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WBC Heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder takes on challenger Luis Ortiz on March 3rd, 2018 at the Barclays Center in New York, USA.
The fight is of great significance as the winner could possible face unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua in one of the biggest boxing bouts in years. The two were originally booked to fight in November of 2017 but the bout was postponed after Ortiz failed a drug test.
Wilder is undefeated in 39 bouts with 38 knockouts. He is coming off a November knockout of Bermane Stiverne. At 6-7 and with an 83 inch reach, Wilder is one of the game’s most feared punchers. His opponent is likewise known for his punching power. Ortiz is likewise unbeaten in 28 fights with 24 KOs. Ortiz is a 6-4 southpaw with an 84 inch reach.
Most Dangerous Fight
The lines have become wider since the bout was originally scheduled last November. Back then, the Bronze Bomber was a -185 while the Real King Kong came back at +150 when the betting lines opened. Currently, Wilder is a -350 at Bovada against Ortiz’s +265.
This is without doubt the most dangerous fight that Wilder has ever taken and give him props for taking it. While Ortiz is way up there in terms of age, his ring IQ and reach make him a very tough challenge for the American. That’s not even including his best asset which is his one punch knockout power.
Wilder is going to second guess once he feels the power of Ortiz. We’ve seen Wilder run right through all the opponents he’s faced so far but he’s going to fight one that could easily do the same to him. The main concern with Ortiz though is his cardio. If someone pushes the pace against him, this weakness may be exposed.
Making Ortiz Uncomfortable
The problem for Ortiz is that that someone could be Deontay Wilder. Wilder is young, fast and athletic. He can easily control the pace of the fight and the ring with his athleticism and size. Ortiz has been used to walking down his opponents but against a bigger foe like Wilder, he is going to be uncomfortable.
Wilder is no great tactician but he can take advantage of Ortiz’s cardio .The Bronze Bomber isn’t just going to make this a battle of haymakers. He is going to push the tempo and tire Ortiz. Sure, this fight can end in any round but given the importance of this bout with regards to the Joshua unification, both may play it safe early. Wilder is going to pump those jabs though and find his openings early. Ortiz is going to counterpunch well. But once he gets tired, Wilder is going to take over and win this fight.
We’re picking Deontay Wilder to win by knockout in the middle rounds.
