LAS VEGAS – Familiarity breeds contempt, and perhaps that was what motivated Vergil Ortiz Jr.’s decision not to shake Serhiy Bohachuk’s outstretched hand at the end of their final news conference on Thursday.
Ortiz tried to clarify the matter later that day in an “X” post. “You want me to shake someone’s hand after (Bohachuk’s) teammates called me unprofessional?” Ortiz asked. “I give respect where it’s due. Everyone here knows I’m a respectful person. You want to call me unsportsmanlike and switch sides? I really don’t give a damn.”
Sure, there’s tension. It’s obvious that Ortiz and Team Bohachuk have a history.
In 2022, Ortiz (21-0, 21 KOs) left the camp of his current coach Robert Garcia and began training in Southern California at coach Manny Robles’ gym, where Bohachuk trained.
The fighters estimate that they have fought a total of 50 fights.
Were trends revealed? Or was it just practice?
Was this simply a more grave form of exercise? Or had a fatal flaw been revealed?
We will find out on Saturday night at Mandalay Bay, where Ukrainian Bohachuk (24-1, 23 KOs) will defend the World Boxing Council junior middleweight title he won in March against his former sparring partner, who will soon face his own title fight.
“It’s invigorating. We’ve sparred before. I think we have that… chemistry,” Ortiz said. “Chemistry is a weird word, but you know, when two fighters don’t know each other, they have to get a feel for each other.
“I don’t think there will be a feel-out round. We’ll just pick up where we left off.”
Bohachuk was much less verbose: “Sparring is sparring. Fighting is fighting,” he said. “It’s different.”
Bohachuk’s promoter, Tom Loeffler, said his fighter learned valuable lessons from those sessions.
“Serhii feels very confident after this sparring,” Loeffler said.
Ortiz also showed what he can do training under Robles, a respected cornerman who helped reliever Andy Ruiz Jr. suffer a monumental defeat in 2019 when he defeated then-three-belt heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua at Madison Square Garden.
This time, Ortiz is the bookmakers’ favorite with odds of just -275 as he faces those with knowledge of his talent and power.
Robles had Ortiz in training camp before his ninth-round TKO over Michael McKinson in 2022. That victory preceded health issues and the cancellation of his 2023 schedule, when he returned to Garcia’s camp and has won two fights this year, including a first-round KO over Thomas Dulorme in April.
“You have to be in tip-top shape — 100 percent. You can’t cut corners (against Ortiz),” Robles said. “(Bohachuk) has to be completely focused, mentally and physically. No distractions. You have to bring your ‘A’ game like in baseball,” Robles said.
Is it possible?
“That’s why we’re here. We wouldn’t be here if we didn’t believe in it.”
Experts are preparing for a devastating battle that could begin with the dropping of bombs or an attrition in which one fighter will remain alive.
“Neither fighter is throwing bombs. They’re systematically breaking down their opponents,” Robles said. “You can’t predict when the knockouts are going to happen.
“For Serhiy, the best thing for us was to last the whole fight (against Brian Mendoza). Even his one loss (an eighth-round TKO loss to Brandon Adams in 2021) was great because you learn more from your losses than you do from your wins.”
Those in the boxing world are wondering how Ortiz will fare if Bohachuk manages to take him to the deep end after the ninth round, a round in which Ortiz never strayed.
“Every fight is different, and I’m sure both fighters are prepared for 12 rounds,” Robles said. “Even though Vergil Ortiz won all his fights by knockout, I’m sure he trained to fight 10, 12, 14 rounds. I know how he operates. Extremely dedicated, hard-working fighter. Same thing with my fighter.”
Robles said Bohachuk learned from Adams to never be negligent. He dominated Adams when the break came, winning every round.
“Catching him was so simple,” Robles said.
“My guy might deserve more respect… the writers, the fans see what they see. I know what I have and I’m working with a kid who believes in himself, like Andy believed in himself against Joshua.
“When a warrior believes, he is unstoppable.”
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