“King Kong” Ortíz Battles Against Time and the Demands of his Rivals

Published

6 years ago

February 15, 2019

About to turn 40 years old on the 29^thof March, the giant Cuban Luis Ortíz is pressured equally by both his age and the demands of his potential adversaries. Even though he currently possesses the abilities necessary to achieve his dream of becoming the first Cuban heavyweight world champion, just like any mortal, his time in the sport is running out.

But “King Kong” Ortíz (30-1-0, 26 KOs) is a victim of his own quality, that which he has demonstrated against all of his adversaries, including the current world champion, American Deontay Wilder. On March 3^rdof last year at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, Ortíz was defeated by Wilder by technical knockout in the 10^thround, after having previously been knocked down in the 5^th.

The outcome made it seem as if “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder had made significant progress in terms of his skill. But this is far from the truth. Ortíz pushed the champion to his limits but didn’t succeed in capturing victory due to a lack of “killer instinct”. When the fight was in his favor, he hesitated to go in for the finish. In the 6^thround, Ortíz landed powerful blows against Wilder, who attempted to evade them to the best of his abilities, and there seemed there would be a knockdown. But the final blows were too close to the bell and Ortíz didn’t take advantage of the situation. He was far too conservative in the 7^thround, never going all in and allowing Wilder to catch a second wind. What could have been was no more. The power punches of the North American pulverized the Cuban, and in the 10^thround it was all over.

Now Ortíz will face the Romanian Christian Hammer (24-5-0, 14 KO’s) on the 2^ndof March (just 27 days before he turns 40 years old) at the Barclays Center, the same place where he fell victim to the power of Wilder one year ago. Ortíz opens as the favorite against the Galanti born fighter, who has compiled a few knockout victories, with the most recent being against the German Michael Wallisch in the 5^thround on the 15^thof December in the German city of Hamburg.

Almost immediately after his fight against Wilder, Ortíz requested an opportunity for a rematch through social media and in all of his interviews. But due to his tremendous ability, there have been many obstacles in terms of negotiation.

And it hasn’t only been an obstacle for the rematch with Wilder, the other fighters in the heavyweight division make exorbitant demands in order to face the Cuban, who doesn’t care about the trajectory, age, or record of those whom he will face in the ring. “Who’s looking for me, will find me. I’m ready for anybody”, said Ortíz on various occasions.

“Its crazy, something unthinkable, fighters with a name who want to fight (against Ortíz) are asking up to $60 million” stated the Cuban’s trainer Germán Caicedo, to a Miami newspaper. “That’s not possible. Luis still hasn’t had a pay-per-view fight, so we will continue to face the top talent in the division that we have access to”.

Since his loss against Wilder, Ortíz has scored two consecutive knockouts. In July he stopped the Romanian Razvan Cojanu in the 2^ndround. In December at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Ortiz needed 10 rounds to put the nail in the coffin against the American Travis “My Time” Kauffman, after knocking him down in the 6^thand 8^thround, the referee Thomas Taylor was prompted to finally stop the onslaught, with no chance of victory for the local.

Even though he didn’t mention Wilder directly, the trainer Caicedo affirmed, “We aren’t going to wait for anybody, we aren’t going to waste time for this or that to get decided. We will continue fighting. But if at the end the opportunity for a title does not present itself, which remains to be Luis’s primary objective. He has lived and lives in boxing. He has also brought his family, he has a daughter that is recovering from an illness, he created a new life and for him, that’s all a great accomplishment”.

Joe Joyce and Oleksandr Usyk: Nothing But Words.

Ortíz in the beginning, before signing to fight Hammer, pondered the challenge proposed by the British Joe “Juggernaut” Joyce (7-0-0, 7 KO’S), who on the same night of the Cuban’s defeat of Kauffman annihilated the American Joe Hanks (23-3-0, 15 KO’S) in the 1^stround. Euphoric in victory, the “Juggernaut” challenged the other contenders and specifically Ortíz.

