VERGIL ORTIZ VS. ERICKSON LUBIN PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES AT TEXAS LIVE!
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 24 Sep 2025
INTERIM WBC SUPER WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPION VERGIL ORTIZ JR. VS. ERICKSON “THE HAMMER” LUBIN SCHEDULED SATURDAY, NOV. 8, 2025, AT DICKIES ARENA IN FORT WORTH, TEXAS, AND EXCLUSIVELY LIVE ON DAZN
ARLINGTON, Texas – September 23, 2025 – Undefeated knockout artist and interim WBC Super Welterweight World Champion Vergil Ortiz Jr. (23-0, 21 KOs) and top contender Erickson “The Hammer” Lubin (27-2, 19 KOs) came face-to-face on Tuesday at the kickoff press conference for their November 8 title bout. The world championship clash is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with ProBox and will be streamed live worldwide on DAZN beginning at 8 p.m. ET.
Hosted by sports commentator Todd Grisham, Tuesday’s press conference from Texas Live in Arlington offered the main and co-main event fighters the chance to showcase their skills on the mic. Ortiz, the Grand Prairie native, is looking to put on a show for his hometown fans and showcase his reputation as one of boxing's most dangerous punchers. Lubin, rated as the No. 1 contender by the IBF and in the top 10 by the WBO, WBC and The Ring magazine, is entering enemy territory and will look to showcase his own power, which will certainly equal fireworks for those in attendance and watching at home. In the evening’s co-main event, top lightweight contender Floyd “Kid Austin” Schofield (19-0, 13 KOs) will battle former junior lightweight champion Joseph “JoJo” Diaz (34-8-1, 15 KOs). Schofield is coming off a first-round knockout of former junior lightweight champion Tevin Farmer, while Diaz last faced former junior welterweight champ Regis Prograis, losing a narrow decision.
Here is what the fighters had to say:
Vergil Ortiz Jr
On why Lubin is a dangerous opponent for him
“He’s a dangerous fighter because he has intellect, he has experience, and he has power. He likes to fight. I’ve seen his flights before. He legitimately goes in there to fight people. I respect that about him, but he’s also a smart fighter as well, so when you add both of those into the question, that’s when you have a dangerous fighter.”
On what the atmosphere will be like in Fort Worth
“It’s going to be electric. Everyone in the DFW, Grand Prairie, Fort Worth, Dallas, wherever they’re from – they always show out. There’s a big fan base here for boxing. I know all the fans here are going to enjoy it on November 8.
On how motivated is he to knock Lubin out and put on a show for the fans
“I’m very motivated. I want to win. I want to win looking good. Just being in the ring with someone with the pedigree like Erickson Lubin, it motivates me to train harder, to actually want to come to the gym. I’ve been in some fights where I’m fighting someone and I’m like, “Let’s just get this thing over with.” This fight, I look forward to the gym; I want to work hard; I want to do good in sparring. So that is the kind of fight this is.”
On his message to his fans before November 8
“Shout out to the DFW and everyone around the world for continuing to support through the highs and the lows. Nothing else much to say. November 8, we’ll see you there.”
Erickson Lubin
On why he’s so confident that he can beat Vergil Ortiz Jr
“I fought for the world title in just my third year – this is my 12th year as a pro. I took no steps back. I fought top opposition after top opposition and Vergil Ortiz is no different. He’s another top fighter. This is my third undefeated fighter in a row, and I’m looking to become that dude at 154 pounds. I also wanna give a big shoutout to my daughter; it’s her fourth birthday today. You know, it’s the sacrifices you’ve gotta make, you know, being away from family, being away from their birthdays and stuff like that, just so I can give them a better way of living. I want to give a big shoutout to Gary Jonas. You know, that’s one guy that believed in me from the beginning. I’ve been with him since I was 17 years old, and I turn 30 next week. I’m just excited. Vergil Ortiz is a great competitor, and I think the fans are in for a treat. November 8, it will be fireworks, it will be a great matchup. We’ve got a black fighter versus a Mexican fighter– that always makes for a great fight. It’s gonna be a historical matchup.”
On what will happen if Vergil Ortiz Jr comes into the fight thinking he’s got it won
“I make no predictions. I know it’s gonna be a great fight, and all that matters to me is me walking out of Dickies Arena with my hands raised and the fans silent. The crowd silent.”
On what fans can expect on November 8
“November 8 it will be fireworks. I want everybody to tune in live on DAZN. It will be a special fight, a great matchup. I tip my hat to Vergil Ortiz and his team. Tune in.”
Joseph Diaz
On what he has in store for Schofield when he steps into the ring on November 8th
“I’m very excited. I’m very excited to be fighting. He’s an undefeated fighter, ranked number one right now in the world, and I know what I’ve been doing, man. I give my life to Christ and I’ve just been focused and determined and hungry again. I got that hunger and that drive back. I’ve been busting my ass. You guys have seen it against Regis (Prograis). I fought him at 140 but I gave him two pounds because he couldn’t make the weight and I felt like I did good. This fight I’m going back down to 135 and I’m gonna take back what’s mine. Take back the throne.”
On what will happen to Floyd Schofield if he takes him into deep waters
“I feel like it’s my time right now, man. I’ve been through a lot, I feel like I’ve seen everything inside that ring. I have all the experience in the world. I’ve fought top contenders for three to four years already and I feel like it’s my time. Kid Austin is gonna be taking his first defeat with me, but he’s gonna have to bounce back. He’s still young in the game, but he’s gonna take the L and that’s how it is.”
