Vergil Ortiz, Jr. (20-0, 20 KOs) debuted at 154 pounds on Saturday night at the Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, and it was a smashing success.
Ortiz blitzed Fredrick Lawson (30-4, 22 KOs) and got a controversial first-round TKO as referee Tony Weeks stopped the action at 2:33 left in the round. However, Lawson appeared okay and should have been allowed to continue.
It was a bad stoppage, but Ortiz probably would have stopped Lawson at some point.
“I’m ready for anyone,” Ortiz said. “It felt like I’m back to doing what I usually do. This is my calling; this is what I was made to do, and I want to continue doing this.
After the fight, Ortiz, who last fought in August 2022 when he stopped Michael McKinson, called out WBO 154-pound champion Tim Tszyu.
“There’s a lot of fighters that I want to fight, but Tim Tszyu, with all due respect, I want him next,” Ortiz. “He’s a hell of a fighter, and it would be an honor to take him next.”
It was time for Ortiz to move up after he withdrew from his fight against Eimantas Stanionis at 147 pounds due to rhabdomyolysis, and we’ll see if he can make noise at 154 pounds. For now, he’s off to a good start.
Barroso gets upset win over Davies
In the co-main event, Ismael Barroso (25-4-2, 23 KOs) pulled off the upset by defeating Ohara Davies (25-3, 18 KOs) by first-round TKO. Barroso took home the WBA Super Lightweight Interim World Championship.
Barroso stunned Davies with a left hook and ultimately dropped him. Davies would get up, but he was clearly in trouble and would get dropped again by Barroso. Davies would again get to his feet, but the referee called a halt to the action with 1:33 left in Round One.
Davies, who was making his Golden Boy Promotions and U.S. debut, had his sights set on WBA 140-pound champion Rolly Romero, but that won’t happen now.
Barroso now has an opportunity to avenge his loss to Romero, who got the controversial stoppage victory over the 40-year-old last May.
“When I started boxing, they told me that I have a lot of power, and with God on my side, I have that power,” Barroso said. “When I threw the first punch, I knew I had hurt him; I knew that I had him. The public has been calling for the fight with Romero, and I just want to say, I’m right here!”
In other action:
Also making a splash as a newly signed Golden Boy fighter, El Monte’s Arnold Barbosa Jr. (29-0, 11 KOs) showed off his skills in an eight-round TKO of Xolisani Ndongeni (31-4, 18 KOs) of Eastern Cape, South Africa. Scheduled for 10-rounds, Ndongeni’s team waived the white towel while at the stool at the conclusion of the eighth round. Opening the DAZN broadcast, undefeated NABF Welterweight title holder Raul “El Cugar” Curiel (14-0, 12 KOs) defeated Elias Diaz (12-2, 7 KOs) of National City, California via TKO at 1:06 in the eighth-round. The fight was scheduled for 10-rounds.
On the preliminary card and opening the fight night, Emiliano Gandara (1-0, 1 KO) of of Dallas, Texas made his professional debut against Timvonte Carson (1-3) of Columbia, South Carolina in a fight scheduled for four-rounds of super welterweight action. The fight only made it to 2:11 in the first round, Gandara knocking out his foe.
Photo: Cris Esqueda / Golden Boy Promotions
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