Tag: Andy Ruiz Jr.

Weekend Review: Gervonta Davis delivers another masterful – and brutal – performance

Weekend Review: Gervonta Davis delivered another masterful – and brutal – performance against Ryan Garcia on Saturday in Las Vegas.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

BIGGEST WINNER
Gervonta Davis

Davis couldn’t have performed much better than he did on a memorable Saturday night in Las Vegas. Skills? Davis defused virtually everything Garcia tried to do, outboxing and outfoxing him from the second round on. Most notably “Tank” gave Garcia precious few openings to land his vaunted left hook, which gave the underdog next to no chance of winning the fight. Davis might be the best technician in the sport. Power? Well, with Davis, that’s a given. He was under attack in Round 2 when he connected on a short left that put Garcia down and set the tone for the rest of the fight. Then, in Round 7, a straight left to the gut forced Garcia to take a knee and he couldn’t continue. Davis didn’t punish Garcia, as his trainer suggested he would. However, he outclassed him, put him down twice and scored a highlight reel knockout while taking almost no punishment himself. It was a hell of a night for one of the sport’s fastest rising stars.

 

BIGGEST MISTAKE?
Overreacting to Davis’ victory

Davis’ performance was impressive but let’s not get carried away with the significance of his victory. Garcia is talented, powerful and popular but he’s no better – certainly no more accomplished – than some of Davis’ previous victims. We won’t know for sure how good Tank is until he takes down at least one of the top 135-pounders, undisputed champion Devin Haney, Shakur Stevenson or Vasiliy Lomachenko. He’s deserving of pound-for-pound status now, with victories over the likes of Jose Pedraza, Leo Santa Cruz, Isaac Cruz, Rolando Romero, Hector Luis Garcia and now Ryan Garcia. However, that’s not enough to lift him into the Top 5 and ultimately No. 1, where many believe he’ll ultimately land. How would he do against Haney, Lomachenko or Stevenson, all of whom are much better boxers than Garcia? Probably well. Probably. A victory over one or more of the above would be required to remove any doubt about Davis’ apparent greatness.

 

BIGGEST CHALLENGE FOR DAVIS
Shakur Stevenson

Davis vs. Stevenson is the ultimate lightweight fight. Haney is a big 135-pounder with big talent, which is why he’s the undisputed champion at the moment. Lomachenko will have a chance to prove he still has it at 35 when he challenges Haney on May 20. They’re both more serious threats to Davis than Garcia was. The fighter who could give Davis the most trouble is Stevenson, however. The 25-year-old from New Jersey might be the best pure boxer in the game, as he has demonstrated in victories over Jamel Herring, Oscar Valdez and other top 130-pounders before moving up to 135. He’s almost impossible to hit cleanly. He doesn’t have the power of Davis (or Garcia) but his skillset could be a puzzle that Davis would find difficult to solve. The same could be said of the Haney-Lomachenko winner but there’s something magic about Stevenson.

 

BEST LIGHTWEIGHT
Davis

The debate is interesting: Who’s the best fighter in the top heavy 135-pound division? The Haney-Lomachenko winner, Stevenson and Davis are the obvious candidates for the reasons stated above: Their skill sets are off the charts and roughly equal to one another. One thing sets Davis apart from the rest, however: His punching power. Haney, Lomachenko and Stevenson will outclass you; Davis will outclass you and then remove your head from your body. That weapon can’t be underestimated because it provides him a path to victory the others don’t have. Haney, Lomachenko and Stevenson could confound Davis with their technical ability for a while but if they can’t hurt him (and they probably can’t) it will be difficult to discourage him. And, of course, he can change the course of any fight with one punch. The jury is still out but the eye test tells us that Davis is the man to beat at 135 pounds.

 

BIGGEST LOSER
Ryan Garcia

Garcia was what Davis suggested he was, a limited boxer who relied too much on his left hook. And when he couldn’t land his signature shot, he was lost. The setback certainly isn’t catastrophic for him, though He dared to think big, agreeing to take on one of the sport’s most intimidating boogeymen. Things didn’t work out but he should be applauded for his gumption. And if anyone can bounce back, it’s him. He’s only 24, a year older than Canelo Alvarez was when he was outclassed by Floyd Mayweather. Alvarez did just fine afterward. Garcia is talented, just not as talented as Davis. And while he was overmatched in the end, he didn’t take the kind of beating that can take years off your career. He was outboxed and dropped twice but he was perfectly fine after the fact. He’ll now move back up to 140 pounds, where he’s more comfortable. And don’t be surprised if he claims a place among the best of that division.