“I’m ready for any opponent and I want to fight those at the highest level”, said Joyce after defeating Hanks. “I have a lot of experience and I only have to improve my strength and speed. I’m ready to show everybody what I can do. Ortíz is on my list”

Ortíz’s response to the “Juggernaut” took no time: “I don’t turn down fights, it’s the first time I’ve been challenged this way, so say no more, challenge accepted, we’re going do this”. But after ludicrous monetary demands were made by the British side, which were impossible to accept, conversations ceased.

Another surprising turn in Ortíz’s future came with the offer of a high-profile fight against The Ukrainian southpaw Cruiserweight World Champion Oleksandr Usyk, who stated that he would move up in weight. Usyk has been recognized as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world and for many publications –including Zona de Boxeo – the best boxer of 2018.

The only actual champion with the four most prestigious titles (WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO), Usyk (16-0-0, 12 KOs) signed a co-promotional contract last year with Matchroom, a company that represents various heavyweight fighters, including Dillian Whyte, Jarrell Miller, Dereck Chisora and Anthony Joshua, the current WBA, IBF, and WBO champion.

“At this moment we aren’t negotiating with anyone,” stated Usyk’s promoter Alexander Krasyuk. “I can confirm that we are experiencing problems finding an opponent of the adequate level and skill of our boxer”.

Krasyuk explained that both Joseph Parker and Jarrell Miller turned down the fight against Usyk. Meanwhile, Carlos Takam is trying to confirm a fight against Chisora and Dillian Whyte hopes to do the same with Dominic Breazeale.

“Therefore, our only options are Luis Ortíz and Alexander Povetkin. Both are top level heavyweights, with real chances of being Usyk’s first opponent at heavyweight”, said Krasyuk, who added that if those options were to fall out, they could accept an obligatory defense against Denis Lebedev in March.

With three victories last year, Usyk defeated the Latvian Mairis Briedis in January, the Russian Murat “Iron” Gassiev during the final season of the World Boxing Super Series (WBSS) in July, and the Englishman Tony Bellew in November.

Later not much else was said about “Usyk-Ortíz” and like the previous potential fights, it never came to fruition. At that point, Hammer turned out to be the saving grace in stopping Ortíz’s clock of competitive inactivity.

Translated by E.G. for J.J. Alvarez of Boxeo.tv

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Floyd Schofield Wins a Banger and Gabriela Fundora Wins by KO

Published

1 day ago

November 3, 2024

David A. Avila

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Floyd Schofield Wins a Banger and Gabriela Fundora Wins by KO

LAS VEGAS-Shades of Henry Armstrong and Baby Arizmendi. If you don’t know those names, look them up.

Floyd Schofield battled his way past Mexico’s super tough Rene Tellez Giron who walked through every blow the Texan could fire but lost by decision on Saturday.

It was a severe test and perfect matchmaking for Schofield who yearns for the big bouts against the lightweight giants roaming the world.

Schofield (18-0, 12 KOs) remains undefeated and won the war over thick-necked Mexican Tellez Giron (20-4, 13 KOs) who has never been knocked out and proved to be immune to big punches.

In the opening rounds, the Texas fighter came out firing rapid combinations from the southpaw and orthodox stances. Meanwhile the shorter Tellez Giron studied and fired back an occasional counter for two rounds.

Tellez Giron had seen enough and took his stand in the third stanza. Both unleashed blazing bombs with Schofield turning his back to the Mexican. At that moment referee Tom Taylor could have waved the fight over.

You never turn your back.

The fight resumed and Schofield was damaged. He tried to open up with even more deadly fire but was rebuked by the strong chin of Tellez Giron who fired back in the mad frenzy.

For the remainder of the fight Schofield tried every trick in his arsenal to inflict damage on the thick-necked Mexican. He could not be wobbled. In the 11^th round both opened up with serious swing-from-the-heels combinations and suddenly Schofield was looking up. He beat the count easily and the two remained slugging it out.

“He hit me with a good shot,” Schofield said of the knockdown. “I just had to get up. I’m not going to quit.”

