Luis Ortiz is accusing WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder of using “illegal” and “borderline criminal” tactics during his fights. He’s hoping that Wilder (41-0-1, 40 KOs) doesn’t use those tactics when they face each other in a rematch on November 23 on Fox Sports PPV from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Wilder knocked Ortiz would with clubbing, windmill shots in their previous fight a year ago. The Bronze Bomber will knocked Ortiz down three times in the fight in dropping him in rounds 5 and two times in round 10. The punches looked to be legal, and not illegal or borderline criminal.
Wilder uses illegal and borderline tactics – Ortiz
“No, absolutely not, and that he won’t need another opportunity, because he’s going to win the title, and be champion,” said Ortiz when asked if this is his last time in fighting for a world title. “Other than in being in better shape, there was nothing that I could have done differently.
Some of the things that Wilder has done can be done differently this time around, which are illegal. The blows that he throws with the inside of his fists, and punching down on top of the head down and all kinds of craziness that he does, which makes it very difficult to get settled into any fight.
“Quite frankly, it should be illegal and borderline criminal. You absolutely never know what Wilder is going to do, and how he approaches his fights,” said Ortiz.
It could be that Ortiz (31-1, 26 KOs) is just stirring the pot to get Wilder worked up. If Wilder comes flying out of the blocks fighting angry on November 23, that could give Ortiz the perfect opponent to land one of his counter shots. He hurt Wilder last year with a right hook counter in the 7th that had him buzzed.
Ortiz unloaded everything but the kitchen sink on Wilder an effort to knock him out, but he stayed on his feet and made it out of the round. Ortiz missed his opportunity to win the fight, because Wilder recovered well in the 8th and went on to win the fight in the 10th.
Ortiz plans on being ready for ANYTHING Wilder brings
“Mentally and physically, I’m prepared for whatever he’s going to bring,” said Ortiz about his rematch with Wilder. “It’s no problem. As soon as I made the connection [in the 7th]. I knew the fight was over, and that I was going to finish him. I hadn’t had a situation where I had a guy hurt like that and didn’t get the knockout.
“So it was just a matter of putting some punches together, and winning this fight. I’m not really sure, but I think it was the right hook that did the damage. But after that, I couldn’t remember what was doing the damage.I had no qualms with the referee.
“Deontay was the WBC champion, and he should have been given the opportunity to fight. He felt the referee did the right thing. of course,” said Ortiz when asked if he can put Wilder in the same situation as he was in the 7th in their rematch on November 23,” said Ortiz.
It’s difficult to be ready for what the 6’7″ Wilder brings to the table, because he’s got a lot of hand speed going for him. Ortiz isn’t going to be able to get out of the way of every right hand Wilder throws. That’s impossible. The best thing that Ortiz can do is to try and jump on Wilder early as possible to knock him out. The longer Ortiz waits, the better chance Wilder has to eventually land something big to stop him.
Luis Ortiz wants unification match with Andy Ruiz Jr.
“It’s nothing personal with Deontay,” said Ortiz. “It’s all about being a world champion, and achieving my goal since I was 10-years-old. So nothing personal. 100 percent, I would be ecstatic to have a unification fight, and even more ecstatic if it were between two Latin fighters. I would like to see Ruiz win, and come out the victor once again,” said Ortiz.
That would be something if Ortiz beats Wilder, and IBF/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr. defeats Anthony Joshua in their rematch on December 7th. A unification match between Ortiz and Ruiz would make both fighters a lot of money.