A boxer with punching power is never out of a fight. Even when he’s 42.
Luis Ortiz got up from two knockdowns to stop Charles Martin in the sixth round to remain in the thick of the heavyweight mix Saturday night at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida.
Ortiz (33-2, 28 KOs) was only two fights removed from his knockout loss to Deontay Wilder in November 2019, his last important fight.
And while he and Martin (28-3-1, 25 KOs) were engaged in a competitive, back-and-forth fight for five-plus rounds, the Cuban ended up in a hole on the cards by going down in Rounds 1 and 4.
Indeed, his position as a top contender seemed to be in jeopardy going into the sixth round in what was billed as a title eliminator.
Then it happened. Ortiz, a southpaw, landed a mammoth overhand left that rearranged the brain cells of his fellow lefthander in the opening seconds of the round.
Martin, badly dazed, initially remained on his feet but went down under a barrage of punches, during which his arm somehow became entangled in the ropes and the referee had to free him.
The wounded fighter was able to continue but he was easy prey for a finisher like Ortiz, who unloaded another flurry of hard, accurate shots that finally prompted referee Frank Santore Jr. to stop the fight at 1:37 of Round 6.
Martin, a former titleholder, was leading on all three cards after five rounds: 48-45, 48-45 and 47-46. Boxing Junkie also had Martin leading 48-45.
“I told you at the start that this was going to be fireworks between me and Martin,” Ortiz said through a translator. “He knocked me down twice and in the end I finished him. I do respect him a lot, like I told you.”
Was Ortiz worried about falling behind on the cards? Nah.
“I was definitely very focused for his fight,” he said. “I was never worried. My corner, [trainer] German [Caicedo] was telling me basically keep working the jab and that’s what I did.”
Ortiz, ranked by three of the four recognized sanctioning bodies, was asked afterward who he would like to fight next. He didn’t bite.
However, his objective is clear. He failed in two attempts to take Wilder’s world title even though he performed well in both fights. He’ll do whatever it takes to get one more shot at a major belt.
Said Ortiz, suddenly speaking in English: “I’m wishing for every heavyweight in the line for the world title.”