Vergil Ortiz Jr. says he wants to make a statement in his defense of his WBC junior middleweight title against Erickson Lubin on November 8, 2025, on DAZN. The two are headlining in a 12-round fight that is expected to be a war at the Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
Lubin’s Dangerous Skill Set
Lubin (27-2, 19 KOs) is a big puncher with a lot of skills. He can box, slug, or move. The Golden Boy-promoted Vergil Jr. is going to have to figure out Lubin, or he’s going to wind up suffering his first career defeat.
“I want to leave the 154-lb division fighting everyone, as I’m doing now. I want to fight all the champions. I want to show them I’m the best. I want to prove it to everyone. Not only to everyone, but mostly to myself,” said Vergil Ortiz Jr. to Golden Boy Promotions.
If Ortiz Jr., 27, can get past Lubin on November 8th, he’ll have to worry about Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis. That’s a fight that Ennis’ promoter, Eddie Hearn, is pushing hard for. Golden Boy needs to think carefully before they pull the trigger on that match, as Ortiz Jr. could get outclassed.
“I want to see fighters fight everyone. I want to be that kind of fighter. I want to be someone that all fans respect. I’m here to clean out the division. Champions, prospects, it doesn’t matter,” said Vergil Jr.
Lessons From the Bohachuk Fight
It’s unlikely that Ortiz Jr. will stay at 154 for too much longer to get a chance to fight all the top dogs. There are five talents in the junior middleweight division that Vergil Jr. can fight before moving up to 160, but it’ll depend on how he performs. He was lucky to get the win over Serhii Bohachuk last year in their fight on August 10, 2024. The judges gave it to Ortiz Jr. by a 12-round majority decision, but many boxing fans felt he’d lost
“It’s a fight that people are going to be pleasantly surprised with. Lubin is not a walk in the park,” said promoter Oscar De La Hoya about the Ortiz Jr. vs. Erickson Lubin fight on November 8th. “The fact that nobody wants to fight Vergil gives him the motivation to keep going.”
What Lubin Learned From Fundora
Ortiz Jr. vs. Lubin should be entertaining for as long as it lasts. Lubin will likely resist going to war with the younger Ortiz, as he’s got to realize that would be playing into his hands. Erickson was stopped by Sebastian Fundora in 2022 when he chose to battle him in a toe-to-toe fight. ‘The Hammer’ Lubin learned a lesson from that fight, as he’s chosen to box Ardreal Holmes Jr. and Jesus Ramos Jr.
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