Vergil Ortiz Jr. Vs. Eimantas Stanionis Bout Rescheduled For Late April
It was originally scheduled for March 18.
WBA welterweight champion Eimantas Stanionis (14-0, 9 KOs) will put his secondary belt on the line against challenger Vergil Ortiz Jr. in their rescheduled date of April 29 in Texas.
The pair had a fight initially scheduled for March 18, but Stanionis required an emergency process for an appendectomy in his hometown of Lithuania in early January. Hence, the fight against Vergil was pushed until the backend of April.
It is expected that the 29-year-old won’t require external time to return from the operation because it may push the fight even further till June. When the bout takes place, the winner takes on WBA welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. or be elevated to the full championship stadium if he backs out from the fight.
The 24-year-old Ortiz will face the biggest challenge of his career so far by facing the aggressive Stanionis for his secondary WBA belt.
The Texas native has been criticized by fans for going for an easier target in Stanionis. They believe that he should have backed himself against either Spence or WBO champion Terence Crawford.
“Vergil Ortiz Jr. and Eimantas Stanionis will meet in a rescheduled welterweight bout on April 29 in Texas,” said Mike Coppinger to ESPN.
“The 147-pound matchup was set for March 18 but postponed after Stanionis underwent an emergency appendectomy in his native Lithuania earlier this month.”