This Saturday night, fans will welcome back to the ring one of the sport’s most consistently exciting fighters, Vergil Ortiz. Last seen thrilling us all with a 12-round decision win over a very tough and game Israil Madrimov, with the win seeing 27-year-old Ortiz retain both his unbeaten record and his WBC interim belt at 154 pounds, Ortiz has since been sidelined due to a hand injury.

Now, in Fort Worth, Ortiz will return to the ring, and he isn’t facing any easy touch. Instead, Ortiz, 23-0(21) will face an upset-minded Erickson Lubin, a warrior who has vowed to take Ortiz’s “O” and shake up the division. Lubin, 27-2(19) and winner of three in a row since being stopped in a savage war with Sebastian Fundora, is an experienced southpaw, and he might just give Ortiz real nightmares on Saturday.

A True 50–50 Clash, Says Boots Ennis

Jaron “Boots” Ennis, the man we all want to see Ortiz rumble with next year, has gone as far as to say that Saturday’s fight between Ortiz and Lubin is a “50-50” showdown. Lubin last boxed in May, while Ortiz has been out for nine months; as such, ring rust could play a factor in the fight.

But Ortiz, when he’s really firing, as he always has been in the ring, is a beast, and he should get the win over Lubin, maybe a stoppage win. Ortiz has got plenty to fight for, and he is annoyed at the way “Boots” has invaded his weight division, with some fans and experts suggesting Ennis is better than he is, with some people even daring to say Ortiz is reluctant, even afraid to fight Ennis.

Lubin’s Redemption or Ortiz’s Statement?

Not a bit of it, and Ortiz will prove as much in due course, starting on Saturday when he comes back against Lubin. With his interim strap on the line, Ortiz may well be looking to make a statement against Lubin, and a quick stoppage win would do it for him. Yes, Lubin was stopped in a round when he was caught by Jermell Charlo, but that was a long time ago, back in October of 2017. Lubin showed his teeth, along with his fierce fighting heart, in the brutal battle with Fundora.

If that version of Lubin turns up on Saturday, Ortiz will have a heck of a fight on his hands. Ortiz, though, is his own man, and he knows what he is capable of. Ortiz put out a message on X a few hours back, saying he doesn’t allow anyone else’s opinion of him to prove unsettling.

Ortiz Fires Back at Online Hate

“I stopped caring about what y’all said and what y’all think about me a long time ago,” Ortiz wrote. “The only thing that truly kills the love for the sport for me is the fans. Not all the fans, but the fans nonetheless.”

Ortiz was responding to an especially vile post a fan made, one that will not be shown here.

Ortiz is focused on taking care of business against Lubin, who is in turn focused on pulling off the big upset. We fans should be in for a great fight on Saturday.