“The Bronze Bomber vs King Kong II” sounds like a Kaiju movie directed by Michael Bay. The Deontay Wilder vs. Luis Ortiz rematch will surely bring explosive action but is it worth the $74.95 on Premier Boxing Champions pay-per-view? Let’s discuss
Read: Tales of the Tape | Deontay Wilder
Wilder (41-0-1) will be wagering his WBC heavyweight title but he has way more to lose than just the green belt he’s held since 2015. On the horizon is another highly anticipated rematch, against one Tyson Fury. The “Gypsy King” has already decreed that he’ll be taking his pugilistic skills elsewhere if Wilder fails to win. Ortiz (31-1) almost played spoiler to the first Wilder-Fury fight. While the “Bronze Bomber” ultimately won in a 10th round TKO, the ageless Cuban was right there on all three judges scorecards (85-84).
Luis Ortiz’s last chance
This could be the last shot at a world title for the 40-year-old Cuban. It’s unfortunate that during his prime as a pro, he was avoided by top heavyweights like someone with a running nose during flu season. Only Wilder stepped up to fight an older “King Kong,” and he paid for it, taking hits like we’ve never seen before. Ironically, both big men are fighting for their young daughters who are struggling with chronic diseases. Mad props to the “Bronze Bomber” for setting up Ortiz with two major paydays to take care of his girl.
Entering the fight, it’s hard not to notice Ortiz’s new physique. The man is shredded, well at least from the first fight where he looked a bit hefty. Given that he’s arguably the most complete fighter in the heavyweight division, boasting size, speed, power, and defensive prowess, Ortiz’s new figure certainly addresses his biggest weakness in stamina. If his gas tank isn’t empty by the championship rounds like the first fight, he has a chance to pull off the monumental upset. And if it happens, Ortiz may win back some of the time he lost.
The Bronze Bombing commences
Deontay Wilder enters this fight defending his WBC belt for the 10th straight time. The former IHOP waiter has pancaked his opponents with his annihilator right hand but is often criticized for being a one-punch wonder. While he does throw windmill punches that look bad if he misses, Wilder certainly gets results – a 95.24% KO ratio through 42 fights to be exact.
In the first fight, Wilder struggled to penetrate Ortiz’s defensive matrix until the Cuban southpaw gassed out. The first KO likely softened Ortiz’s stone chin, so don’t be surprised if Wilder ends the fight earlier this time if that right-hand connects.
Santa (Cruz) is coming to town
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Leo Santa Cruz (36-1-1) is fighting for a world title in his fourth different weight class against fellow Mexican Miguel Flores (24-2), who figures to provide a warm body for the 31-year-old P4P star to knock over for the WBA super featherweight title. Santa Cruz is going to get roasted for fighting Flores, but he deserves a pass after fighting a double-header with Carl Frampton. With that being said, he has to fight Gary Russell Jr. sooner than later after what happened with his dad, no?
Everything else
For the chief support, Brandon “The Heartbreaker” Figueroa (20-0) will be defending his WBA super bantamweight title against Mexican Julio Ceja (32-4). PBC’s Ryan Garcia knockoff isn’t getting a cakewalk like Santa Cruz—Ceja is as legit as it gets. Before getting stopped, he stood up to the legendary skills of Guillermo Rigondeaux in June. Haymon and crew certainly have high hopes for Figueroa and this fight gives them a shot to gauge whether or not that investment will be worth it.
The last big fight on the card will be Mexican bad boy Luis Nery (30-0) vs. Puerto Rican former world champ Emmanuel Rodriguez (19-1). There’s no world title involved because the WBC is steering clear of Nery after his numerous antics in Japan. Still, it should be a fantastic fight as both fighters have fan-friendly styles and are top-shelf bantamweights. Nery seems to be a cut above, but how he fares against Rodriguez, who was demolished by Naoya Inoue, will provide a litmus test to how well he’ll do against “The Monster.”
Predictions
Our heart says Ortiz but our head says Wilder. For fun, we’ll go with our gut. Ortiz wins via TKO 9th round.
