Vergil Ortiz Jr. Defends His WBC Interim Title Against Erickson Lubin
Vergil Ortiz Jr. (23-0, 21 KOs) will return to the ring on November 8 to defend his WBC interim super welterweight title against Erickson Lubin at the Dickies Center in Fort Worth, Texas, according to Golden Boy Promotions. The fight will be broadcast live worldwide via DAZN. This will be a home event for Ortiz, known for his powerful punch, who is coming off a decision victory over Israil Madrimov in February. “I always feel happy to be part of the fights that the fans want to see,” Ortiz declared. However, this may not have been the fight Ortiz originally wanted. Ortiz, 27, had been seeking a confrontation with WBO champion Xander Zayas, and both exchanged provocations on social media. An offer was made to Zayas’ promoter, Top Rank, with a deadline to accept last Friday. The parties failed to reach an agreement, and Ortiz’s management moved quickly to secure a fight with Lubin. There were also rumors about a possible fight between Ortiz and Jaron “Boots” Ennis in 2026. Ortiz’s representation denied that there was an agreement for that fight.Lubin (27-2, 19 KOs) is currently the number 1 boxer in the IBF super welterweight rankings. He has won three consecutive fights after losing to current WBC champion Sebastian Fundora in April 2022. Lubin, 29, has victories over Jeison Rosario and Jesus Ramos, and his other loss was against Jermell Charlo in a WBC super welterweight title fight in 2017, which resulted in a devastating first-round knockout. Lubin will seek to surprise and obtain the most important victory of his career as he continues his quest to become a world champion.“Golden Boy literally tried to get all the important opponents for us and nobody wanted to fight Vergil,” stated Rick Mirigan, Ortiz’s manager.
“This is the moment I’ve been waiting for,” Lubin said. “This fight is about redemption; I’m back for everything.”