In the final round Schofield moved around looking for the proper moment to engage. The Mexican looked like a cat ready to pounce and the two fired furious blows. Neither was hit with the big bombs in the last seconds.

There was Tellez Giron standing defiantly like Baby Arizmendi must have stood in those five ferocious meetings against the incomparable Henry Armstrong. Three of their wars took place in Los Angeles, two at the Olympic Auditorium in the late 1930s as the U.S. was emerging from the Great Depression.

In this fight, Schofield took the win by unanimous decision by scores 118-109 twice and 116-111. It was well-deserved.

“I tried to bang it out,” said Schofield. “Today I learned you can’t always get the knockout.”

Fundora

IBF flyweight titlist Gabriela Fundora needed seven rounds to figure out the darting style of Argentina’s Gabriela Alaniz before firing a laser left cross down the middle to end the battle and become the undisputed flyweight world champion.

Fundora now holds all four titles including the WBO, WBA and WBC titles that Alaniz brought in the ring.

Fundora knocked down Alaniz midway through the seventh round. She complained it was due to a tangle of the legs. Several seconds later Fundora blasted the Argentine to the floor again with a single left blast. This time there was no doubt. Her corner wisely waved a white towel to stop the fight at 1:40 of the seventh round.

No one argued the stoppage.

Other Bouts

Bektemir Melikuziev (15-1, 10 KOs) didn’t make weight in a title bout but managed to out-fight David Stevens (14-2, 10 KOs) in a super middleweight fight held at 12 rounds.

Melikuziev used his movement and southpaw stance to keep Pennsylvania’s Stevens from being able to connect with combinations. But Stevens did show he could handle “The Bully’s” punching power over the 12-round fight.

After 12 rounds one judge favored Stevens 116-112, while two others saw Melikuziev the winner by split decision 118-110 and 117-111.

Super middleweight WBA titlist Darius Fulghum (13-0, 11 KOs) pummeled his way to a technical knockout win over southpaw veteran Chris Pearson (17-5-1, 12 KOs) who attempted the rope-a-dope strategy to no avail.

Fulghum floored Pearson in the first round with a four-punch combination and after that just belted Pearson who covered up and fired an occasional blow. Referee Mike Perez stopped the fight at 1:02 of the third round when Pearson did not fire back after a blazing combination.

Young welterweight prospect Joel Iriarte (5-0, 5 KOs) blasted away at the three-inch shorter Xavier Madrid (5-6, 2 KOs) who hung tough for as long as possible. At 2:50 of the first round a one-two delivered Madrid to the floor and referee Thomas Taylor called off the beating.

Iriarte, from Bakersfield, Calif., could not miss with left uppercuts and short rights as New Mexico’s Madrid absorbed every blow but would not quit. It was just too much firepower from Iriarte that forced the stoppage.

Photos credit: Cris Esqueda / Golden Boy

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Results and Recaps from Turning Stone where O’Shaquie Foster Nipped Robson Conceicao

Published

2 days ago

November 2, 2024

Arne K. Lang

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Top Rank was at the Turning Stone casino-resort in Verona, New York, tonight with an 8-bout card topped by a rematch between Robson Conceicao and O’Shaquie Foster with the victor retaining or recapturing his IBF world junior lightweight title. When the smoke cleared, the operative word was “recapturing” as Foster became a two-time title-holder, avenging his controversial setback to the Brazilian in Newark on July 6.

This was a somewhat better fight than their initial encounter and once again the verdict was split. Foster prevailed by 115-113 on two of the cards with the dissenting judge favoring Conceicao by the same margin. Conceicao seemingly had the edge after nine frames, but Foster, a 4/1 favorite, landed the harder shots in the championship rounds.

It was the thirteenth victory in the last 14 starts for Foster who fights out of Houston. A two-time Olympian and 2016 gold medalist, the 36-year-old Conceicao is 19-3-1 overall and 1-3-1 in world title fights.