 

RABBIT PUNCHES

Super middleweight contender David Morrell (9-0, 8 KOs) looked scary against late-replacement opponent Yamaguchi Falcao (24-2-1, 10 KOs) on the Davis-Garcia show, scoring a brutal first-round knockout. Morrell doesn’t need a feel-out process. The opening bell is his signal to begin inflicting serious pain, which Falcao found out the hard way. He hurt the Brazilian with an uppercut and then went in for the kill, which came 2:22 into the fight. Falcao took the fight on 10 days’ notice but I doubt a full camp would’ve changed anything. Morrell is good, he’s vicious and he has heavy hands. I don’t know whether he can beat Alvarez or David Benavidez but the Cuban is looking more and more like a threat to anyone. … News item: heavyweight titleholder Tyson Fury reportedly will defend against either Andy Ruiz Jr. or Zhilei Zhang in July. He would be fighting fellow beltholder Oleksandr Usyk in an ideal world but either Ruiz or Zhang is a nice consolation prize. I would prefer Zhang. That matchup somehow is intriguing after Zhang stopped Joe Joyce on March 15. However, Ruiz also is a good option. He has proven ability and a good back story, most notably his monumental upset of another Briton, Anthony Joshua. Meanwhile, Usyk could end up defending against Daniel Dubois. Let’s hope Fury and Usyk get back to the negotiating table for a showdown late in the year, assuming they win their interim fights.

[lawrence-related id=36998,36989,36985,36964,36957,36951,36949]

Weekend Review: Gervonta Davis delivers another masterful – and brutal – performance

Weekend Review: Gervonta Davis delivered another masterful – and brutal – performance against Ryan Garcia on Saturday in Las Vegas.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

BIGGEST WINNER
Gervonta Davis

Davis couldn’t have performed much better than he did on a memorable Saturday night in Las Vegas. Skills? Davis defused virtually everything Garcia tried to do, outboxing and outfoxing him from the second round on. Most notably “Tank” gave Garcia precious few openings to land his vaunted left hook, which gave the underdog next to no chance of winning the fight. Davis might be the best technician in the sport. Power? Well, with Davis, that’s a given. He was under attack in Round 2 when he connected on a short left that put Garcia down and set the tone for the rest of the fight. Then, in Round 7, a straight left to the gut forced Garcia to take a knee and he couldn’t continue. Davis didn’t punish Garcia, as his trainer suggested he would. However, he outclassed him, put him down twice and scored a highlight reel knockout while taking almost no punishment himself. It was a hell of a night for one of the sport’s fastest rising stars.

 

BIGGEST MISTAKE?
Overreacting to Davis’ victory

Davis’ performance was impressive but let’s not get carried away with the significance of his victory. Garcia is talented, powerful and popular but he’s no better – certainly no more accomplished – than some of Davis’ previous victims. We won’t know for sure how good Tank is until he takes down at least one of the top 135-pounders, undisputed champion Devin Haney, Shakur Stevenson or Vasiliy Lomachenko. He’s deserving of pound-for-pound status now, with victories over the likes of Jose Pedraza, Leo Santa Cruz, Isaac Cruz, Rolando Romero, Hector Luis Garcia and now Ryan Garcia. However, that’s not enough to lift him into the Top 5 and ultimately No. 1, where many believe he’ll ultimately land. How would he do against Haney, Lomachenko or Stevenson, all of whom are much better boxers than Garcia? Probably well. Probably. A victory over one or more of the above would be required to remove any doubt about Davis’ apparent greatness.

 

BIGGEST CHALLENGE FOR DAVIS
Shakur Stevenson

Davis vs. Stevenson is the ultimate lightweight fight. Haney is a big 135-pounder with big talent, which is why he’s the undisputed champion at the moment. Lomachenko will have a chance to prove he still has it at 35 when he challenges Haney on May 20. They’re both more serious threats to Davis than Garcia was. The fighter who could give Davis the most trouble is Stevenson, however. The 25-year-old from New Jersey might be the best pure boxer in the game, as he has demonstrated in victories over Jamel Herring, Oscar Valdez and other top 130-pounders before moving up to 135. He’s almost impossible to hit cleanly. He doesn’t have the power of Davis (or Garcia) but his skillset could be a puzzle that Davis would find difficult to solve. The same could be said of the Haney-Lomachenko winner but there’s something magic about Stevenson.

