Deontay Wilder shows Luis Ortiz that all he needs is that right hand

Deontay Wilder wins a fight he was losing by landing his specialty — his right hand — on the face of Luis Ortiz.

LAS VEGAS – No matter what he might lack as a fighter. No matter what might go wrong in the ring. Deontay Wilder always has his right hand.

Wilder showed next to nothing in his rematch with Luis Ortiz on Saturday night at the MGM Grand. Ortiz, obviously quicker and more mobile after his intense conditioning program, had firm control of the fight for five-plus rounds.

The Cuban beat the American titleholder to the punch. He outworked him, although neither threw a lot of punches. All Wilder did was wait and wait … and wait, as he seemed to have no plan of action in a fight that was becoming mistifying.

Then, in an instant, order was restored. In the final seconds of Round 7, Wilder landed that magic straight right on Ortiz’s face and the challenger fell flat on his back, obviously hurt badly.

Ortiz stumbled to his feet around the count of 9 but referee Kenny Bayless, looking into his eyes, decided he couldn’t continue.

Just like that, Wilder turned what was shaping up to be an embarrassing loss into another dramatic victory. It was the 10^th successful defense of the title Wilder won when he outpointed Bermane Stiverne in 2015.

Ortiz (31-2, 26 knockouts) didn’t fight brilliantly early in the fight but he was a lot more effective than Wilder, who was cautious to the point where he did almost nothing. Meanwhile, Ortiz popped Wilder to the body. The southpaw landed some hard lefts that must of frightened Wilder supporters. And a few combinations got the attention of Wilder and the crowd.

In Round 4, Ortiz unloaded a flurry of punches that found their mark. Wilder responded by pounding his chest, which raised the question: Why isn’t he pounding Ortiz?

By Round 6, the scorecards had become a big part of the story. Ortiz seemed to be doing enough to win round after round, meaning that it would be difficult for Wilder to win a decision in the event he wasn’t able to stop Ortiz.

And sure enough: The scores were 59-55, 59-55 and 58-56, all in Ortiz’s favor.

Wilder fought with a bit more urgency in Round 6, throwing more meaningful punches than he had earlier, but no one expected what was to come. He simply positioned himself at arm’s length from Ortiz and let his not-so-secret weapon fly. It slid past Ortiz’s glove, landed on his face and that was that.

“Bomb squad!” indeed.

“With Ortiz, you can see why no other heavyweight wants to fight him,” Wilder said afterward. “He’s very craft, he moves strategically and his intellect is very high. I had to measure him in certain places.

“I had to go in and out and finally I found my measurement. I saw the shot and I took it. My intellect is very high in the ring and no one gives me credit for that. I think I buzzed him with a left hook earlier in the round and I took it from there.”

Ortiz gave Wilder trouble – hurting him badly in Round 7 – but was stopped by Wilder in the 10^th round in March of last year. He blamed the stoppage on fatigue. So he did the natural thing: He trained as seriously as he ever had. That included hiring a strength and conditioning coach who helped him weigh in about five pounds lighter than he weighed in the first fight.

And it seemed to help. Ortiz was quick and mobile, particularly for a 40-year-old who is naturally bulky. However, in the end, such things don’t matter when a right hand from Wilder finds its target.

Ortiz was philosophical afterward.

“This is boxing,” he said. “I said that one of us was going to get knocked out and it wasn’t going to go 12 rounds. I was clear headed when I hit the canvas. When I heard the referee say seven I was trying to get up, but I guess the count went a little quicker than I thought.”

Wilder appears to have another significant challenge ahead of him. He is tentatively scheduled to face arguably the best boxer in the division, Tyson Fury, in February.

Fury also felt the power in Wilder’s right hand, going down in Rounds 9 and 12. Fans are still shaking their heads at Fury’s ability to survive the knockdown punch in the final round and reach the final bell.

Aside from the knockdowns, however, Fury outboxed Wilder. That’s why most observers thought Wilder was fortunate to emerge with a draw.

The fact Wilder was willing to tangle a second time with Ortiz and seems eager to meet Fury again is evidence that he has confidence to go with his punching power. After Fury? He evidently wants the winner of the December 7 Andy Ruiz Jr.-Anthony Joshua rematch.

“Next we have Tyson Fury in the rematch,” he said. “It’s scheduled for February, so we’ll see. Then I want unification. I want one champion, one face and one heavyweight champion – Deontay Wilder.”

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.

We recommend interesting sports viewing and streaming opportunities. If you sign up to a service by clicking one of the links, we may earn a referral fee.

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.”

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.”

