Tim Tszyu forced to withdraw from Vergil Ortiz fight, team releases statement: "We are bitterly disappointed"

Tim Tszyu has withdrawn from his much-awaited fight against Vergil Ortiz Jr. 'The Soul Taker's' team issued a statement regarding the withdrawal, suggesting that he's disappointed.

A former WBO junior middleweight (light middleweight/super welterweight) champion, Tszyu was scheduled to fight Ortiz in a junior middleweight bout at the upcoming Riyadh Season event on Aug. 3, 2024. The event's headliner is the WBA super welterweight title match between boxing great Terence Crawford and Israil Madrimov. However, Tszyu has now pulled out of his fight against Ortiz.

As reported by ESPN, Tim Tszyu's previous fight, a clash against Sebastian Fundora in March 2024, played a role in his pulling out of the Ortiz matchup. Fundora captured Tszyu's WBO light middleweight title and the vacant WBC light middleweight title via split decision in a 12-round war.

Tim Tszyu withdrew from the Aug. 3 showdown after his doctor advised him to do so. 'The Soul Taker' notably sustained a gruesome scalp cut caused by an elbow strike by Fundora in round two, which seemingly worsened as the fight progressed. It's believed to have compromised Tszyu's vision in that matchup.

Apparently, the doctor believes that Tim Tszyu can't commence full-contact sparring as of yet, as the injuries from his previous match haven't fully healed. Tszyu's promoter, George Rose, expressed the Russian-Australian pugilist's sadness about the withdrawal. The No Limit Boxing CEO stated:

"We are bitterly disappointed with the setback, and Tim is extremely frustrated after a great pre-camp with Kostya ... He showed everyone that he'll fight through anything against Fundora, but this decision was taken out of his hands to be honest. Ultimately, it was his body and medical professionals telling him he wasn't ready yet."

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Potential replacement opponent for Vergil Ortiz Jr. after Tim Tszyu fight falls apart

The Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov boxing card will transpire in Los Angeles, California, USA. It'll mark the first Riyadh Season event to take place outside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Presently, it's believed that Tim Tszyu's replacement is being sought to ensure that Vergil Ortiz Jr. can compete on the high-profile card.

For his part, Ortiz has battled rhabdomyolysis in recent years. The health issue causes contents of damaged muscle mass (proteins, electrolytes, etc.) to be released into one's blood.

Ortiz himself has withdrawn from three separate fight bookings owing to the aforementioned health challenge he's faced. That said, the 21-0 fearsome KO artist, who's won all his fights by knockout thus far, is primed to return this August.

Speaking of a possible replacement opponent after Tim Tszyu's pullout, ESPN's Mike Coppinger put forth a tweet in which he implied that Ukraine's Serhii Bohachuk is one of the names being considered to fight Ortiz at the Riyadh Season boxing event. Bohachuk is fresh off a unanimous decision victory over Brian Mendoza, whom he faced on the Tszyu-Fundora undercard in March 2024.

Moreover, the ESPN report comprised a statement from Bohachuk's promoter, Tom Loeffler of 360 Promotions. He noted that both Bohachuk and Ortiz live and train in Los Angeles, adding that their matchup would be the perfect LA fight. Loeffler said:

"Serhii is in a great position as the WBC interim champion and mandatory challenger, but is definitely interested in the fight with Vergil."