Photo: Amanda Westcott for Showtime (used with permission)
By Chuck Creekmur
(AllHipHop Features) “’King Kong’ ain’t got nothing on me!” Deontay Wilder (40-0, 39 KOs), the Bronz Bomber, did not disappoint at the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn with a brutal 10th round knockout of Luis “The Real King Kong” Ortiz (28-1, 24 KOs).
The spectacle drew a huge audience of 14,069, the second largest boxing draw at the popular New York venue. (Thurman vs. Garcia boasts the highest attendance number for boxing at Barclays Center.)
Even though Wilder personifies bad intentions in the ring, outside of the ring he was a class act.
“A true champion always finds a way to come back and that’s what I did tonight. Luis Ortiz is definitely a crafty guy. He put up a great fight. We knew we had to wear him down. I showed everyone I can take a punch,” Wilder stated in the post-fight press conference. “When he leaves tonight Ortiz can hold his head high. He gave the fans a hell of a fight.
Continuing, the Alabamian said, “He was hitting me with those furious punches but they didn’t have sting on them. He was throwing combos that knocked me off balance. I just had to get my range back and my fundamentals back. And I was able to do that. I showed I was a true champion tonight.”
Wilder’s recollections may have omitted the 7th round.
Saturday night meant more than his 40th professional win – Ortiz also presented Wilder with his toughest test thus far. Wilder appeared out on his feet after Ortiz hurt the champion with a barrage of blows in the 7th round. It seemed that Oritz had a great shot at taking the crown. Ortiz continued to assault the into the 8th, but failed to drop Wilder.
Eventually, Wilder found his legs. He then unfurled a vicious attack that dropped the Cuban fighter in the10th round. Wilder would pummel Ortiz, dropping him again. After a hellacious uppercut, the referee. Wilder floored the Cuban challenger twice in the round, forcing referee David Fields to stop the fight at 2:05 of the round.
Wilder talked about his fearless resolve.
“I just showed that I can punch on the inside as well, too. A lot of people don’t think I can punch on the inside, but I showed them,” he said. “Now I can say there’s no man that stepped in the ring that I haven’t put on their ass.”
“Luis Ortiz was one of those fighters that everyone ducked, even champions ducked him. I wondered why it took so long for him to get a title shot and now we know.
“I’m ready right now. I always said that I want to unify. I’m ready whenever those guys are. I am the baddest man on the planet and I proved that tonight. This solidified my position at the top of the food chain tonight.”
Ortiz spoke to the press with his daughters in tow. “I feel fine. I did receive a right hand, but I’m OK,” he stated with his translator to his left. “I was listening to the directions that my corner was giving me. In this sport, any punch can end a fight. In the ring anything can happen.”