Semi-wind-up

SoCal lightweight Raymond Muratalla (22-0, 17 KOs) made a big jump in public esteem and moved one step closer to a world title fight with a second-round blast-out of Jose Antonio Perez who was on the canvas twice but on his feet when the fight was stopped at the 1:24 mark of round two. Muratalla, a product of Robert Garcia’s boxing academy, is ranked #2 by the WBC and WBO. A Tijuana native, Perez (25-6) earned this assignment with an upset of former Olympian and former 130-pound world titlist Jojo Diaz,

Other Bouts

Syracuse junior welterweight Bryce Mills, a high-pressure fighter with a strong local following, stopped scrawny Mike O’Han Jr whose trainer Mark DeLuca pulled him out after five one-sided rounds. Mills improved to 17-1 (6 KOs). It was another rough day at the office for Massachusetts house painting contractor O’’Han (19-4) who had the misfortune of meeting Abdullah Mason in his previous bout.

In a junior lightweight fight that didn’t heat up until late in the final round, Albany’s Abraham Nova (23-3-1) and Tijuana native Humberto Galindo (14-3-3) fought to a 10-round draw. It was another close-but-no- cigar for the likeable Nova who at least stemmed a two-fight losing streak. The judges had it 97-93 (Galindo), 96-94 (Nova) and 95-95.

Twenty-one-year-old Long Island middleweight Jahi Tucker advanced to 13-1-1 (6 KOs) with an eighth-round stoppage of Stockton’s teak-tough but outclassed Quilisto Madera (14-6). Madera was on a short leash after five rounds, but almost took it to the final bell with the referee intervening with barely a minute remaining in the contest. Madera was on his feet when the match was halted. Earlier in the round, Tucker had a point deducted for hitting on the break.

Danbury, Connecticut heavyweight Ali Feliz, one of two fighting sons of journeyman heavyweight Fernely Feliz, improved to 4-0 (3) with a second-round stoppage of beefy Rashad Coulter (5-5). Feliz had Coulter pinned against the ropes and was flailing away when the bout was halted at the 1:34 mark. The 42-year-old Coulter, a competitor in all manner of combat sports, hadn’t previously been stopped when competing as a boxer.

Featherweight Yan Santana dominated and stopped Mexico’s Eduardo Baez who was rescued by referee Charlie Fitch at the 1:57 mark of round four. It was the 12^th knockout in 13 starts for Santana, a 24-year-old Dominican father of three A former world title challenger, Mexicali’s Baez declines to 23-7-2 but has lost six of his last eight.

In his most impressive showing to date, Damian Knyba, a six-foot-seven Pole, knocked out paunchy Richard Lartey at the 2:10 mark of round three. A right-left combination knocked Lartey into dreamland, but it was the right did the damage and this was of the nature of a one-punch knockout. Referee Ricky Gonzalez waived the fight off without starting a count.

Knyba, 28, improved to 14-0 (8 KOs). A native of Ghana coming off his career-best win, a fourth-round stoppage of Polish veteran Andrzej Wawrzyk, Lartey declined to 16-7 with his sixth loss inside the distance.

Photo credit: Mikey Williams / Top Rank

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Avila Perspective, Chap. 303: Spotlights on Lightweights and More

Published

3 days ago

November 1, 2024

David A. Avila

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Those lightweights.

Whether junior lights, super lights or lightweights, it’s the 130-140 divisions where most of boxing’s young stars are found now or in the past.

Think Oscar De La Hoya, Sugar Shane Mosley and Floyd Mayweather.

Floyd Schofield (17-0, 12 KOs) a Texas product, hungers to be a star and takes on Mexico’s Rene Tellez Giron (20-3, 13 KOs) in a 12-round lightweight bout on Saturday, Nov. 2, at the Virgin Hotels Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada.

DAZN will stream the Golden Boy Promotion card that includes a female undisputed flyweight championship match pitting Argentina’s Gabriela Alaniz and Gabriela Fundora.

Like a young lion looking to flex, Schofield (pictured on the left) is eager to meet all the other young lions and prove they’re not equal.

