Leo Santa Cruz outpoints Miguel Flores to win title in fourth division

Leo Santa Cruz survived a cut to outpoint Miguel Flores and join an exclusive club of Mexicans to win titles in four divisions.

LAS VEGAS – Leo Santa Cruz has joined an exclusive fraternity.

Santa Cruz defeated Miguel Flores by a unanimous decision to win a vacant junior lightweight title on the Deontay Wilder-Luis Ortiz card Saturday at the MGM Grand.

That gives him major titles in four divisions, joining Erik Morales, Jorge Arce and Juan Manuel Marquez as the only Mexicans to do so.

Santa Cruz (37-1-1, 19 knockouts) didn’t have an easy time with his capable countryman, who was a 40-1 underdog at the MGM going into the fight. However, he pressed the action, outworked Flores (24-3, 12 KOs) and landed many more eye-catching punches than his opponent.

The pattern of the fight didn’t change much, as there were few ebbs and flows. And neither fighter was ever seriously hurt.

The scores were 117-110, 117-110 and 115-112. Flores was docked a point in the eighth round but it had no impact on the decision.

Santa Cruz suffered a cut above his left eye in the 10^th round, the result of an accidental head butt. The cut bled into his eye, which clearly bothered him, but he was able to maintain his focus and work rate.

Santa Cruz had won titles at 118 pounds, 122 and 126. He said before he fought Flores that he might some day pursue a title in a fifth division – 135 – if things went well at 130.

Canelo Alvarez, another Mexican, claims to have won titles in four divisions but one of those titles is what the WBA calls its “regular” belt, which Boxing Junkie doesn’t recognize.

Brandon Figueroa and Julio Ceja fight to draw in war

LAS VEGAS – No one should’ve been disappointed with a draw in light of what Brandon Figueroa and Julio Ceja gave on Saturday at the MGM Grand. The junior featherweights didn’t stop throwing punches from beginning to end, producing an astonishing …

LAS VEGAS – No one should’ve been disappointed with a draw in light of what Brandon Figueroa and Julio Ceja gave on Saturday at the MGM Grand.

The junior featherweights didn’t stop throwing punches from beginning to end, producing an astonishing total of roughly 2,800 in a give-and-take war that revealed remarkable durability on the part of both fighters on the Deontay Wilder-Luis Ortiz card.

Some will argue that Ceja (33-4, 28 knockouts) got the better of the nonstop exchanges in more rounds that Figueroa (20-0-1, 15 KOs) did but two judges didn’t see it that way.

The scores were 115-113 for Figueroa, 116-112 for Ceja and 114-114. When that final score was announced, the crowd booed loudly. Boxing Junkie scored it 116-112.

One could argue that Figueroa, a top contender, shouldn’t have gone through with the fight. Ceja missed the 122-pound limit by 4½ pounds, which technically made him a junior lightweight.

Perhaps that’s one reason he was so resilient. Figueroa hit the Mexican with everything he had and then some but Ceja was never fazed and never stopped throwing punches. Of course, Figueroa was just as durable as his bigger foe, also taking significant shots but never giving ground.

Ceja came into the fight with consecutive knockout losses, to Franklin Manzanilla and Guillermo Rigondeaux.

Also, Eduardo Ramirez (23-2-3, 10 KOs) stopped Leduan Barthelemy (15-1-1, 7 KOs) at 2:59 of Round 4 in a scheduled 10-round featherweight bout.

The boxers had fought to a split-decision draw in September 2017.

On Saturday, Ramirez, from Mexico, quickly took control of the fight. By the final round, he was punching the one-time star amateur from Cuba at will. And he ended matters with a straight left that sent Barthelmy staggering backward and then down on his back.

He got up but the referee determined that he couldn’t continue.

Barthelemy-Ramirez to replace canceled Nery-Rodriguez on Fox Pay-Per-View

Leduan Barthelemy vs. Eduardo Ramirez will replace the canceled Luis Nery vs. Emmanuel Rodriguez fight on pay-per-view tonight.

LAS VEGAS – Luis Nery’s inability to make weight was a break for Leduan Barthelemy and Eduardo Ramirez on the Deontay Wilder-Luis Ortiz II card Saturday at MGM Grand.

Nery on Friday failed to make the 118-pound limit by one pound for his bantamweight fight against Emmanuel Rodriguez and evidently didn’t believe he could lose it in subsequent attempts to make weight. Rodriguez, who made weight, then decided not to face an over-the-weight opponent because of “safety reasons”and the fight was canceled, according to a news release.