 

BEST LIGHTWEIGHT
Davis

The debate is interesting: Who’s the best fighter in the top heavy 135-pound division? The Haney-Lomachenko winner, Stevenson and Davis are the obvious candidates for the reasons stated above: Their skill sets are off the charts and roughly equal to one another. One thing sets Davis apart from the rest, however: His punching power. Haney, Lomachenko and Stevenson will outclass you; Davis will outclass you and then remove your head from your body. That weapon can’t be underestimated because it provides him a path to victory the others don’t have. Haney, Lomachenko and Stevenson could confound Davis with their technical ability for a while but if they can’t hurt him (and they probably can’t) it will be difficult to discourage him. And, of course, he can change the course of any fight with one punch. The jury is still out but the eye test tells us that Davis is the man to beat at 135 pounds.

 

BIGGEST LOSER
Ryan Garcia

Garcia was what Davis suggested he was, a limited boxer who relied too much on his left hook. And when he couldn’t land his signature shot, he was lost. The setback certainly isn’t catastrophic for him, though He dared to think big, agreeing to take on one of the sport’s most intimidating boogeymen. Things didn’t work out but he should be applauded for his gumption. And if anyone can bounce back, it’s him. He’s only 24, a year older than Canelo Alvarez was when he was outclassed by Floyd Mayweather. Alvarez did just fine afterward. Garcia is talented, just not as talented as Davis. And while he was overmatched in the end, he didn’t take the kind of beating that can take years off your career. He was outboxed and dropped twice but he was perfectly fine after the fact. He’ll now move back up to 140 pounds, where he’s more comfortable. And don’t be surprised if he claims a place among the best of that division.

 

RABBIT PUNCHES

Super middleweight contender David Morrell (9-0, 8 KOs) looked scary against late-replacement opponent Yamaguchi Falcao (24-2-1, 10 KOs) on the Davis-Garcia show, scoring a brutal first-round knockout. Morrell doesn’t need a feel-out process. The opening bell is his signal to begin inflicting serious pain, which Falcao found out the hard way. He hurt the Brazilian with an uppercut and then went in for the kill, which came 2:22 into the fight. Falcao took the fight on 10 days’ notice but I doubt a full camp would’ve changed anything. Morrell is good, he’s vicious and he has heavy hands. I don’t know whether he can beat Alvarez or David Benavidez but the Cuban is looking more and more like a threat to anyone. … News item: heavyweight titleholder Tyson Fury reportedly will defend against either Andy Ruiz Jr. or Zhilei Zhang in July. He would be fighting fellow beltholder Oleksandr Usyk in an ideal world but either Ruiz or Zhang is a nice consolation prize. I would prefer Zhang. That matchup somehow is intriguing after Zhang stopped Joe Joyce on March 15. However, Ruiz also is a good option. He has proven ability and a good back story, most notably his monumental upset of another Briton, Anthony Joshua. Meanwhile, Usyk could end up defending against Daniel Dubois. Let’s hope Fury and Usyk get back to the negotiating table for a showdown late in the year, assuming they win their interim fights.

[lawrence-related id=36998,36989,36985,36964,36957,36951,36949]

Tyson Fury reportedly set to return in July against Andy Ruiz Jr. or Zhilei Zhang

Tyson Fury reportedly is set to return to the ring in July against either Andy Ruiz Jr. or Zhilei Zhang.

Tyson Fury reportedly has a time frame and site for his return to the ring. And his list of potential opponents is short.

The heavyweight titleholder’s next fight will take place in July at Wembley Stadium in London, sources told ESPN. The stadium is on hold for July 15 and 22.

The presumptive opponent is Andy Ruiz Jr., a capable all-around fighter who delivered a tremendous upset when he stopped then-beltholder Anthony Joshua in 2019.

However, Zhilei Zhang, who stunned the boxing world by knocking out unbeaten contender Joe Joyce in six rounds on April 15, also is being considered.

Joyce could exercise his right to a rematch with Zhang, which would work in Ruiz’s favor. Joyce evidently hasn’t made that decision.

Fury said on Twitter this week that an announcement is imminent but provided no details.

“I’ve got some massive, massive news coming, an imminent fight date, an absolutely monstrous fight,” he said. “Stayed tuned because the WBC heavyweight king is back in action coming very, very soon.”

