Vergil Ortiz Jr. drops Antonio Orozco three times, wins by stoppage

Welterweight sensaton Vergil Ortiz Jr. added Antonio Orozco to his list of knockout victims by stopping the former world title challenger in the sixth round at Verizon Theatre in Grand Prairie, Texas, Saturday night.

The taller Ortiz (14-0, 14 KOs) worked Orozco over in the opening stanza. He landed crisp jabs and multiple shots to the body and head. Orozco spun out of the corner but it was obvious he had felt the blows.

In rounds two and three, Ortiz, fighting in front of his hometown crowd for the first time in his career, boxed and bombed. Orozco (28-2, 17 KOs) showing championship heart, fought back. Ortiz, moving slightly, stabbed Orozco with numerous jabs and hooks.

Both fighters came out slugging in round four. Ortiz got the better of the exchanges. His powerful right connected. Orozco pushed Ortiz into the ropes but ran into another right. He clipped Ortiz with a left to the forehead.

Ortiz continued to box smartly in round five. He fired the old one-two. Orozco was throwing overhand shots, hoping to hurt Ortiz with one punch. Ortiz moved in and out, jabbing and letting his right go. Ortiz turned ultra-aggressive in round six. Perhaps he wanted to go home.

He loaded up and let fly. A number of heavy shots landed, one, a right, wobbled Orozco. Ortiz dug to the body. Orozco was still hurt-and finally went down. The gutsy fighter got up at the count of eight. No way Ortiz was letting him off the hook. He fired shots from angles until Orozco was dropped for a second time. Orozco pulled himself up again, but seconds a short hook put him down for the third and final time.

The time was 2:16 of round six.