocked him down again with a right hand that sent his opponent to one knee.

Roberto Ortiz reached his feet again, but the referee deemed him unfit to continue, calling off the fight.

He was named 2019 The Ring magazine Prospect of the Year.

Ortiz is known for his exceptional punching power, having scored all of his wins by knockout.

As of August 2022, Ortiz Jr is ranked as the world's fifth best welterweight by The Ring magazine, and fourth by BoxRec and the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board (TBRB).

Ortiz was victorious in his first six fights, winning all six by stoppage and only going past the first round in one of the six fights.

Ortiz, who now had an unblemished record of 13-0, defeated Antonio Orozco by sixth-round technical knockout to win the vacant WBA Gold welterweight title on August 10, 2019, at The Theatre at Grand Prairie, Texas.

He defended the title in his next fight against Brad Solomon on December 13, 2019, in Indio, California, winning by fifth-round knockout.

Ortiz was originally scheduled to face Samuel Vargas on March 28, 2020, at The Forum, Inglewood, California on the undercard of Canelo Álvarez vs. Billy Joe Saunders.

However, following the postponement of the fight between Álvarez and Saunders due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the fight took place on July 24, 2020, at the same venue as Ortiz's previous fight against Brad Solomon.

Ortiz won the fight by seventh-round technical knockout and retained his WBA Gold welterweight title.

Ortiz returned to the ring on March 20, 2021, beating Maurice Hooker with another seventh-round technical knockout in Fort Worth, Texas to win the vacant WBO International welterweight title.

Hooker was ranked #8 by the WBO, #13 by the WBC and #15 by the IBF at welterweight.

On August 14, 2021, Ortiz defended the title against Egidijus Kavaliauskas.

Kavaliauskas was ranked #5 by the WBO and #10 by the WBC at welterweight.

Kavaliauskas, who became Ortiz's first opponent to last longer than seven rounds, suffered five knockdowns as Ortiz won by eighth-round technical knockout.

On August 6, 2022, Ortiz Jr fought Michael McKinson in an eliminator for the WBA world welterweight title.

McKinson was ranked #5 by the WBO and #10 by the WBA at welterweight.

Ortiz Jr beat McKinson by technical knockout in the 9th round.