The Bronze Bomber strikes again! Deontay Wilder shocks fans and silences doubters

BY MARCEL MARIAK

The WBC Boxing Heavyweight belt was on the line on Saturday. The highly anticipated world championship fight saw two impressive warriors: champion Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder and Luis “King Kong” Ortiz facing off against each other for the second time in their careers.

Deontay Wilder went into the fight undefeated, with a nearly perfect 41-0-1 record. Wilder had won all but one of his previous fights by knockout. The only thing that tainted his virtually perfect record was a draw with famed British boxer, Tyson Fury in late 2018. Ortiz also held a very impressive record going into the fight, with a nearly undefeated 31-1 record, and his only loss coming from his previous fight with Wilder.

The Saturday night bout was an opportunity for Deontay Wilder to keep his undefeated record and the title of world champion, and it gave forty-year-old challenger, Luis Ortiz, a chance to not only become the first ever Cuban WBC Heavyweight Champion and ruin Wilder’s record, but to silence all of the doubters and critics that said he was too old to compete in boxing at a competitive level.

From the build up to this fight, it became clear that this match was about more than just a championship belt; legacies were on the line. Both boxers made it clear in the weeks leading up to the fight that the bout would not go to decision, with Ortiz commenting, “Either he knocks me out or I knock him out. This is going to be a war.”

The last time the pair locked horns, was on March 3rd, 2018; with both fighters entering the fight undefeated. Luis Ortiz looked dangerous midway into the fight, almost knocking Wilder down in the seventh round, but Wilder came back in the tenth round; landing powerful strikes that knocked Ortiz down twice and ended the bout. Luis Ortiz was disappointed with himself after the loss, vowing that he would come more prepared for their next fight. In the lead up to the second bout, it was clear that Ortiz was preparing for war. He trained harder than he ever had before; even incorporating unorthodox training methods such as dance to develop his balance, footwork, and rhythm.

The first few rounds of the contest played out as they usually do in boxing matches; with both competitors throwing jabs, and playing a cautious and tentative game in an attempt to feel out their opponent. The start of the fight was not without action. The fighters engaged in a few lightning fast exchanges, one of which opened up a cut on Ortiz’s face. Moving into the middle rounds of the fight, Deontay Wilder looked scared of his opponent. Ortiz controlled the centre of the ring with superior footwork, balance, and boxing IQ, while Wilder looked timid and unwilling to engage Ortiz.

During this time, Luis Ortiz was consistently walking Wilder into the ropes by creating angles and pumping lightning fast jabs. Wilder looked utterly helpless in the fourth and fifth rounds, barely landing any significant strikes, while his adversary used his superior composure and balance to pummel him with an unending barrage of strikes. Progressing into the sixth round, Wilder seemed to find some of his rhythm, engaging Ortiz with more aggression. He was still careful about picking his strikes; he seemed to be waiting for the perfect opportunity to deliver a powerful, fight-ending strike. That opportunity presented itself in the seventh round; Ortiz began showing signs of fatigue, and when he lowered his hands to rest his tired shoulders, Deontay Wilder delivered a brutal straight right that almost dispatched Ortiz directly to the afterlife. Ortiz was unable to get back up and continue the fight.

Wilder’s victory meant that he remains the heavyweight world champion, and his title is safe until another brave warrior steps up to challenge him. Wilder showed a great amount of respect for his opponent, stating that, “You can see why no other heavyweight wants to fight Ortiz. He’s very crafty.” Wilder further stated that the title of heavyweight world champion is not enough for him, “I want a unification bout. I want one champion, one name, one face… and that face is Deontay Wilder.” Wilder’s win sets him up for a rematch with the only man who put a dent in his perfect record: Tyson Fury. Wilder declared that, “I’m ready for Tyson Fury. Hopefully he’s ready for me.”