Fury (33-0-1, 24 KOs) last fought in December, when he stopped Derek Chisora in 10 rounds.

He then entered negotiations to face fellow titleholder Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed championship in April. However, the talks broke down over the purse split for a rematch.

Ruiz (35-2, 22 KOs) lost his titles by a decision in a rematch with Joshua but has won his two fights since, decisions over Chris Arreola and Luis Ortiz.

[lawrence-related id=36264,36244,34487,32473]

Tyson Fury reportedly set to return in July against Andy Ruiz Jr. or Zhilei Zhang

Tyson Fury reportedly is set to return to the ring in July against either Andy Ruiz Jr. or Zhilei Zhang.

Tyson Fury reportedly has a time frame and site for his return to the ring. And his list of potential opponents is short.

The heavyweight titleholder’s next fight will take place in July at Wembley Stadium in London, sources told ESPN. The stadium is on hold for July 15 and 22.

The presumptive opponent is Andy Ruiz Jr., a capable all-around fighter who delivered a tremendous upset when he stopped then-beltholder Anthony Joshua in 2019.

However, Zhilei Zhang, who stunned the boxing world by knocking out unbeaten contender Joe Joyce in six rounds on April 15, also is being considered.

Joyce could exercise his right to a rematch with Zhang, which would work in Ruiz’s favor. Joyce evidently hasn’t made that decision.

Fury said on Twitter this week that an announcement is imminent but provided no details.

“I’ve got some massive, massive news coming, an imminent fight date, an absolutely monstrous fight,” he said. “Stayed tuned because the WBC heavyweight king is back in action coming very, very soon.”

Fury (33-0-1, 24 KOs) last fought in December, when he stopped Derek Chisora in 10 rounds.

He then entered negotiations to face fellow titleholder Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed championship in April. However, the talks broke down over the purse split for a rematch.

Ruiz (35-2, 22 KOs) lost his titles by a decision in a rematch with Joshua but has won his two fights since, decisions over Chris Arreola and Luis Ortiz.

[lawrence-related id=36264,36244,34487,32473]

What now? Tyson Fury, Oleksandr Usyk have other viable options

What now? Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk have other viable options.

Heavyweight titleholders Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk appear to be finished with one another after talks for a showdown this spring broke down, at least for the time being.

So now what?

Of course, neither man has a more compelling option. They would’ve been fighting to crown the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis, after all. News that the fight is off was nothing short of heartbreaking.

Life goes on, though. And there are other reasonably interesting options for both of them. Below are three viable foes for each man.

Note: We do NOT want to see Fury vs. Deontay Wilder IV or Usyk vs. Anthony Joshua III. Fury and Usyk separated themselves from these rivals. There’s no need to see go back to the same well. Please, no.

TYSON FURY

  1. Anthony Joshua – This is still a big fight, particularly in the U.K. Fury is the best, most entertaining big man in the world. And Joshua, the 2012 Olympic gold medalist, remains a compelling figure in spite of back-to-back losses to Usyk. Fury and Joshua could fill up Wembley Stadium.
  2. Joe Joyce – Joyce doesn’t have the star power of Joshua but the bruising banger has become an imposing figure in the division. That couldn’t have been more obvious in September, when he became the first to stop capable Joseph Parker.
  3. Andy Ruiz Jr. – Ruiz is a viable opponent for anyone because of his back story. He turned in one of the most stunning upsets in recent history, becoming the first to take down Joshua on an unforgettable Arabian night in 2019. And he’s a good all-around fighter.

OLEKSANDR USYK

  1. Deontay Wilder – Who wouldn’t want to see Usyk vs. Wilder? It would be a classic boxer vs. knockout artist matchup. Could Wilder land one of his vaunted rights? If so, what would happen? Fascinating stuff.
  2. Joe Joyce – Joyce might be the most difficult opponent for Usyk other than Fury. He isn’t the boxer or athlete Joshua is and he can’t punch as hard as Wilder but he might be the strongest heavyweight in the world, maybe too strong for Usyk.
  3. Daniel Dubois – Usyk reportedly is pursuing a fight with his WBA mandatory. This isn’t a bad matchup. Dubois is somewhat robotic but he also is big and strong and he’s well known enough to generate interest, at least among fans in the U.K.

[lawrence-related id=36244]

What now? Tyson Fury, Oleksandr Usyk have other viable options

What now? Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk have other viable options.

