It’s the return to the ring of one of boxing’s biggest enigmas this weekend. Cuban heavyweight Luis Ortiz has raised eyebrows in the sport for a number of years.
Questions over his age, his talent, his ceiling in the heavyweight division and past doping charges have led many fighters to keep the dangerous, slick southpaw at arms reach; Ortiz’s war with WBC champion Deontay Wilder last year catapulted him back into the limelight, and back in most people’s top five heavyweights. The Cuban lost that night in New York, but had Wilder hurt on more than one occasion.
This weekend he returns to the Barclays Center on the undercard of Castano vs. Lara, where Romanian Christian Hammer will look to add just a second defeat to Ortiz’s record. Hammer’s 24-5 record suggests that another step-up in quality will add a sixth defeat to the European’s CV, having lost to Tyson Fury and Alexander Povetkin in the past four years.
Hammer’s recapture of the WBO European heavyweight title in his last outing in December is testament to his sticking power in this division; previous wins against Erkan Teper, Kevin Johnson and David Price would be eclipsed by a win in the Big Apple on Saturday.
Luis Ortiz to win by KO, TKO or Disqualification @ 1/3 (BetFred)
Luis Ortiz to win in Round 6 @ 8/1 (BetFred)
Let’s get it right: Luis Ortiz is looking past Christian Hammer. The Cuban has made no apologies in his quest for a world title, and with politics getting in the way of the Joshua-Wilder-Fury triangle, the southpaw can see a road towards a possible mega-fight against one of these three.
Speaking to the media this week, Ortiz displayed confidence at getting the stoppage win in New York:
“I have a very strong and durable opponent. I know he can go 12-rounds with a top fighter like Alexander Povetkin, so we’re not taking any chances. I’m not Povetkin, though, so he’s not going the distance with me.”
“I want to be world champion. I am going to go in there on Saturday and put on a performance that gets me another shot at a title. I’m preparing to be explosive on Saturday night”
Ortiz has recorded 26 KOs in his 30 wins as a professional. His slick movement allows for chances in attack that slower heavyweights are unable to counter. Malik Scott is the only fighter that has gone twelve rounds with Ortiz, and despite Saturday’s contest scheduled for just 10 rounds, the Romanian will do well to hear the final bell. Ortiz is looking to make a statement amongst the heavys: struggling to get Hammer out of there in style will damage his reputation as a key player.
