Vergil Ortiz jr vs Fredrick Lawson Preview, Date, & Undercard

In the 17th month since he was last in the ring, Grand Prairie, Tx native, Vergil Ortiz jr (19-0, 19KOs) is back and ready for action, this time at super-welterweight(154 lbs). The fight is slated for a full 12 rounds, though it’s unlikely to get that far. Vergil’s perfect record of 19 wins with 19 knockouts is a good indicator of his power and ability to get to his opponents. Fredrick Lawson (30-3, 22KOs) is no slouch boasting a 73.33% KO ratio himself, assuring that the chance of a knockout in either direction is more likely than not.

The last time we saw Vergil Ortiz jr in the ring was August of 2022 against Michael McKinson in Ft. Worth Tx. In that fight McKinson’s corner threw in the towel in round 9 after he ate two hellacious body shots, something Ortiz is known for, that dropped him. One in round 8 and one at the beginning of round 9. Since that impressive showing, one of many throughout his exciting career, a lot has happened to Ortiz jr. He was slated to face fellow undefeated welterweight(147 lbs) Eimontis Stanionis in March of 2023 but that anticipated match-up was by all accounts snake-bit. It was initially postponed due to an emergency appendectomy for Stanionis. Postponed a second time because of a recurrence of rhabdomyolysis in Ortiz caused by the effects of long-covid initially contracted in 2020. Lastly due to Ortiz overheating and passing out in the week preceding the fight in July. The match was abandoned to give Ortiz time to recover and re-assess.

Now that he has decided, wisely, to forego his opportunities at welterweight and begin his campaign at super-welterweight. He and his promoter, Oscar De La Hoya of Goldenboy Promotions are hopeful that it will be a better fit for Ortiz and most importantly, be better for his health. If Vergil is able to have a good showing on Saturday against Lawson, it will bode well for the continuation of his still young and promising career.

Fredrick Lawson, originally from Ghana but now residing in Chicago, Il, had gone undefeated through his first 24 fights, with only four of them going to decision. He dropped only three of his next nine bouts between 2015 to now, all three by knockout. He was last seen pulling off an upset victory against Estevan Villalobos, who had only ever lost to Blair Cobb, in April of 2023 on the William Zepeda vs. Jaime Arboleda undercard. He won that fight by outboxing Villalobos, proving that his skill is as respectable as his power, as well as the fact that he is not afraid to win when the cards are stacked against him.

Both Ortiz and Lawson fight from the orthodox stance and they are more or less the same size. Though it’s expected that Vergil Ortiz jr. will not have much issue dealing with Fredrick Lawson, with his health still in question for the general boxing public, and Lawson’s power and desire to seize this opportunity, it is not a foregone conclusion.