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VIDEO: Welterweight Prospect Vergil Ortiz Jr. Takes on Ryan Garcia in the Amateur

Published 03/15/2021, 10:00 AM EDT

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Lightweight star, Ryan Garcia, stepping up against welterweight elite, Vergil Ortiz Jr., would be a fantastic fantasy fight to garner huge attention. But, this fight has already taken place, albeit when the duo were amateurs. Although professional boxing is way superior and different to the amateur level, layman contests can still bring a lot in store.

Back in the days, Garcia and Vergil Ortiz Jr. locked horns in an amateur bout, citing a possible outlook of their potential professional collision. While they have walked through different weight classes as professionals, this is how their clash will possibly look like.

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Both the youngsters went the distance and brought the best out of each either. Whilst boxing with headgear, the future prospects gave fans an intriguing fight. But it was Ryan Garcia who departed with the win. However, Vergil Ortiz Jr. also clipped him frequently.

Neither man rushed in, and the contest appeared tactical from the very first round. But ‘KingRy’ clipped Vergil Ortiz Jr, multiple times in rounds two and three. That said, Ortiz Jr. returned the favor and didn’t let Garcia dominate. However, Garcia’s pace and footwork allured the boxing world, as the pundits found two rising stars of the future.

Following the close-fight, Garcia had his hands raised, and both men departed the ring with mutual respect. They have found legitimate success in their professional careers already and are on the brink of grabbing the world titles of their respective divisions.

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Ryan Garcia and Vergil Ortiz Jr.- A look at their pro careers

Both men turned professional in 2016 and have been super active in their careers. Meanwhile, they are also undefeated at this point with numerous KOs under their name.

Vergil Ortiz Jr. is a household figure from the 147 lbs roster. He has a record of 16-0 and has attained all the wins via knockouts. Already a WBA (Gold) welterweight champion, Ortiz Jr. will challenge Maurice Hooker for the vacant WBO (International) welterweight belt on March 20. The 5’10” orthodox is walking the right path of his career and with sheer consistency, he can be a full world champion soon.

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Meanwhile, Ryan Garcia is already the WBC Interim lightweight champion with a record of 21 wins. Similar to Ortiz Jr, he is also a 5’10” orthodox and has 18 KO’s under his name. Still fresh from his win over Luke Campbell in January, ‘KingRy’ doesn’t have any official opponent for his next fight. However, he has sparked a feud with WBA 135lbs champion, Gervonta Davis, and can return to action soon.

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Who do you think has had a better career until now? Ryan Garcia or Vergil Ortiz Jr.? Do you see them recreating their amateur bout as professionals?

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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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