Vergil Ortiz Jr. and Erickson Lubin previewed their bout and went face-to-face at the final press conference. The two fighters square off this Saturday, November 8, at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. Ortiz Jr. brings his interim WBC super welterweight belt to the ring.
Ortiz Jr. (23-0, 21 KOs) of Grand Prairie, Texas, makes the second defense of his title following victories over Israil Madrimov and Serhii Bohachuk. The 27-year-old said the fans will love his clash with Lubin.
“Lubin probably has the best resume at 154 right now,” Ortiz said. “He’s one of the highest-ranked opponents, and that’s why I took this fight. I want to fight the best, and Lubin has been calling for this fight for a while. Why not? This is a great matchup, and the fans will love it.”
“Both of us will gain great experience from this. People underestimate how dangerous this fight is, but I don’t care if people overlook me or him. At the end of the day, it’s just me and him in the ring, and that’s all that matters.”
‘The fans, the boxing world, everyone’s in for a treat’
Lubin (27-2, 19 KOs) of Orlando, FL, makes his second attempt to claim the interim WBC 154-pound strap after falling short against Sebastian Fundora. The 29-year-old southpaw, who had also previously challenged Jermell Charlo for the full title, promised “a great night of boxing.”
“I’ve always wanted to fight the best,” Lubin said. “Vergil Ortiz is ranked number one by Ring Magazine, and a big win over him puts me right there as the number one guy. This is for the WBC Interim title, and I want to thank God, my team, ProBox, Golden Boy, and PBC for making this fight happen.”
“It’s been a long time coming. This fight is special to me. It’s in Vergil’s backyard. I don’t care if it was literally in his backyard. I’m ready to show I’m the best fighter at 154 pounds. My resume speaks for itself.”
“Everybody tune in Saturday night – it’s Hammer time. I’ve fought in Texas about five times and walked away with a knockout every time. It’s going to be a big night of boxing, and you don’t want to miss it.”
“Vergil’s a great fighter. He comes to fight – he’s either walking away with a vicious knockout or a dominant performance. Oscar isn’t wrong – we are the two best at 154 pounds. The fans are in for a treat.”
“I took less money just to stay busy and get back into title contention. Vergil has met his match. You’ve got two great fighters going in there Saturday night. The fans, the boxing world, everyone’s in for a treat. It’s going to be a great night of boxing.”
Ortiz vs Lubin undercard includes:
- Darius Fulghum (14-1, 12 KOs) vs. David Stevens (15-2, 10 KOs), super middleweight
- Amari Jones (14-0, 12 KOs) vs. Shady Gamhour (14-2, 9 KOs), middleweight
- Joshua Edwards (4-0, 4 KOs) vs. Zeno Vooris (5-1, 5 KOs), heavyweight
- Eric Priest (16-0, 8 KOs) vs. Esneiker Correa (16-6-2, 14 KOs), middleweight