Wilder retains title with knockout of Ortiz
Trailing on points, defending champ sends Ortiz to canvas in seventh round
The blow came out of the blue and after six rounds in which it looked as if Luis Ortiz might come away with a victory, Deontay Wilder uncorked a devastating right that sent sweat flying and Ortiz sinking as Wilder successfully defended his WBC heavyweight title for the 10th time Saturday in Las Vegas.
Wilder flattened Ortiz, improving to 42-0-1 with 41 KOS and thinking about what comes next: a Feb. 22 rematch with Tyson Fury.
“I found my measurement,” Wilder said, via the BBC, “seen the shot and took it. We have Tyson Fury, the rematch, next. It’s set to be done in February, so we will see how that goes and then after that I am looking for a unification bout.
“The heavyweight division is too small to have so many belts lingering around. There should be one champion and I think I am the perfect man for that job.”
Ortiz, 40, got back up, but was unable to beat the 10 count. “I was clear-headed when I hit the canvas,” said Ortiz, whose record is 31-2. “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.”
Ortiz was leading 59-55, 59-55 and 58-56 on the judges’ cards when Wilder struck his blow in their rematch from last year, a bout in which Wilder stopped Ortiz in the 10th round. Wilder’s 10th consecutive heavyweight title defence ties Muhammad Ali. Only Joe Louis, Larry Holmes, Wladimir Klitschko, Tommy Burns and Vitali Klitschko have more.
“My intellect is very high in the ring and no one gives me credit,” Wilder said. “I think I buzzed him with a left hook earlier in the round and I took it from there.”
Wilder fought Fury last December with Fury outboxing him for much of the fight. However, Wilder scored knock-downs in the ninth and 12th rounds and the fight was ruled a split draw with judges scoring it 115-111 for Wilder, 114-112 for Fury and 113-113.
Not only have the two agreed to a rematch, a third fight is part of the deal and each was to have two interim fights. Fury (29-0-1, 20 KOS) won both of his, a second-round victory over Tom Schwarz in June and a September victory over Otto Wallin. Wilder beat Dominic Breazeale in the first round in May.
“Next, we have Tyson Fury,” Wilder said, via ESPN. “Then, I want unification. I want one champion, one face and one heavyweight champion — Deontay Wilder.”