Last night in Orlando, Florida, 46 year old Cuban heavyweight Luis Ortiz returned to action, this in a fight that flew largely under the mainstream radar. “King Kong,” as the southpaw is nicknamed, took out Phillip Penson in the opening round, this with a bomb of a left hand that put Penson on his back, with the stricken fighter then rolling over onto all fours but being unable to rise.
It was over in flash and, if nothing else, the latest showing from Ortiz proved that he still carries genuine punching power, and that he can still get the job done; at a certain level, at least. Now 35-3(30), Ortiz raised eyebrows at yesterday’s weigh-in, this when he jumped on the scale at a career-high 267 pounds. 40 year old Penson, who was taking a step up in class last night, didn’t seem to be in great shape himself, and he is now 8-5-3(2).
Does Ortiz Even Want a Serious Run Anymore?
Ortiz, fighting for just the second time since his September 2022 decision loss to Andy Ruiz, this his last high-profile bout, might fight again this year, or maybe not. We don’t know at this stage of his career how much ambition the one-time Cuban boogeyman has left. But fans still instantly recognise the name, and maybe Ortiz can and will go on to pick up a few more paydays while he can.
At age 46 (some say older), Ortiz doesn’t figure to have too long left in the sport, and as such it might prove interesting seeing what he does do next. If he can get his weigh down and if he can get himself into far better physical shape, maybe Ortiz could land a fight with a up-and-coming fighter, who he could test. But does Ortiz wish to become a stepping stone?
Ortiz once threatened at elite level, but that was quite some time ago.