While the dust on Luis Ortiz’s birth certificate had begun to pile up considerably, the Cuban native expressed confidence heading into his showdown against Andy Ruiz Jr.
Determined to successfully climb his way back up the heavyweight ladder, the 43-year-old viewed their clash as a must-win. A jam-packed crowd at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California, late last night, rose to its feet as the two powerfully built big men pummeled one another for 12 rounds.
The end result, ultimately, was not to Ortiz’s liking as Ruiz (35-2, 22 KOs) registered the unanimous decision victory. A visibly despondent Ortiz walked side-by-side with his head trainer, Herman Caicedo, out of the arena following the decision. Although Caicedo was pleased with the overall performance of his Cuban star, he believes it was Ruiz’s timely and damaging power that tipped things in his favor.
“He got caught early a few times, cold a couple times,” said Caicedo to FightHype.com. “One shouldn’t have been a knockdown, it was a push but legitimate two knockdowns, absolutely. Even with those knockdowns, the fight was close.”
With a win over Ortiz now plastered on his record, Ruiz has begun angling for a showdown against former WBC heavyweight belt holder, Deontay Wilder. The Alabama product snuggled into his ringside seat and cheered for Ortiz loudly. Having shared the ring with him on two occasions, the 36-year-old Wilder has grown a fondness for Ortiz and his ability in the ring.
Now, with Ortiz vs. Ruiz in the rearview mirror, Wilder (42-2-1, 41 KOs) will look to immure himself in training camp as he prepares for his ring return on October 15th, against Robert Helenius. If successful, Wilder knows good and well that a matchup against Ruiz could very well be next on his agenda.
Caicedo, however, shakes his head incredulously when asked if the Mexican star has any chance at defeating Wilder. Considering Ortiz’s two attempts at dethroning Wilder ended in cataclysmic disaster for the slick southpaw, Caicedo is firmly of the belief that Ruiz will suffer the same fate.
“Wilder’s gonna knock him out.”