Vergil Ortiz Jr. vs. Fredrick Lawson Set For January 6 in Las Vegas

After rumors were circulating about now junior middleweight Vergil Ortiz, Jr. (19-0, 19 KOs) returning in early 2024, DAZN & Golden Boy Promotions earlier today announced that their young star would indeed fight on January 6^th against Fredrick “General Okunka” Lawson (30-3, 22 KOs). The event will stream on DAZN, and the Theater at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas will be the site for Ortiz Jr.’s junior middleweight debut. The 25-year-old Ortiz Jr. hasn’t fought since August 2022 and has been plagued with injuries which has forced him out of three fight dates. Can Ortiz Jr. regain the confidence of his promoter and get through a fight without an injury? Here is the press release DAZN sent with all the available info.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA (November 2, 2023): Undefeated knockout sensation Vergil Ortiz, Jr. (19-0, 19 KOs) of Grand Prairie, Texas will make his grand return to the ring in a new division against Accra, Ghana’s Fredrick “General Okunka” Lawson (30-3, 22 KOs). The super welterweight fight is scheduled for 12-rounds and is set to take place at The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas on January 6, 2024. The exclusive fight night will be broadcast worldwide on DAZN. 

Tickets for Ortiz Jr. vs. Lawson go on sale Thursday, November 9, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. PT and are priced at $200, $150, $100 and $50 plus applicable fees. A limited amount of Golden Boy VIP Experience tickets will also be available for purchase with exclusive merchandise and fight night upgrades included. Standard and VIP tickets can be purchased at AXS.com or GoldenBoyPromotions.com. 

With a 100-percent knockout ratio, Vergil Ortiz, Jr. is ready to conquer the super welterweight division. He was last seen in August of 2022 in an entertaining fight in front of a hometown Texan crowd against Michael McKinson that added rounds to his boxing portfolio and a seventh-round KO. The 25-year-old has had an exciting career since his 2016 debut, knocking out contenders like Antonio “Relentless” Orozco, Brad “King” Solomon, and Maurice “Mighty Mo” Hooker.

“Headlining my first card in Las Vegas after over a year of inactivity is just what I needed,” said Vergil Ortiz Jr. “I am very motivated to put on a great show like I always do, and to show everyone that I’m still here.”

Born in Accra, Ghana, Fredrick Lawson has proven he can rise up as the underdog and is resilient to power through the toughest opponents. He was last seen in April 2023 on the DAZN undercard of Zepeda vs. Arboleda against Estevan Villalobos, who he was able to defeat via unanimous decision. Training out of Chicago, Illinois, he has secured a handful of regional titles throughout his career, including the IBF International Welterweight Title and the WBC International Silver Welterweight Title. 

“I treasure this great opportunity that Golden Boy presented me with, and as much as I respect Vergil Ortiz, this Ghanaian Warrior will get his hand raised on January 6,” said Fredrick Lawson. “I look forward to fighting on DAZN again, now the premier outlet for boxing throughout the world. Thank you to Oscar De La Hoya and my manager Jacob Zwennes for making this great fight. Boxing fans will really like this fight because both Ortiz and I are action fighters.”

“Vergil is ready to come back stronger than ever to become a world champion in this sport,” said Chairman and CEO Oscar De La Hoya. “He’s got the heart and dedication, and is on a mission to be a world title holder. I know he will make a statement in this new division against the powerful Ghanaian warrior Fredrick Lawson. Golden Boy will be starting 2024 with a bang, and we’re proud to have Vergil launch our action-packed boxing schedule for the year.” 

“It’s great to have Vergil fighting again on DAZN,” said Jared Kass, SVP North America. “Vergil is an outstanding talent and a danger to anyone in the Super Welterweight Division. 2024 promises to be another huge year for the platform and I can’t wait to see Vergil kick it all off January 6th, only on DAZN.”

Information on the undercard will be announced in the upcoming weeks.

Abraham Gonzalez

Abraham Gonzalez is the founder of FightsATW. His journalistic work has been published and used across several platforms to include online, network TV and promotional companies. He is an American Public University alumnus and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA). Abraham was the Managing Editor for NYFights, Big Fight Weekend, contributed to FanSidedMMA and ProBoxTV.

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