As a result, the featherweight fight between Barthelemy and Ramirez, originally scheduled to be televised on FS2, will kick off the Pay-Per-View portion of the card.

Barthelemy (15-0-1, 7 KOs) and Ramirez (22-2-3, 9 KOs), a former title challenger, fought to a 10-round draw in September 2017.

Also, Julio Ceja was 4½ pounds over the 122-limit for his fight against Brandon Figueroa but the fight will go on. Figueroa weighed 122.

Deontay Wilder-Luis Ortiz weigh-in: Wilder 219½, Ortiz 236½

Deontay Wilder and Luis Ortiz on Friday weighed 219½ and 236½, respectively, for Saturday’s fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

LAS VEGAS – Deontay Wilder was expected to be a little heavier in the rematch than he was in his first fight with Luis Ortiz, Ortiz a little lighter. And that’s how it played out.

Wilder on Friday weighed 219½ pounds, almost five pounds more than he weighed when they fought in Mach of last year. Ortiz, who reportedly trained like a mad man, weighed 236½. That’s almost five less than he weighed in the first fight.

They meet again Saturday at the MGM Grand on Fox Pay-Per-View.

Wilder, who stopped Ortiz in 10 rounds the first time around, doesn’t think the weight will make much of a difference.

“He knows what happened the first time. He knows what will happen the second time,” Wilder said on the stage moments after weighing in.

Wilder weighed 223 for his last fight, a first-round knockout of Dominic Breazeale in May. Ortiz weighed 238¾ against Christian Hammer in March, when Ortiz won by a wide decision.

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In other fights, Leo Santa Cruz and Miguel Flores weighed 129½ and the limit of 130, respectively, for their junior lightweight title fight. Santa Cruz is attempting to win a title in a fourth division.

In a scheduled junior featherweight bout, Julio Ceja weighed 126½, way over the 122-pound limit. His opponent, Brandon Figueroa, weighed 122. It wasn’t clear how officials intended to proceed.

And, in a bantamweight title eliminator, Luis Nery weighed 119, a pound over the limit. He had a few hours to lose the extra weight. His opponent, Emmanuel Rodriguez, weighed 118.

How to watch Deontay Wilder vs. Luis Ortiz II on pay-per-view

Deontay Wilder will put his heavyweight title on the line in a rematch with Luis Ortiz on Saturday night in Las Vegas. Here’s how to watch.

Undefeated heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder will put his title on the line in a highly anticipated rematch with Luis Ortiz Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Wilder defeated Ortiz by a 10th-round TKO in their first fight 19 months ago, but Ortiz has won his last three fights and has the power to end the bout in a single punch.

Watch Wilder v. Ortiz II LIVE on Pay-Per-View

The Wilder vs. Ortiz II pay-per-view will begin at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT on Saturday, Nov. 23. You can order the PPV online here for $74.99.

Wilder vs. Ortiz II can be streamed via the Fox Sports app on the App Store or Google Play, on your TV via Roku, Xbox One, Fire TV, Android TV and Apple TV, or on your computer or smart devices via FoxSports.com.

There are three other fights on the undercard:

Leo Santa Cruz (36-1-1) vs. Miguel Flores (24-2) for a junior lightweight title; Luis Nery (30-0) vs. Emmanuel Rodriguez (19-1) in a bantamweight fight; and Brandon Figueroa (20-0) vs. Julio Ceja (32-4) in a junior bantamweight bout.

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Deontay Wilder vs. Luis Ortiz odds: Wilder is about a 4-1 favorite

Deontay Wilder (-500) is a heavy favorite to defeat Luis Ortiz (+333) in their rematch Saturday at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Deontay Wilder and Luis Ortiz square off in a rematch for Wilder’s WBC heavyweight title Saturday at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, with the card kicking off at 9 p.m. ET. / 6 p.m. PT.

Wilder-Ortiz: What you need to know

Deontay Wilder (41-0-1, 40 knockouts) puts his nearly unblemished record on the line in a title rematch bout on FOX Sports Pay-Per-View. Wilder has seen 98 percent of his victories come via the knockout, including a 10th-round KO of Ortiz in March of last year at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. It nearly went another way, as Ortiz was working him over with heavy, sustained damage in the seventh. However, Wilder showed his champion mettle by pulling himself out of the fire and rebounding with a knockout of his own in an epic bout.

For Ortiz (31-1, 26 KOs), that remains the only setback in his 32-bout career. Since that right uppercut dropped him from the ranks of the unbeaten, he has taken out his aggression on Razvan Cojanu and Travis Kauffman in knockouts before picking up a decision victory against Christian Hammer.

