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Bernard Hopkins Reveals Why Top Welterweights ‘Won’t Have a Choice’ Against Vergil Ortiz Jr. – Says Pride Plays a Role in Boxing

Published 03/21/2021, 3:01 AM EDT

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Middleweight elite, Bernard Hopkins, has tagged Vergil Ortiz Jr. to be a threat for the current welterweight division and has predicted a bright future for the 22-year-old. Boasting 17 straight KOs in his professional ride, Ortiz Jr. has terrorized the entire 147 lbs unit.

However, the roster is full of elites, and Ortiz Jr. will have to continue his dominance to reach the top. That said, Hopkins believes that he will continue rising without leaving any chances for the other welterweight contenders.

Although it can make the 147 pounders duck a real contest in Ortiz Jr., ‘The Executioner’ connected with FightHub TV and revealed why he doesn’t see that happening.

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“I don’t think they have a choice, and you might say and some might will hear this and say what do you mean. They don’t have a choice why they don’t have a choice is because…they don’t have to get out of the division, which means go up or go down. Most likely, people go up, they don’t actually go down,” said Hopkins.

Being a former titleholder, Bernard Hopkins also revealed how pride and ego play a big part in sealing the blockbuster contests. While he envisions Vergil Ortiz Jr. to grow more, he also sees him facing the best fighters out there.

Hopkins continued, “Or just flat out and tell their fans, in a way of not fighting the best in your weight division, that you afraid. Nobody wants to have that label. Right? On them that they don’t want to challenge the upcoming star or the star of the division. That’s when ego plays a role, that’s when pride plays a role in showing that this is my division.”

Vergil Ortiz Jr. and his upcoming journey

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As Ortiz Jr has bagged his seventeenth KO and win against Maurice Hooker, it will serve as a ticket for him to challenge the bigger names in the division. Courtesy of his 17 straight finishes in his career and many elites consider him to be the next big thing in the sport.

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However, the 147 lbs roster is deep with umpteen unbeaten champions and rising prospects on the ride. So, Ortiz Jr. may still have to prove his worth repeatedly to reign over the weight class, but he is already taking the right steps. And with Bernard Hopkins’ assurance on him, it’s safe to bill Ortiz Jr. as the biggest superstar of the welterweight division.

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Written by:

Raj Sarkar

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A senior boxing writer at EssentiallySports, Raj Sarkar is a mass media graduate who is currently pursuing his master’s degree in broadcast journalism. In addition to his current role, he has worked with the MMA team at EssentiallySports and has interviewed prominent fighters such as Ritu Phogat and 'The Red King' Rory MacDonald. He combined his bachelor's degree with his adoration for combat sports and has a combined 2000 plus bylines in MMA and boxing over the last two years.
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