Former world champion Tim Tszyu is set to take on undefeated American Vergil Ortiz Jr in Los Angeles on August 3.
A report by ESPN’s Mike Coppinger claims the fight will be part of the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov undercard, in what will be the Aussie’s first fight since his bloody loss to Sebastian Fundora in March.
However, Ortiz, (20-0, 20 KOs) must win and come through unscathed against underdog Thomas Dulorme this weekend for the fight to go ahead.
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Ortiz, 26, is viewed as a world champion calibre fighter who has been dogged by health issues in recent years.
Since March 2022, Ortiz has withdrawn from three fights due to rhabdomyolysis, a condition that occurs when damaged muscle tissue releases its proteins and electrolytes into the blood.
He made his super welterweight debut in January with a first-round TKO victory against Fredrick Lawson, which was Ortiz’s first bout in 17 months.
Tszyu won’t be dipping his toe in the water against a fighter like Ortiz, who owns a 100 per cent KO ratio.
Tszyu (24-1, 17 KOs) suffered his first loss in March, a split decision loss to Fundora, a fight he took on 12 days’ notice after Keith Thurman pulled out of their initial bout.