Now, he gets another chance to get all the way on top. He cited problems with his cardio as the reason he petered out in the last bout against Wilder, as he expended a lot of energy in the seventh round trying to drop Wilder.

Wilder-Ortiz odds, picks, tips and best bets

Deontay Wilder celebrates moments after defeating Dominic Breazeale by knockout in the first round. Sarah Stier / USA TODAY Sports

Per BetMGM, Wilder (-500) is the heavy favorite over Ortiz (+333) on the 3-way betting line, with a Draw (+2500) also a choice. It isn’t a good choice, though.

If you were to look for lighting to strike twice, with a Wilder knockout in Round 10 (+1400), that pays rather handsomely. However, individual round betting is not a great investment. Instead, look to Round Group Betting, where Wilder to win in Rounds 9-12 (+500) pays fairly well.

If you like Wilder for the KO/TKO/Technical Decision or DQ victory, BetMGM has him listed as a rather heavy favorite at -334, with a win on points at +650 rather tempting. However, most talking heads expect a knockout, and Wilder’s track record suggests the same. BetMGM has a special prop bet for those looking for the victory via KO or TKO, too.

If you feel the fight will go 12 rounds, with either fighter winning on points (+450), you can do fairly well, but it isn’t a recommended wager.

Are you new to sports betting? A $10 wager on Wilder straight up at -500 to win outright pays just a $2.00 profit.

I personally prefer Group Betting, with the fight won in Rounds 7-12 (+150), while doubling down on Wilder in Rounds 7-12 (+188). If both of those things come through on a $100 wager, it pays a respectable $269. Sign me up.

If you want some action on this title bout or other boxing matches, place your wagers at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and analysis, visit SportsbookWire.com.

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Luis Ortiz could be first Cuban heavyweight champ … not that countrymen would care

Luis Ortiz would become the first Cuban to win a heavyweight title if he beats Deontay Wilder but, he said, fans back home wouldn’t care.

LAS VEGAS – Luis Ortiz would make history in more ways than one way if he were to beat Deontay Wilder on Saturday night at the MGM Grand.

One, at 40 years old, he would join George Foreman as the only 40-somethings to win a major heavyweight title. And, two, he would become the first Cuban-born fighter to become champion in the sport’s glamour division.

That isn’t to say that Cuba hasn’t produced great heavyweights. Teofilo Stevenson and Felix Savon are legendary heavyweights – on the amateur level. They both are triple Olympic champions who are revered in a country where professional boxing doesn’t exist, meaning those who want to make a living by fighting must defect.

Odlanier Solis, another gold medalist, left his country and once fought for a title but was stopped in one round by Vitali Klitschko. Hulking Jorge Luis Gonzalez also challenged for major belt, losing by stoppage to Riddick Bowe.

Ortiz (31-1, 26 knockouts) defected not long after competing in the Cuban championships in 2008 and made his pro debut in 2010, when he was almost 31.

Luis Ortiz was brimming with confidence at the final news conference before he fights Deontay Wilder on Saturday. Ryan Hafey / Premier Boxing Champions

Recognized as both a good boxer and a big puncher, Ortiz has scared off many potential rivals but he eventually earned a shot at Wilder’s title in March of last year. And, with Wilder hurt in the seventh round, he came within a few punches winning the title at that time before he was stopped himself in the 10th round.

On Saturday, he gets a second chance. He would love to win the approval of fans back home if he becomes the first Cuban heavyweight champ but that’s not what he expects.

“The fans here, you guys will (give me credit),” he said through a translator at the final news conference before the fight on Saturday. “In Cuba, unfortunately, they won’t bat an eye. They don’t have pro boxing, they couldn’t care less. For them, Stevenson and Savon will always be the greatest.

“… I would be overjoyed if they recognized me as heavyweight champion and talked about me with the other greats. It’s just not what it is now.”

Leo Santa Cruz: Major titles in four divisions? How about five?

Leo Santa Cruz believes it might be possible for him to win a title in a fifth weight division.

LAS VEGAS – Leo Santa Cruz has stated his goal of joining fellow Mexican-born stars who have won major titles in four divisions, Erik Morales, Jorge Arce and Juan Manuel Marquez.

Santa Cruz might not stop there, though. How about five divisions?

“It’s possible,” said Santa Cruz, who makes his debut at 130 pounds against Miguel Flores on the Deontay Wilder-Luis Ortiz card Saturday at the MGM Grand.