Chris Arreola’s Wilder vs. Ortiz II fight prediction

Veteran heavyweight contender Chris Arreola gives his take on the Deontay Wilder-Luis Ortiz rematch on Saturday in Las Vegas.

Deontay Wilder playing with fire by fighting Luis Ortiz again

Luis Ortiz came within a few punches of knocking out Deontay Wilder in March of last year yet Wilder agreed to fight him again.

Say what you want about Deontay Wilder but you have to agree: The man has nerve.

Luis Ortiz came within a few punches of knocking out the heavyweight titleholder in March of last year but Wilder survived and turned the tables, stopping Ortiz in Round 10. So what does Wilder do? He agrees to fight Ortiz again.

He didn’t have to do that, which isn’t lost on one interested party.

“Deontay Wilder is a throwback fighter like me, and we both want to fight the best,” said Ortiz, who, like Wilder, arrived Tuesday at the MGM Grand for their fight Saturday in Las Vegas. “I believe I’m the best and that’s why I’m getting this rematch.”

Wilder (41-0-1, 40 knockouts) seconded that notion.

“Even though I knocked Ortiz out the first time, it was an amazing fight,” he said. “That was the fight that I was challenged the most. I understand why none of the other heavyweights want to fight Ortiz.

Luis Ortiz arrives at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas for his second shot at Deontay Wilder on Saturday. Stephanie Trapp / TGB Promotions

“He’s very dangerous and I blessed him with a second chance,” continued Wilder. “Fans always get their money’s worth when I’m on the big stage.”

Wilder is coming off a Knockout of the Year candidate in May, a one-punch stoppage of Dominic Breazeale in Brooklyn. That followed Wilder’s controversial draw with Tyson Fury, who waits in the wings to see who will win on Saturday.

Ortiz (31-1, 26 KOs) has beaten three journeymen since the setback against Wilder, the last being a unanimous-decision victory over Christian Hammer in March.

However, the 40-year-old Cuban also has destroyed the contenders he has faced since turning pro in 2010, which is why few heavyweights have been eager to face him. Among his victims: Lateef Kayode, Bryant Jennings, Tony Thompson and Malik Scott.

Wilder and Ortiz appear to be serious about their rematch. Stephanie Trapp / TGB Promotions

Ortiz expects to give a vintage performance on Saturday.

“I’m focused on this fight and this fight only and doing everything to have my hand raised Saturday night,” he said.

Wilder also is confident.

“People know what I’m able to do to another human being inside of that ring,” he said. “I can’t wait for Saturday night.”

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.

Deontay Wilder: Give me credit for thinking through adversity

Deontay Wilder said he used his wits to overcome a rocky seventh round in his first fight with Luis Ortiz.

Ring IQ is a term never seen anywhere near Deontay Wilder’s name. His right hand has been all the IQ he has ever needed. He throws it. It lands. It’s over. It’s a pretty simple formula. The proof rests in his astonishing record. Forty-two fights, 40 stoppages. Brilliant, no matter how you calculate it.

Yet Wilder says he doesn’t get the credit he deserves for thinking through adversity.

Example: A rocky seventh round in his victory over Luis Ortiz in their first fight on March 3, 2018 in Brooklyn.

“Yes, I remember getting buzzed,’’ Wilder said in a conference call this week for their rematch on November 23 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

But the buzz didn’t cloud his thinking, Wilder said. He bluffed, he said, but then thought better of it as Ortiz came after him. Wilder said he knew he had to maintain a safe distance, which meant staying close enough to eliminate the leverage Ortiz needed to deliver a finishing blow. For the round’s remaining 40 seconds, that’s what he did, allowing the heavyweight champion to go on to win by a 10^th-round stoppage.

“I didn’t get no credit for the intellect that I had in the ring coming around in the seventh round,’’ Wilder said. “So I knew what I was doing and when the bell rung. You can see I knew exactly where I was. I went right back to my corner and I still was talking (expletive) going back there, too.’’

Wilder said he was never hurt in the pivotal round.

“I think people use hurt too much,’’ Wilder said. “They throw that (around) too much because they don’t understand the difference between buzzed and hurt. I advise anybody, if you are in boxing and you want to talk about boxing, experience some of things that we go through. Go in the ring, get hit and see what it feels like to get buzzed or maybe even get knocked out.

“But I understood everything that was going on with me. I was coaching myself internally. My inner voice was telling myself to keep going.’’

Ringside pundits didn’t see what was happening, Wilder said.

“I didn’t want to waste any unnecessary energy, because I wanted to be able to recover,’’ he said. “So,I didn’t want to use that much energy, and so that’s why I hit him anywhere I could, no matter where. It was so that the referee could understand that I’m very active. I’m aware and I can still fight. I don’t think I got enough credit for that.’’