Deontay Wilder once again defended his WBC Heavyweight title in a bout against Luis Ortiz, with a powerful knockout punch at the seventh round. The epic match, which took place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, was the second meeting between Wilder and Ortiz, having first met in March 2018, making the aggregate score 2-0. The match also brings Wilder’s total win by KO to 41 out of 42 fights.

The beginning rounds of the match seemed to have been as he was able to land some very bad punches on Wilder perfectly. But Wilder took everything without stress and kept fighting.

Things took a turn for the worse, in Ortiz favour, in the seventh round as a right-hand blow from Wilder sent the Cuban to the floor where he could not rise again before the countdown expired, thereby making Wilder the ultimate winner. After the match, Wilder would describe Ortiz as “crafty” and someone who is very strategic, positing his win on his reliance on intellect.

With this win, Wilder becomes the sixth heavyweight fighter in history to defend his title for a massive ten times, following in the steps of Muhammad Ali. It has also improved his career rating, bringing his finishing rate to an awesome 97%.

Wilder also used the match as an opportunity to confirm his willingness to face Tyson Fury come February 2020. Fury is another undefeated champion, and a win by Wilder would boost his career image as one of the greatest boxers of the new millennium. This is after they faced each other last year, in December, although ending the match in a draw. There are also speculations that if he wins Fury, he could get a chance against the winner of the Ruiz v Joshua bout for a chance to win the unified world heavyweight crown.

Written by: Leon Osamor