By Geno McGahee
At one time, there wasn’t a heavyweight eager to get into the ring with “King Kong” Luis Ortiz, 33-2, 28 KO’s. It was easy to imagine the dominant Cuban heavyweight owning the division and had very little issues knocking out some very good contenders like Bryant Jennings and Tony Thompson.
In 2018, Ortiz would finally get his crack at heavyweight gold when Deontay Wilder gave him the opportunity. After a good and dominating start, the right hand would prove the difference. Wilder wasn’t as polished as Ortiz but he didn’t need to be. Ortiz suffered his first loss in the 10th round by knockout.
A year later, after three victories, Ortiz would get another crack against Wilder, again, and it would end in another knockout loss again. In this second encounter, Ortiz owned the ring, out-boxing Wilder before being caught with the right hand in the seventh round and losing his second fight and second title opportunity. It seemed like Ortiz could beat anyone in the division with the exceptions of Wilder and Tyson Fury, but that perception was rattled last Saturday night.
Former IBF heavyweight champion, Prince Charles Martin, 28-3-1, 25 KO’s, went to war with Ortiz and gave him a lot more trouble than he probably should have. Despite Martin having the IBF title until Anthony Joshua knocked it out of him in 2 rounds, he never recorded a win over a quality opponent. A win over Ortiz would have been his biggest accomplishment and he almost achieved it.
In the first round, a grazing left cross to the top of the head would drop Ortiz. A right jab would put him down again in round four. Ortiz was able to hang in there and landed a thunderous left hand that would destroy Martin and end the fight. Ortiz dodged a bullet and remained in the heavyweight picture, but it showed that the terror of the division isn’t the threat he once was and his chances of winning a title are minimal now and at 42 years old, the clock is ticking.
With Oleksandr Usyk, 19-0, 13 KO’s, the IBF/WBO/WBA/IBO heavyweight champion tied up with a potential rematch with Anthony Joshua, 24-2, 22 KO’s, and WBC Kingpin, Tyson Fury, 31-0-1, 22 KO’s, most likely on a collision course with fellow Brit, Dillian Whyte, 28-2, 19 KO’s, the very top of the division doesn’t have an immediate home for Ortiz. Other options for Ortiz might be former champion, Andy Ruiz, 34-2, 22 KO’s, Joseph Parker, 30-2, 22 KO’s, or Joe Joyce, 13-0, 12 KO’s, to make a statement and force the hand of a sanctioning body to give him one more crack.
The odds of Ortiz winning the heavyweight title in his mid-forties is very unlikely. It’s only been done once before in 1994 when George Foreman knocked out Michael Moorer. It’s doubtful that we will see history repeat itself.
