Vergil Ortiz—an undefeated, power punching welterweight who after picking up four knockouts in 2019 is Sports Illustrated’s Prospect of the Year—will tell you: His toughest fights come in the gym.
Part of the Robert Garcia Boxing Academy—and trained by noted trainer Robert Garcia—Ortiz’s sparring sessions can be slobber knockers. Mikey Garcia, Jose Ramirez and Lucas Matthysse are a few of the names that Ortiz has battled with, offering the 21-year old Ortiz invaluable experience against elite opponents.
“Those sparring sessions,” Ortiz told SI.com recently, “I bet people would pay to see them.”
That sparring, along with the tutelage of Garcia, has helped Ortiz become a thrilling prospect.