Vergil Ortiz Jr. halts Fredrick Lawson in one, Ismael Barroso shocks Ohara Davies

BOXING/MMA /

Vergil Ortiz destroys Fredrick Lawson with a right hand to the body seconds before referee Tony Weeks stopped the fight. Photo by Cris Esqueda / Golden Boy Promotions

Vergil Ortiz Jr. is back but we didn’t get to see him much during his first fight in 16 months.

The former welterweight contender stopped Fredrick Lawson near the end of the first round of their middleweight main event at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas in Las Vegas on Saturday. It was Ortiz’s first fight since August 2022. The undefeated power puncher was sidelined by health issues for much of 2022 and all of 2023.

Ortiz (20-0, 20 KOs) took some time off to recover before making the decision to return to trainer Robert Garcia and campaign in a heavier weight class in late 2023 with much anticipation from the world of boxing, which focused on his return on January 6. Lawson (30-4, 22 KOs), a 34-year-old journeyman from Ghana, was brought in to give Ortiz some professional resistance for a few rounds to help the 25-year-old Texan overcome ring rust and acclimate to the heavier weight. .

Unfortunately, referee Tony Weeks didn’t let the fight go long enough for Ortiz to show the world how he handles a couple of pounds over the junior middleweight limit. However, Ortiz looked confident and technically strong during the 2 minutes and 30 seconds he shared the ring with Lawson, who was stunned by a powerful jab and backed up to the ropes near a corner with about 40 seconds left in the round. Ortiz wasted no time releasing his right hands, forcing Lawson to cover, before opening up with body and head combinations.

Weeks quickly stepped between the fighters, thinking Lawson was already overwhelmed by Ortiz’s superior power and punching output. Maybe it was, maybe it wasn’t. We will never know.

He’s in the next fight for Ortiz, who weighed 156, but he’s aiming for the 154-pound division, which is home to several tough clients, one of which Ortiz mentioned during his post-fight interview.

“You know what it is about,” Ortiz said. “I love fighting. I wanted to go around. I’m ready for whoever is out there.

“There are a lot of (junior middleweight) fighters I want to fight; Tim Tszyu, with all due respect, I would love to fight you. Let’s make it happen.”

Ortiz’s promoter, Oscar De La Hoya, said the company is willing to travel to Tszyu’s Australia for that one.

Tszyu is The Ring’s number one ranked junior middleweight.

In the co-main event of the Golden Boy Promotions/DAZN presentation, Ismael Barroso twice knocked down favorite Ohara Davies en route to a first-round stoppage. The 40-year-old Venezuelan veteran hit Davis with a counter hook during an exchange half a minute into the WBA interim title fight. The powerful blow instantly stunned the 31-year-old Londoner against the ropes, where Barroso (25-4-2, 22 KOs) attacked with hooks and crosses, most of which landed with violent authority as Davies bounced off the ropes and staggered. towards the canvas.

Davies (25-3, 18 KOs), who had won his previous seven fights, was visibly shaken as he struggled to his feet. He continued on instinct, but was unable to mount a counterattack or even basic survival tactics and was soon floored again by a series of lefts. Although Davies rose to his feet once again, his blank expression convinced referee Celestino Ruiz to call off the fight at 1:53 of Round 1.

“When I started boxing, they told me I could punch, that I have that power,” said Barroso, who was coming off a controversial stoppage loss to Rolando Romero in a WBA title fight last May.

“After the first blow (that hurt him) I knew I had it.

“People have been asking about Rolly vs. Barroso, Rolly, I’m here!”

Romero, who was in the front row, came to the ring to hug and congratulate Barroso.

On the undercard, Arnold Barbosa Jr. ended 11 months of ring rust by dominating Xolisani Ndongeni with a corner stoppage at the end of the eighth round. Barbosa (29-0, 11 KOs), The Ring’s No. 8 ranked junior welterweight, took his time walking down and dominating the fringe South African contender, backing up Ndongeni (31-4, 18 KOs) – already often to the ropes – with a stiff jab, precise right hands and hooks, and punishing left hands to the body.

Barbosa, who made his Golden Boy Promotions debut, landed 48% of his total punches, according to CompuBox statistics, outscoring Ndongeni 210 to 80. The 32-year-old Southern Californian landed 58% of his power punches, including 50 body blows. He seemed eager to impose his offense on the biggest names in the 140-pound division during his post-fight interview with Beto Durán, referring to Ryan García as “Queen Ryan” and Ring/WBO champion Teofimo López as ” Bitch”.

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