Heavyweight titleholders Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk appear to be finished with one another after talks for a showdown this spring broke down, at least for the time being.

So now what?

Of course, neither man has a more compelling option. They would’ve been fighting to crown the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis, after all. News that the fight is off was nothing short of heartbreaking.

Life goes on, though. And there are other reasonably interesting options for both of them. Below are three viable foes for each man.

Note: We do NOT want to see Fury vs. Deontay Wilder IV or Usyk vs. Anthony Joshua III. Fury and Usyk separated themselves from these rivals. There’s no need to see go back to the same well. Please, no.

TYSON FURY

  1. Anthony Joshua – This is still a big fight, particularly in the U.K. Fury is the best, most entertaining big man in the world. And Joshua, the 2012 Olympic gold medalist, remains a compelling figure in spite of back-to-back losses to Usyk. Fury and Joshua could fill up Wembley Stadium.
  2. Joe Joyce – Joyce doesn’t have the star power of Joshua but the bruising banger has become an imposing figure in the division. That couldn’t have been more obvious in September, when he became the first to stop capable Joseph Parker.
  3. Andy Ruiz Jr. – Ruiz is a viable opponent for anyone because of his back story. He turned in one of the most stunning upsets in recent history, becoming the first to take down Joshua on an unforgettable Arabian night in 2019. And he’s a good all-around fighter.

OLEKSANDR USYK

  1. Deontay Wilder – Who wouldn’t want to see Usyk vs. Wilder? It would be a classic boxer vs. knockout artist matchup. Could Wilder land one of his vaunted rights? If so, what would happen? Fascinating stuff.
  2. Joe Joyce – Joyce might be the most difficult opponent for Usyk other than Fury. He isn’t the boxer or athlete Joshua is and he can’t punch as hard as Wilder but he might be the strongest heavyweight in the world, maybe too strong for Usyk.
  3. Daniel Dubois – Usyk reportedly is pursuing a fight with his WBA mandatory. This isn’t a bad matchup. Dubois is somewhat robotic but he also is big and strong and he’s well known enough to generate interest, at least among fans in the U.K.

[lawrence-related id=36244]

Este es el temor de Andy Ruiz si Canelo pelea contra otro mexicano

El boxeador Andy Ruiz compartió que ya conocía esta idea de Canelo de no enfrentarse a otros compatriotas. Él tiene otra razón en mente.

Canelo Álvarez ha dejado bien claro que no le interesa pelear contra otros mexicanos. Incluso declaro que en caso de que Zurdo Ramírez le gane a Dmitry Bivol el próximo 5 de noviembre, no se enfrentaría a él, a pesar de que sea su contrincante natural.

El boxeador Andy Ruiz compartió que ya conocía esta idea de Canelo de no enfrentarse a otros compatriotas. Sin embargo, él tiene otra razón en mente.

Más allá de que una pelea nacional generaría una afición dividida, algo que Canelo quiere evitar, Ruiz cree que sería una pelea tan campal que lo mejor es evitarla.

“Un mexicano contra un mexicano es difícil; todos sabemos que los mexicanos no se van a rendir. Así que una pelea de dos mexicanos será una guerra y todo será acción”, dijo El Destroyer.

Es una razón un poco extraña. ¿Quién no quisiera ver tremendo espectáculo?

Pero bueno, cada quién sus ideas. Lo que sigue manteniéndose firme es que Canelo no peleará contra otro mexicano próximamente, por la razón que sea.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

¡Auch! Así terminó la cara de Andy Ruiz tras enfrentar a ‘King Kong’ Ortiz

No se vayan con la finta. Aunque Andy ganó la pelea, también recibió contundentes golpes por parte de su oponente.

Andy Ruiz debe de seguir de fiesta después de que el fin de semana derrotara a al cubano Luis “King Kong” Ortiz, en una pelea de 12 rounds y decisión unánime en favor del boxeador mexicanoamericano.

Pero no se vayan con la finta. Aunque Andy ganó la pelea, también recibió contundentes golpes por parte de su oponente. De hecho, al inicio de la pelea vimos un par de momentos donde pensamos que García terminaría en la lona.

En este video se puede ver el rostro del boxeador con claros moretones. Su pómulo derecho luce morado e inflamado.

Considerando cómo se puso la pelea y que salió triunfante, tampoco le fue tan mal. Una bolsa de hielo y a lo que sigue.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

No fue solo el patrocinio, Andy Ruiz tiene su propio perfil en Only Fans

No queramos verlo con menos ropa de cuando boxea, pero pensemos que por motivos de marketing esta resultó ser una gran alianza.

