Report- Vergil Ortiz Withdraws From Saturday DAZN Main Event

The bad news continues for Oscar De La Hoya and his Golden Boy Promotions. Just hours after Showtime and Premier Boxing Champions officially announced that Jermall Charlo won’t be fighting Golden Boy’s Jaime Munguia in his next defense this Summer, his main event for Saturday on DAZN is now reportedly off too. This after a report surfaced that unbeaten Welterweight Vergil Ortiz has pulled out of his scheduled bout with Michael McKinson.

ESPN’s Mike Coppinger had the news first Tuesday afternoon, that Ortiz is out for Saturday’s scheduled bout in L.A. for “undisclosed reasons,”

It’s possible the co-feature between Alexis Rocha and Blair Cobbs is elevated. Also possible one of them fights McKinson. Still an option to scrap the card. Developing situation:https://t.co/G8qdGwigbH

— Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) March 15, 2022

From Coppinger’s item,

The fight was set to headline a Golden Boy Promotions on DAZN card. McKinson could fight a replacement opponent, but the card is in jeopardy of being canceled, sources said. It’s also possible the welterweight co-feature pitting Alexis Rocha against Blair Cobbs will be elevated, sources said.

Ortiz, 23, has risen to the No. 4 spot in ESPN’s welterweight rankings with a string of impressive knockouts over solid opposition. A power-punching Texan, he scored a seventh-round knockout of former champion Maurice Hooker in March 2021. Ortiz followed with an eighth-round TKO of Egidijus Kavaliauskas in August. 

It’s unclear when he’ll return to the ring as he marches toward a title shot.

Later Tuesday evening, Oscar De La Hoya confirmed that Oritz has withdrawn due to being hospitalized with
rhabdomyolysis, something that happens when an injury releases myoglobin into the blood. De La Hoya saying in the brief statement,

“We wish Vergil a very quick and speedy recovery,” said Oscar De La Hoya. “As fighters, our first instinct is to fight whatever we have and tough it out. It takes a lot of courage to admit that something is wrong and get the care that you need.” 

Ortiz was last in the ring back in August. That’s when he defeated former world title challenger  Egidijus “Mean Machine” Kavaliauskas at the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas by eighth round TKO.

The loss of Ortiz has cast doubt on the card moving forward. As Coppinger reported, they may elevate rising star Blair Cobbs’ bout with Alexis Rocha that had been the co-feature.

It’s also unclear if the Brit McKinson can be found a quick fill-in opponent or not, especially when he had already traveled all the way from England to Los Angeles- landing last week in final preparation to meet Ortiz.