More-difficult path, same result.
Welterweight contender Vergil Ortiz endured a spirited effort from Egidijus Kavaliauskas but maintained his perfect knockout record, putting the Lithuanian down three times in the eighth and final round Saturday in Frisco, Texas.
Ortiz, 23, has now knocked out all 18 of his opponents, although Kavaliauskas lasted longer than any of the Texan’s previous foes.
Kavaliauskas (22-2-1, 18 KOs) fought like a man who came to win. The 33-year-old rarely took a backward step against one of the biggest punchers in the sport and had some success, including a right uppercut that hurt Ortiz in the second round.
However, Ortiz controlled the fight with his stiff jab and landed power shots to the head and body that gradually wore down his opponent, who ran out of steam in Round 8.
Kavaliauskas went down from a power jab to the body and midway through the round, hit the canvas again as the result of a left hook with about 45 seconds to go and ended up on a knee under the weight of a barrage with 20 seconds remaining.
That was enough for both Kavaliauskas and referee Laurence Cole, who stopped the fight to save the loser from more punishment.
Ortiz was modestly pleased afterward.
“I think I did alright,” he said. “I got the win. I could’ve looked a little prettier doing it but, hey, I’m happy with my performance. And we’re only going to get better from here.
“… “He caught me with a good shot but I took it well, I recovered from it and here I am.”
Ortiz, the top contender for Terence Crawford’s WBO 147-pound title, has beaten Maurice Hooker and Kavaliauskas in succession. He’s obviously ready to take on the best fighters in the division.
Now it comes down to what those fighters’ handlers can put together given that some matchups are difficult to make because of competing entities.
“There’s so much s— going on in boxing I don’t even know what I have to do anymore,” Ortiz said. “… I’m ready to fight whenever. I’m here to fight anybody. I don’t care if it’s Crawford, [Errol] Spence, [Manny] Pacquiao, you name it. I’ll fight anyone.”