I guess the third time isn’t the charm for this highly anticipated fight between WBA regular welterweight champion Eimantas Stanionis (14-0, 9 KOs) and Golden Boy Promotions’ contender Vergil Ortiz Jr. (19-0, 19 KOs). This morning, boxing journalist Steve Kim tweeted, “sooo ummm, what’s going on in San Antonio?!?! #boxing”. Everyone immediately speculated that it had to do with the main event, and sadly that was the case.
Then Mike Coppinger from ESPN tweeted, “Vergil Ortiz Jr. has been forced to withdraw from Saturday’s welterweight fight vs. Eimantas Stanionis ahead of Friday’s weigh-in, sources tell ESPN. Golden Boy on DAZN card expected to proceed with former champion JoJo Diaz in main event. Third postponement for Stanionis-Ortiz.” This is horrible news as one of the most anticipated all-action fights of the year has been postponed once again.
Golden Boy Promotions sent the following press release regarding the situation. “Nothing is more important than the safety of our fighters, and we of course support Vergil's decision 100 percent. This unfortunate event does however open the door for one of Golden Boy's top prospects, Floyd Schofield, to accelerate his profile by headlining in his home state of Texas. We will, as always, put on a high-action card from top to bottom on July 8 and look forward to showcasing all of our fighters both in San Antonio and on DAZN."
One can speculate that it has to do with Ortiz Jr’s physical health again, as that was the reason for the second postponement. It feels like the fight is doomed, and Ortiz Jr. may have to seriously consider how he moves in the future. Should he move ahead as a fighter or better yet, can his body hold up long enough for him to continue his career? There are plenty of questions to be answered in the coming days but for now, let’s hope he is okay.