Santa Cruz (36-1-1, 19 knockouts) has won belts at 118, 122 and 126. Next on the list is 130, assuming he can beat Flores (24-2, 12 KOs) and lure one of the junior lightweight titleholders into the ring.

So the resident of Los Angeles already knows what it’s like to move up in weight and face bigger men. He’s done it gradually – fighting at each weight multiple times – and successfully. His move to 130 is no different.

As in the past, he works on increasing his punching power through strength training and sparring with bigger men without forsaking his specialty – volume punching, which is a product of intense conditioning.

He said his sparring partners have told him that his punches are heavier than in the past.

“I know they’re bigger guys,” Santa Cruz told Boxing Junkie at the final news conference before his fight Saturday. “I’m a big guy, too. I go up to around 140, 140-something pounds. I’m getting used to this weight.

“I’m sparring bigger guys who fight at 135, 140, so I won’t see that much of a difference. I’m going try this weight now and see how it goes.”

And that title in a fifth division? Is that realistic?

“Yeah, I think so,” he said. “Like I said, I go up to 140-something. I work really hard on my body. I think I can go up to 135.”

Luis Ortiz: ‘This isn’t going to be my last opportunity. I’m here to fight’

Luis Ortiz said his knockout loss to Deontay Wilder in their first fight was the result of fatigue and that has been corrected.

LAS VEGAS – An interviewer asked Deontay Wilder how his rematch with Luis Ortiz on Saturday night at the MGM Grand will end.

The heavyweight titleholder, seated on the dais during the final news conference before the fight, looked up at the interviewer standing next to him and said politely and with a straight face: “Look who you’re talking to.”

Indeed, one can almost assume that Wilder’s opponents will not hear the final bell.

Only Bermane Stiverne, against whom Wilder was content to box to win his championship almost five years ago, and Tyson Fury have gone the distance with the Bronze Bomber. And Stiverne lasted less than a full round in their rematch.

Wilder’s knockout ratio of 95.2 percent (of total) fights is highest in heavyweight history.

Ortiz understands the magnitude of Wilder’s punching power as well as anyone. The Cuban, who almost stopped Wilder in the seventh round, went down twice and couldn’t continue in the 10^th round when they met for the first time in March of last year.

Deontay Wilder couldn’t have been more at ease at the final news conference before he fights Luis Ortiz on Saturday. Sean Michael Ham / Mayweather Promotions

Still, Ortiz, while acknowledging that Wilder (41-0-1, 40 knockouts) is a strong man, said in so many words that Wilder’s power is nothing out of the ordinary.

“I’ve had 500 fights since my amateur career over 10 years,” he said through a translator. “When you get hit by a heavyweight, everybody has power. Sometimes it feels like a horse or a mule kicking you.”

Ortiz (31-1, 26 KOs) said the reason he was stopped in the first fight was more about fatigue than Wilder’s ability to inflict damage.

The 40-year-old said he trained six weeks before the first fight and weighed 241¼, a typical weight for him. That had always been sufficient for Ortiz to be successful. For this fight, he said, he trained 12 weeks – including work with a strength and conditioning coach, as well as a nutritionist – and is expected to come in lighter than his previous weight.

Everyone would agree that he looked positively svelte at the press conference, his flat stomach visible behind a tight workout suit.

Wilder (left) and Ortiz have developed a cordial relationship. Sean Michael Ham / Mayweather Promotions

If Ortiz hurts Wilder again, will better fitness enable him to finish the job? Or will Ortiz’s conditioning give him a better chance of withstanding Wilder’s power for the entire 12 rounds?

Wilder isn’t preoccupied with those questions.

“He looks good,” Wilder said of his rival, “but I don’t think it’s going to matter against a fighter like me. 365 days I’m in shape. I come to camp in shape. The first day of camp, we sparred. I’m always prepared, always ready to go.

“And it’s always a good feeling to see my opponents in shape as well, prepared properly and ready for war.”

Wilder implied during the news conference that this fight could be his opponent’s last opportunity to fight on the biggest stage, which hit a nerve with Ortiz. He obviously doesn’t plan to fade away any time soon.

“This isn’t going to be my last opportunity,” he said. “I’m here to fight. You’ll see on Saturday. … It was just simply fatigue (in the first fight). I corrected that. And this time around the better man will win.”

Luis Ortiz says knockout loss to Deontay Wilder last year haunts him

Luis Ortiz has had difficulty getting over his loss to Deontay Wilder last year and promises things will be different in the rematch.

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 10^th.

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.”

Luis Ortiz says he won’t waste an opportunity against Deontay Wilder a second time. Ryan Hafey / Premier Boxing Champions

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.