One of the most anticipated fights of the summer has been canceled. Multiple sources have confirmed that Tim Tszyu (24-1, 17 KOs) has been forced to withdraw from his scheduled August 3 bout against Vergil Ortiz Jr. due to a severe cut he sustained during his March 30 loss to Sebastian Fundora. The injury has not healed sufficiently for Tszyu to receive medical clearance.
Dan Rafael from Fight Freak Unite was the first to report the news.
The Tszyu-Ortiz fight was set to be part of the Israil Madrimov-Terence 'Bud' Crawford card in Los Angeles. The bout held significant importance as the winner was expected to claim the interim WBA title while Madrimov defends his WBA 154-pound title against Crawford.
It remains uncertain whether Ortiz (21-0, 21 KOs) will remain on the card or wait for a rescheduled date against Tszyu.
Tszyu, from Australia, suffered his only career defeat in a split decision to Fundora (21-1-1, 13 KOs). Despite a strong start in the opening round, Tszyu was injured in a sloppy exchange where his head collided with Fundora’s elbow, resulting in a gruesome gash on his scalp.
Fundora, who fought through a broken nose to claim the WBO and vacant WBC titles, has now replaced Tszyu as The Ring’s No. 1-rated junior middleweight. His victory, however, came at the cost of a broken nose, leading to a 180-day medical suspension. This delay allowed him to avoid a mandatory title defense against Crawford. Fundora is now reportedly set to face Errol Spence Jr. (28-1, 22 KOs) in October, although this fight has not been officially announced.
Ortiz immediately accepted the fight against Tszyu, eager to make up for lost time. The 26-year-old Texan did not compete in 2023 due to illness, which led to the cancellation of two scheduled fights against Eimantas Stanionis. Ortiz last fought in August 2022 before returning this year, securing two knockout wins.
Ortiz ended a 17-month period of inactivity in January and has since achieved back-to-back first-round knockouts against Fredrick Lawson and Thomas Dulorme.
With Tszyu out of the picture for now, Ortiz’s plans remain in flux as he awaits either a new opponent for August 3 or a rescheduled fight against Tszyu.