Luis Ortiz still has difficulty accepting his knockout loss to Deontay Wilder in March of last year.
Ortiz, who faces Wilder in a rematch on Saturday at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, had his rival hurt badly in a dramatic seventh round of their first fight – Ortiz’s first shot at a major title – only to get stopped himself in the 10th.
The Cuban has won three consecutive fights since then to earn another shot at Wilder and his belt.
“The entire team has been able to put it in perspective … and to move forward,” Ortiz said through a translator to a group of reporters recently. “I obviously don’t take it as well. It’s a thorn in my side. The difference being, obviously, is that I not only trained harder, but trained smarter.
“So, if the seventh round appears again, it’s going to be a smarter seventh round. And I’ll definitely show what should’ve happened in the first fight.”
The 40-year-old contender went on: “There are no excuses. It is what it is. The first fight’s over. We’re talking about this fight and I’m going to get the victory this time. Obviously, things are being done differently. But in the ring, that’s where it’s decided. …
“My state of mind is very different coming into this second fight. Not that I wasn’t focused in the first fight, but I took the loss to heart. It still hurts. I’m still very upset over it, emotionally. I want to be world champion. That’s not just a phrase I throw out there to please the (media). I want to do this and I want to become a world champion.”
The Wilder-Ortiz fight will be available on Showtime Pay-Per-View.