“I’ve been in the room with Shakur, Tank. I want to give everyone a good fight. I feel like my preparation is getting better, I work hard, I’ve dedicated my whole life to this sport,” said Schofield naming fellow lightweights Shakur Stevenson and Gervonta “Tank” Davis.

Now he meets Mexico’s Tellez who has never been stopped.

“I’m willing to do whatever it takes,” said Tellez.

Even in Las Vegas.

Verona, New York

Meanwhile, in upstate New York, a WBC junior lightweight title rematch finds Robson Conceicao (19-2-1, 9 KOs) looking to prove superior to former titlist O’Shaquie Foster (22-3, 12 KOs) on Saturday, Nov. 2, at the Turning Stone Resort and Casino in Verona, N.Y. ESPN+ will stream the Top Rank fight card.

Last July, Conceicao and Foster clashed and after 12 rounds the title changed hands from Foster to the Brazilian by split decision.

“I feel that a champion is a fighter who goes out there and doesn’t run around, who looks for the fight, who tries to win, and doesn’t just throw one or two punches and then moves away,” said Conceicao.

Foster disagrees.

“I hope he knows the name of the game is to hit and not get hit. That’s the name of the game,” said Foster.

Also on the same card is lightweight contender Raymond Muratalla (21-0, 16 KOs) who fights Mexico’s Jesus Perez Campos (25-5, 18 KOs).

Perez recently defeated former world champion Jojo Diaz last February in California.

“We’re made for challenges. I like challenges,” said Perez.

Muratalla likes challenges too.

“I think these fights are the types of fights I need to show my skills and to prove I deserve those title fights,” said Fontana’s Muratalla.

Female Undisputed Flyweight Championship

WBA, WBC and WBO flyweight titlist Gabriela “La Chucky” Alaniz (15-1, 6 KOs meets IBF titlist Gabriela Fundora (14-0, 6 KOs) on Saturday Nov. 2, at the Virgin Hotels Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada. DAZN will stream the clash for the undisputed flyweight championship.

Argentina’s Alaniz clashed twice against former WBA, WBC champ Marlen Esparza with their first encounter ending in a dubious win for the Texas fighter. In fact, three of Esparza’s last title fights were scored controversially.

But against Alaniz, though they fought on equal terms, Esparza was given a 99-91 score by one of the judges though the world saw a much closer contest. So, they fought again, but the rematch took place in California. Two judges deemed Alaniz the winner and one Esparza for a split-decision win.

“I’m really happy to be here representing Argentina. We are ready to fight. Nothing about this fight has to do with Marlen. So, I hope she (Fundora) is ready. I am ready to prepare myself for the great fight of my life,” said Alaniz.

In the case of Fundora, the extremely tall American fighter at 5’9” in height defeated decent competition including Maria Santizo. She was awarded a match with IBF flyweight titlist Arely Mucino who opted for the tall youngster over the dangerous Kenia Enriquez of Mexico.

Bad choice for Mucino.

Fundora pummeled the champion incessantly for five rounds at the Inglewood Forum a year ago. Twice she battered her down and the fight was mercifully stopped. Fundora’s arm was raised as the new champion.

Since that win Fundora has defeated Christina Cruz and Chile’s Daniela Asenjo in defense of the IBF title. In an interesting side bit: Asenjo was ranked as a flyweight contender though she had not fought in that weight class for seven years.

Still, Fundora used her reach and power to easily handle the rugged fighter from Chile.

Immediately after the fight she clamored for a chance to become undisputed.

“It doesn’t get better than this, especially being in Las Vegas. This is the greatest opportunity that we can have,” said Fundora.

It should be exciting.

Fights to Watch

Sat. ESPN+ 2:50 p.m. Robson Conceicao (19-2-1) vs O’Shaquie Foster (22-3).

Sat. DAZN 5 p.m. Floyd Schofield (17-0) vs Rene Tellez Giron (20-3); Gabriela Alaniz (15-1) vs Gabriela Fundora (14-0).

Photo credit: Cris Esqueda / Golden Boy

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