By Mohamed Horomtallah (Instagram @mo_horomtallah):
The Deontay Wilder vs. Luis Ortiz fight answered all the questions it raised.
1. ORTIZ IS THE REAL DEAL: hardcore boxing fans knew it all along but it remained to be seen and most of all proven in the ring.
Ortiz was on point with world class technique and skills. He came in lean and in shape. He was focused and his power was real.
This was indeed the Luis Ortiz that nobody wanted to fight. Nobody.
2. WILDER CAN TAKE A PUNCH: contrary to what many predicted, the WBC heavyweight champion did not fold under pressure. Ortiz caught him coming in with a vicious right hook in the 7th round and clearly hurt him.
The final moments of the round had Wilder in big trouble, taking clean punch after clean punch but nevertheless, and this writer still can’t figure out how, he made it through.
This now legendary round proved to everyone that Wilder not only has a certified granite chin but most importantly, heart, will and composure.
3. THE ERASER IS DEADLY: skeptics of Wilder´s power said that his perfect (yes, perfect, if you keep in mind that he stopped every opponent he faced) knock out record is against weak opposition and that it will not be a factor against Luis Ortiz who´s arguably the number 3 heavyweight on the planet.
Many observers and critics were of the mindset that Ortiz was too slick, too skilled and that his southpaw stance would separate him from Wilder and he would outclass him, take him into deep water and ultimately stop him.
Wilder held his own and when he landed, Ortiz hit the canvas. Three times. And the amazing thing is that he did not even land flush like he did against Artur Spilka!
Wilder is not a perfect fighter. He is not the most technically sound either. He got exposed by Ortiz, some said.
Actually, Wilder did get exposed but not the way one might think. The one thing that got exposed about Wilder is that when it comes to him “styles do NOT make fights!´´
When you face Wilder, your style is not important, the only important thing is the fact that you have to avoid that right hand for 12 rounds! All it takes is one hit, one time. Wilder might entertain the idea of changing his nickname from the ´´The Bronze Bomber´´ to ´´The REAL One Time´´, no offense to the current unified welterweight champion.
Seeing Wilder take major punishment from an elite, heavy hitting heavyweight in Ortiz and survive it must give all heavyweights nightmares because the believe that he had a suspect chin just went out of the window but his deadly right hand remains a fact, an unsolved mystery.
Anthony Joshua must be very nervous after what Wilder displayed against Ortiz. It is only a matter of time before he is forced to see Wilder and when that happens, his game plan will be very simple: how can I fight a deadly snake that can take punishment and not get bitten once in twelve rounds?
I am glad I don’t have Wilder problems…