On his message to fans as he prepares to fight one of the toughest fights of his career
“Jesus is King guys, give your life to God and just keep on striving, man, no matter how dark the world is, no matter how hard life gets, there’s always light at the end of the tunnel, man. You guys just gotta keep on staying focused and keep on staying driven, and that’s what I wanna bring to you guys. I’m so thankful for this opportunity, again, to be broadcasting my talents live on DAZN, and I’m gonna give you guys an exciting fight come November 8th.”
Floyd Schofield
On if he will send JoJo Diaz into retirement like Farmer
“Who knows. I know I’m going to be victorious that night. It’ll be a war. Hopefully JoJo can bounce back and do what he has to do to get right. I’ll be victorious.”
On if Diaz can handle his power
“I don’t know, we’ll have to wait and see. People take punches differently, but like I said, JoJo is a warrior. We’ll see November 8.”
On what’s on the line for him in this fight
“I feel like everything rides on this fight. People are overlooking JoJo, they say he’s washed, so if I lose to a guy like that, I don’t know where I go from there. Everything rides on this fight: my ranking, my chance at the world title. I’ll definitely come in focused and give the fans a great show.”
Oscar De La Hoya, Golden Boy Promotions Chairman and CEO
On these two fights
“Every world champion at 154 lbs – which Vergil is fighting Lubin at – did not want to fight Vergil Ortiz. They came up with excuses: ‘I’m not ready,’ ‘I want to fight someone else,’ ‘I need a tune-up fight.’ This is the fight game. This is boxing. If you want to be the best, you have to fight the best, and that’s why I respect Lubin so much. Not only is he the number one contender in the world, he’s fought (Jermell) Charlo, he’s fought tough fights. He has the experience and he has the confidence. He’s coming into this fight knowing and thinking he’s going to win. That’s a real fight for you. There’s a lot at stake. Vergil Ortiz wants to be a unified world champion; Lubin wants to be world champion. This is going to be in Texas, we’re very excited. The co-main event that’s opening up the telecast with Kid Austin and Jo Jo Diaz…this is a fight that you don't want to miss. It could steal the show. I’ve known Kid Austin for a while and he’s a great fighter. His last outing he fought Tevin Farmer and a lot of people thought, ‘Farmer has too much experience.’ He went in with a world champion and went the distance. Guess what he did? He knocked him out in a minute and thirty seconds. JoJo Diaz on the other hand…Olympian. He’s coming off a fight of the year with Regis Progress, just a month and a half ago. Jo Jo’s coming in with full confidence. This is Kid Austin’s first fight where the experience kicks in. This main event and the co-main event – I’m super excited because everyone has everything to win and everything to lose.”
On why he chose this fight to bring to Texas
“It’s funny, when I promoted Canelo Alvarez here at Dallas Cowboys stadium, I was with Jerry Jones and this young kid (Vergil Ortiz) said, ‘one day I’m going to fill this stadium.’ I said, ‘this kid has a lot of confidence,’ and I love that. Fast forward to now when we decided on Erickson Lubin to fight Vergil; he could possibly derail his plans to fill up this stadium. That’s just the kind of fighter that Lubin is. He’s a tough fighter, has proven himself, and took the challenge because he believes in himself. Unlike the other fighters out there, Lubin stepped up and said, ‘I’ll take them on. I’ll take on the beast of the division.’ Vergil Ortiz is the best fighter at 154 lbs and Lubin might think otherwise, but Vergil Ortiz is the best fighter at 154 lbs period. He’s relentless, strong, and elusive. That’s the one thing about this matchup – I’m only worried that one punch can end it all in one minute. I want to see 12 rounds and a war. I strongly feel that Vergil Ortiz is on a mission. Every single champion at 154lbs is running from Vergil Ortiz and they should be ashamed of themselves. I applaud Erickson Lubin because he stepped up. He is here to win – that’s what makes him a great fighter.”
On whether or not Vergil Ortiz is going to be the next Canelo
“First of all, I respect Canelo for his boxing abilities. As a fighter, you have to respect that, but I truly feel that there has to be a changing of the guard. I think that boxing right now needs a new star. Boxing needs someone to carry the spark. And obviously, Vergil Ortiz has everything it takes to become that man. You can never look past any opponent, you can never look past any person in front of you inside that ring, because you never know. One punch can end it all, can derail your whole plans. So, with Vergil, he’s smart, it’s one fight at a time. Because every single opponent that he faces, every single fighter he faces, is out for his head, man, is out to get him, is out to dethrone him, is out to take that throne from Vergil Ortiz, and he knows it. So, that’s why we chose Texas. That’s why we wanted to bring boxing back to Texas. We are bringing the best fights possible and plus, Dickies Arena and the production we have in store for everybody is incredible. So tell your friends, tell your family, tell everybody to come out November 8th. It is going to be lit, like I said.”
Tickets for Ortiz vs. Lubin are priced at $150, $100, $75, and $25, excluding applicable service charges. A limited number of Golden Boy VIP Experience tickets will also be available, which include exclusive merchandise and fight night upgrades. Tickets can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com or GoldenBoy.com.
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Ortiz Jr vs. Lubin is a 12-round fight for the WBC Interim Super Welterweight World Championship presented by Golden Boy Promotions. The fight will take place on Saturday, November 8 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas and will be streamed live worldwide on DAZN.
For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing and @DAZNBoxing. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoy and https://www.facebook.com/DAZN. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy and @DAZNBoxing. Follow the conversation using #OrtizLubin
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