"Ortiz, 27, has been one of the fastest-rising stars at Golden Boy Promotions and is recognized by ESPN as the No. 1-ranked junior middleweight despite not being a full titleholder. The powerful Ortiz will look to make a statement against Lubin (27-2, 19 KOs), an opponent who enters the fight as the underdog (+550 per ESPN BET) but has experience and power."
"Great things lie ahead of Ortiz (23-0, 17 KOs) as he aims to fulfill the prophecy set upon him by promoter Oscar De La Hoya several years ago when he was early in his pro career. But Ortiz can't look too far ahead at potential fights with Jaron "Boots" Ennis or WBO titleholder Xander Zayas until he takes care of business in the ring this weekend."
Vergil Ortiz Jr. returns Saturday to defend the WBC interim junior middleweight title against former welterweight contender Erickson Lubin in Fort Worth, Texas (DAZN, 8 p.m. ET). Ortiz is 23-0 with 17 KOs and recognized as the division's top-ranked fighter despite not holding a full world title. Lubin is 27-2 with 19 KOs, enters as the underdog (+550 per ESPN BET) and brings experience and power. Ortiz is promoted by Golden Boy and carries expectations set by Oscar De La Hoya. Postfight callouts and potential future matchups with Jaron "Boots" Ennis or Xander Zayas will depend on Saturday's result.
Read at ESPN.com
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