The panorama of the super welterweight division registers an increase in unofficial tensions between its main figures. The boxer of Mexican origin Vergil Ortiz Jr. responded to questions from the press and fans regarding his lack of absolute unified crowns, directing his criticism towards the career and quality of the opponents that the Puerto Rican Xander Zayas has faced.

Through an extensive statement issued on his official account on the social network X, the boxer justified his recent reactions and argued that his sporting achievements have required greater physical and technical demands.

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In his public defense, Vergil Ortiz Jr. questioned the legitimacy of his Caribbean colleague's classifications at the level of international boxing organizations.

“They didn't give me free belts with one of the weakest resumes in boxing,” said Vergil Ortiz Jr. on his digital platform in direct reference to the way in which his opponent obtained the world belts. "And sorry for making fun of the guy who has been making fun of me for invalid reasons for more than a year. If those circumstances make me look bad in your eyes, then you are simply ignorant," the athlete added on his official social networks.

Zayas' path and the objections about his opposition

The controversy over the sporting level at 154 pounds worsened after the last appearance in the ring of Zayas, who lost his WBO and WBA championships after being defeated by technical knockout in seven rounds against Jaron “Boots” Ennis.

Prior to that outcome, the Puerto Rican boxer had won against Jorge García Pérez and Abass Baraou, two names who, according to the perspective of the Texas corner, lacked the necessary media weight in the category.

This administrative situation in the delivery of title opportunities generated annoyance in the camp of the interim champion, who considers having achieved sufficient sporting merits to compete in unification fights long before other contenders in the ranking. “I won my chance before Xander a thousand times,” argued the boxer when defending his professional status against the demands of the specialized press.

The athlete also rejected criticism about the delays in consolidating his undisputed legacy, pointing out that the mandatory fights against the ranking leaders have not depended exclusively on his decisions in the gym. "Are they going to blame me for not winning a title? Are they going to blame me for not getting those fights against those guys that 99% of the boxing world probably can't name? If I had won those belts from those opponents, everyone would be making fun of the credibility of my titles," the fighter detailed via X.

The status of the WBC interim championship

Vergil Ortiz Jr.'s position as interim super bantamweight monarch of the World Boxing Council has remained in force since August 10, 2024. Despite maintaining that recognition for more than a year, the sport's regulatory entity has not issued a regulatory order to force the absolute champion of the division, Sebastián Fundora, to complete the unification of the titles on the ensogado.

The lack of high-profile fights against figures in the category such as Jaron Ennis, Fundora himself or previous negotiations with Zayas has been mainly due to commercial factors and contractual disputes with the promotional company Golden Boy Promotions.

In this way, Vergil Ortiz Jr.'s sports environment continues to manage co-promotion agreements to define his return to the official billboards before the end of 2026.

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