What a night of boxing fans had last night, in two locations. In Las Vegas, we might just have witnessed the 2024 Fight of the Year, this as Vergil Ortiz and Serhii Bohachuk engaged in an absolute slugfest over 12 thrilling rounds.
Unfortunately, we may also have seen the most controversial decision of the year, as plenty of people are screaming the ‘R’ word right now, saying 5/1 underdog (in some places) Bohachuk was denied a victory he earned by way of a robbery.
The clamour for these two 154 pounders to run it back and do it again, in an immediate rematch, not one somewhere down the road, is huge right now. Both Bohachuk, who lost his WBC interim belt and is now 24-2(23), and Ortiz, who is now 22-0(21), went to the hospital after their 12 round war.
The action was spellbinding, and the addition of instant replay played a part in the scoring of the fight. The flash knockdown Bohachuk scored in the opening round was initially missed, but instant replay saw that things were put right. Bohachuk scored another knockdown in round eight, and this, his team argue, should have made sure he got the decision.
Instead, Ortiz got the win via majority decision, the scores being 114-112, 114-114, and 113-113. Both warriors gave their all in a great fight – again a genuine FOTY candidate here in August – and a rematch makes so much sense, on all levels. T
here was talk before last night’s fight of Ortiz, if he won, going into a fight with Terence Crawford. That fight will likely have to wait now. Turki Alalshikh himself has said he wants to see Ortiz and Bohachuk fight a rematch before they fight anybody else.
Over in Albuquerque, New Mexico, former 122 pound champ Angelo Leo may well have scored the KO of the Year, while at the same time pulling off the Upset of the Year. Leo starched defending IBF featherweight champ Luis Alberto Lopez with a wicked left hook to the head in round 10 of their back and forth fight. The left hook dropped Lopez heavily onto his back and he had no chance of beating the ten count.
Now 25-1(12), Leo sets himself up for some big fights. Lopez, now 30-3(17) had been talking before last night’s fight of his desire to welcome Naoya Inoue to the 126 pound ranks in the future, and of his confidence of being able to defeat “The Monster” if and when the fight took place. Now, courtesy of one of the best, the sweetest left hooks you will see this year, those plans have vanished.
All in all, a truly dramatic, exciting, and unpredictable night of boxing. With, of course, some controversy thrown in for good measure.
