In Brooklyn’s Barclays centre, Deontay Wilder and Luis Ortiz served the public to an intriguing, awkward, yet exciting fight to contest the WBC heavyweight title.
A fight which in the end, finished in a thrilling 10th round stoppage.
I described it as Wilder’s worst, yet best performance of his 40 professional fights. In truth it was the first time we have seen Wilder in any serious trouble.
He came through a real crises in the 7th round, where he could have been one punch away from losing his title and undefeated record.
While he was absorbing blows, you could almost hear the critics, ready to criticise and destroy him as just another loud mouth fighter, who had never been tested. But this is where I sat up and took notice. Where as most would look at it as Wilder being vulnerable.
I saw it as him showing something we had never seen before and answering a few questions such as, does he have a chin? Does he have the heart and desire to come through adversity?
It wasn’t exactly of the Joshua/Klitschko proportions, where he had to haul himself off the canvas, but it wasn’t far off it.
Make no mistake. As much as he will play it down. Ortiz had him reeling in the 7th and he was in some real serious trouble.
But again, make no mistake. Ortiz is no slouch and would give any fighter trouble. For me Ortiz was winning the fight. I gave him the first four rounds.
He was coming forward all the time, catching Wilder with the odd left and the southpaw stance was clearly troubling Wilder. Ortiz had Wilder constantly backing up.
Wilder looked tentative and was not showing much of an attack, instead he was just getting pushed back and looking frustrated early in the fight.
There were even some early boo’s in the third and fifth rounds, due to his lack of activity. Wilder seemed to be fighting safe, aware of Ortiz’ power and waiting for him to tire and slow down.
However, he was losing rounds. But one thing we all know Wilder has is power. It was just as well, as during the fifth, you could see Ortiz was visually growing in confidence, bouncing and looking light on his feet.
Maybe it was a bit of over confidence, as Ortiz started to walk down Wilder more in the fifth. That allowed Wilder gain his own confidence and he found an opening with a straight right hand.
Then a another right a few seconds later, that turned Ortiz’ legs to jelly, sending him crashing into the ropes and down to the canvas.
Ortiz looked bewildered as he got back up. He was a tad lucky the bell sounded for the end of the round. But in a flash, Wilder had turned the fight on its head.
You was expecting Wilder to go all out in the sixth, but Ortiz showed his own heart and desire to trade with Wilder in a few meaty exchanges, where he held is own.
Then, real drama in the 7th. In the final minute of the round, Ortiz caught Wilder with a peach of a right hook, then followed it with a flurry and shots, realising he had Wilder hurt. With 40 seconds to go in the round, Ortiz was catching Wilder with a series of heavy blows.
Wilder was desperately flailing and trying to holding on as Ortiz rained in shots which staggered the champion. Wilder was lucky the bell sounded when it did, as he was caught again right on the bell.
Wilder started round eight uneasy on his feet. Ortiz came out throwing blows and backing Wilder up in the first minute of the fight. However, Wilder blocked, moved and took the shots. He withstood the pressure and like a true champion started to come back into it.
It seemed a moral victory for Wilder as the eighth round ended, as I had that feeling that Ortiz had missed his opportunity.
Ortiz had put his all into those two rounds and looked slightly jaded going into the ninth. Both fighters seemed to take that round off, though they picked it up at the end of the round with a few tasty exchanges in the last minute.
It all came to a head in the 10th. At that point I had Ortiz 2 points up. However, Ortiz, though still coming forward, looked visibly tired, where as Wilder looked composed.
With Ortiz coming forward, Wilder caught Ortiz with a heavy right sending him into the ropes. In Wilder’s haste he threw Ortiz to the ground. An indication of how hurt Ortiz was.
It was no knockdown, but at this time, you felt Wilder had the upper hand. Wilder rushed in with a barrage of right and left hands, that eventually sent Ortiz to his knees.
The Cuban showed his heart to just about make the count, with probably half a second to go. But you sensed it was only a matter of time.
Wilder followed with another barrage of heavy blows that sent Ortiz down once more, urging the ref to call time to what was in the end, a thrilling heavyweight title fight.
Crises averted, Wilder looked relieved, tired, yet joyous and elated with the victory. In his post fight interviewed he again called out Joshua, again alluded to it not being about money, more about the fighting. Proclaimed himself and baddest man on the planet and stated he will unify the heavyweight belts.
I would say it was not as exciting as the all out, action display of the Joshua v Klitschko.
But it was a good and intriguing fight to contest a world heavyweight title. Now it’s over to Joshua and Parker to see who will face WBC champ Wilder. Parker has the WBO belt and Joshua has the WBA and IBF belts.
Regardless of any situation. Under no circumstances can anyone justify there not being a massive unification bout at the end of the year for all four belts.
It will be a fitting way to end the year, and in the midst of this renaissance era of boxing. Wouldn’t it be perfect for the heavyweight division to have one champion to take boxing into 2019.