Cuando Andy Ruiz se enfrentó a Luis ‘King Kong’ Ortiz hubo un detalle en su vestimenta que llamó la atención de los aficionados. Entre los patrocinadores del boxeador, se podía leer con grandes letras Only Fans.

Como recordarán, Only Fans es una red social especializada en contenid con cierto nivel erótico. Quizás eso explicara que el atuendo de Ruiz fuera bastante exótico y lleno de peluches.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CiHgMjDPo4w/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=066c90fa-5cdc-41cc-9eb0-49a95ec6b75a

Total que la alianza no se quedó en patrocinio. El propio Ruiz ya tiene su propio usuario en Only Fans. Lleva pocas imágenes compartidos y pocos aficonados, pero sin duda el boxeador tiene el gancho correcto para jalar aficionados.

No estamos convencidos de que queramos verlo con menos ropa de cuando boxea, pero pensemos que por motivos de marketing esta resultó ser una gran alianza.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Good, bad, worse: Andy Ruiz Jr. gave uninspiring, but effective performance

Good, bad, worse: Andy Ruiz Jr. gave an uninspiring, but effective performance against Luis Ortiz on Sunday in Los Angeles.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

GOOD

If Andy Ruiz Jr.’s only goal was the have his hand raised in his comeback fight against fellow heavyweight contender Luis Ortiz on Sunday in Los Angeles, then he succeeded. If he wanted to make a statement, well, he didn’t have a great night.

The former unified titleholder looked terrific for three moments, the moments when he put Ruiz down – twice in Round 2 and once in Round 7. Otherwise, Ruiz did more waiting than punching and was outworked by his 43-year-old, weak-legged opponent in a lackluster fight. According to CompuBox, Ortiz threw 428 punches, Ruiz only 287 (24 per round).

That allowed Ortiz (33-3, 28 KOs) to stay in the fight in spite of the knockdowns, winning six rounds on two cards and seven on the third.

What went wrong?

Ruiz (35-2, 22 KOs) would say “nothing.” The strategy devised by Ruiz and trainer Alfredo Osuna evidently was to box, wait for Ortiz to commit and then counter with quick, hard combinations. That’s essentially what Ruiz did, which resulted in the knockdowns and the unanimous decision victory.

I believe there was more to it than sticking to a game plan, though. Ruiz had never faced a left-handed opponent before Sunday, which was significant. He reportedly had problems adjusting to southpaw sparring partners early in camp. And it appeared that the issues weren’t fully resolved against Ortiz, who is a particularly clever southpaw with fight-ending power.

Thus, Ruiz has reason to be satisfied that he exited the ring with a victory, one that could lead directly to a massive fight against former champion Deontay Wilder if Wilder defeats Robert Helenius on Oct. 15 in Brooklyn.

It was a productive night for Ruiz even if it wasn’t a thrilling one.

 

BAD

Andy Ruiz Jr. (right) put Luis Ortiz down three times. Harry How / Getty Images

Ortiz performed about as well as he could against Ruiz.

The Cuban can still box, can still think, can still throw a lot of punches, can still punch. He just couldn’t overcome two things on Sunday, Ruiz’s ability to take a hard shot and his own inability to do so.

Ortiz has been down five times in his last two fights, including two knockdowns before he stopped Charles Martin in six rounds in January. He can still take a decent punch without getting hurt badly. The problem appears to be his legs, which seem to betray him when he gets caught.

That’s what happened when Martin put him down with a jab that would’ve had no effect on him five or 10 years ago.

Ortiz can still compete at a high level – as he demonstrated on Sunday night – but his weak legs are difficult to overcome. And they’re only going to get weaker as he moves into his mid-40s.

Should he retire? I wouldn’t advise him to step away based on his response when he was asked after the fight whether he might be finished.

He seemed stunned that anyone would ask him such a question after what he believed to be a strong, courageous performance even though it was a reasonable query given his age and obvious liabilities.

“Do you think I’m done?” he said. “You saw a warrior tonight. What do the people want? Do you think I’m done?”

Indeed, he performed well enough against Ruiz to get another meaningful fight, which was a victory of sorts. And he obviously wants to continue what he’s done most of his life, to make a good living for his family, to cling to his dream of winning a world title.

I believe we’ll see Ortiz fight at least once or twice more.

