By Rob Maclean: Brooklyn welcomes a familiar competitor this Saturday night at the Barclays Centre in WBC champion Deontay Wilder (39-0, 38kos). However this will be there first time witnessing King Kong, Luis Ortiz (28-0, 24kos). Of course we all know who the real King Kong is, but who is the real Luis Ortiz and what can we expect from him?
(Photo credit: Ed Diller/DiBella Entertainment)
Luis Ortiz has taken many forms in the eyes of the boxing public. Some may consider him a bogeyman, an avoided fighter. To some he’s a cheat and a liar. It’s almost become boxing myth when trying to identify his true age, which is listed as 38 by Boxrec.com and is one example in a saga of questions surrounding the Cuban challenger.
One thing that cannot be questioned is his 349-19 amateur boxing record. Fighting for the prestigious Cuban National team Ortiz amassed an inspired amateur record. Like many Cuban amateurs, Ortiz moved to Florida to box professionally and has since gone on to become an unbeaten world title challenger.
Scratch below the surface of this record however you will see a no contest decision in August 2014.
Ortiz made short work of unbeaten opponent Latif Kayode, a Nigerian boxer with a 20-0 record. However, the result was overturned after Nandrolone was found is his system. Nandrolone is a steroid.
Three years later Luis Ortiz is scheduled to face another unbeaten opponent, Bronze Bomber Deontay Wilder. However a month before the fight, Ortiz was found to have diuretics chlorothiazide and hydrochlorothiazide in his system.
Ortiz claimed this was due to medicines taken to reduce high blood pressure. The WBC fined Ortiz $25.000 due to not disclosing this. Hydrochlorothiazide is a medicine taken for high blood pressure. Diuretics chlorothiazide can be used in many of forms, one of which is as a masking agent.
Luis Ortiz has fought once since that postponement, against Daniel Martz (16-6-1, 13kos) and this is his only fight since December 2016.
Ortiz has been an impressive pro thus far, bringing his amateur style with him into the pros, combined with hard punching, he has worked his way to the title. But knowing what we know, the concerns raised previously, makes one wonder, has Wilder handpicked Ortiz at the right time?
Many questions have been directed at Deontay Wilder ahead of this assignment. Does he have the skills to compete with Ortiz? Does he have the punch resistance to deal with the power of Ortiz? But in terms of who is the most unknown quantity in this fight, personally I would lean toward Ortiz.
Ortiz is a sharp counter puncher, his defence is based on slipping punches, he pressures opponents with forward movement and lands his excellent straight left or his brutal uppercuts on the inside. Although he has been known to be rather slow at getting his shots off first.
Wilder does not have this problem at all, so much so that it has made him look amateurish in his career and his over eagerness has led him to whinging wild punches. This does carry great risk with Ortiz’s ability to counter effectively and is the basis for many of Wilder’s doubters. But with the evidence taken from Wilder’s first and possibly only dangerous world level competition, his first fight with Bermaine Stiverne (25-3-1, 21kos), we know Wilder can box to orders.
If Deontay Wilder can box at range, behind a jab and put his enormous punch power behind his right hand, I think Wilder could get Ortiz out of their and could do so early. Ortiz is aging, ring rusted and not a proven ‘clean’ fighter. Wilder is younger and athletic naturally. He might be well behind Ortiz in terms of natural talent, but I believe this is the ideal platform Wilder needs to stamp his authority at the top of the heavyweight division.