At 27 years old and with 23 professional fights on his resume, it's fair to ask if Vergil Ortiz still qualifies as a prospect. On Saturday, Ortiz will attempt to move further from prospect and closer to world champion when he faces former title challenger Erickson Lubin.

Saturday's fight continues a run of Ortiz fights against tough opposition that began after muscle disorder rhabdomyolysis sidelined him from August 2022 to January 2024. Prior to that time on the sidelines, Ortiz was a red-hot up-and-comer, racking up tertiary titles at welterweight while struggling to find elite opponents.

After Ortiz returned to action, he campaigned at 154 pounds, and after shaking off ring rust with first-round knockouts of Fredrick Lawson and Thomas Dulorme, Ortiz began to fight the kind of tricky o

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