 

WORSE

The fate of Jose Valenzuela on the Ruiz-Ortiz card is an example of how cruel boxing can be.

The lightweight contender was unbeaten and a rising young star as a result of his ability, controlled aggression and punching power. His ceiling was high. And then he met Edwin De Los Santos, a late replacement for Jezreel Corrales.

De Los Santos not only upset Valenzuela, he overwhelmed him. The quick-handed Dominican landed almost at will from the opening bell, which resulted in two knockdowns and a stunning third-round knockout.

De Los Santos (15-1, 14 KOs) went from a relatively obscure fighter to a major player in the deep 135-pound division. Valenzuela (12-1, 8 KOs) went the opposite direction, from a budding star to a fighter who might not have elite ability after all.

Valenzuela said he was surprised by De Los Santos’ aggression. It was more than that, though. His biggest problem appears to be his inability to avoid punches, as former champion and TV analyst Shawn Porter suggested.

He must pull out all stops to hone his defensive skills if he hopes to become the fighter he was projected to be.

And, just as important, he’ll have to overcome the psychological trauma of such a devastating loss, which won’t be easy. Some fighters can bounce back from that kind of setback, many can’t.

We’re going to learn a lot about Valenzuela’s mental toughness in the coming months.

 

RABBIT PUNCHES

Juan Francisco Estrada (43-3, 28 KOs) received surprisingly tough resistance from relative unknown Argi Cortes (23-3-2, 10 KOs) on Saturday in Mexico in what was supposed to be a tune-up for a third fight with rival Roman Gonzalez on Dec. 3. Estrada, who hadn’t fought in almost 18 months, was able to earn a unanimous decision victory but was never able to take complete control of the fight. Maybe it was rust. Maybe he underestimated Cortes. Maybe Cortes is simply better than anyone realized. Most likely it was all three reasons. Bottom line: It was strange to see the great Mexican champion struggle to beat an upstart. The version of Estrada we saw on Saturday probably couldn’t beat “Chocolatito,” who lost a disputed decision to Estrada in March of last year. Fortunately for Estrada (43-3, 28 KOs) a better version is likely to show up for the rubber match. Estrada will have shed whatever rust he experienced and he certainly won’t underestimate Gonzalez, one of the greatest fighters of his generation. Meanwhile, Cortes (23-3-2, 10 KOs) became a player in the 115-pound division over night as a result of his performance. He can box, he’s resilient and he handled the spotlight as if he’d been there a million times. He also has a Hall of Fame trainer in his corner, Nacho Beristain. Cortes suddenly has a bright future. …

I would pick Wilder to beat Ruiz but I’d the give the latter a chance in that fight because of his chin. I’m not sure anyone could stand up to Wilder’s power for long – even Tyson Fury went down four times in three fights with him – but Ruiz has an unusual ability to absorb punishment. That, combined with his solid skill set and quick, heavy hands, make him a threat to Wilder. … Isaac Cruz (24-2-1, 17 KOs) turned in another impressive performance on the Ruiz-Ortiz card. The lightweight contender buried capable of Eduardo Ramirez (27-3-3, 12 KOs) in an avalanche of power punches until Ramirez went down twice and was stopped in the second round. Is there anyone more fun to watch than Cruz? The 24-year-old Mexican now has two consecutive knockouts (including one against Yuriorkis Gamboa in April) since he lost a disputed decision to Gervonta Davis last December. I don’t know how he’d fair in a rematch with Davis or against the likes of superb technicians Devin Haney and Vasiliy Lomachenko but he would make them work hard for whatever they get, as we saw in the fight with Davis. …

Abner Mares (31-3-2, 15 KOs) didn’t have his hand raised against Miguel Flores (25-4-1, 2 KOs) in his first fight in four years but he should be pleased with himself. The 36-year-old former three-division champion fought the naturally bigger, fresher Flores to a majority draw in a 10-round lightweight bout on the Ruiz-Ortiz card. Mares appeared to be on his way to a sensational victory by Round 3, during which he hurt Flores several times with overhand rights. However, he then settled into a stick-and-move mode that allowed Flores to pull even with him by the end of the fight. Mares said afterward that he had problems with timing and other issues but he gave a solid performance given the circumstances. I didn’t like his posture in the second half of the fight – maybe he was just tired – but he can still fight at a high level.

[lawrence-related id=32477,32473,32455,32452,32449,32413]

[vertical-gallery id=32481]