Should be a wild fight - a KO almost seems guaranteed. Ortiz can straight bang - but Wilder-Joshua seems destined at this point (and would be a legitimate modern-era mega fight in the HW division).
Still, this is gonna be fun to watch.
Shame that the Charlo fight is off as the undercard appetizer to this -- was looking forward to that.
1. "Wilder by right hand" In response to Reply # 0
Ortiz is game enough to keep him at bay until mid rounds.
------------------------- �Floyd Mayweather should be taking fights up to 157 or 160 pounds...His frame can hold the weight..it's not even a lot of weight....Go to the gym and lift weights man..lol.�-- Warren Coolidge
3. "THIS is a modern era mega fight." In response to Reply # 0
BOTH of these guys are boogeymen in the heavyweight division. Two undefeated KO artists. Joshua wouldn't have fought either of them, because he and Hearn are about big money and avoiding real threats while Wilder and Ortiz are about fighting the best competition they can fight to prove they're the best out there. Ortiz is a very good boxer for a guy his size. Wilder isn't considered as such by very many people, but the has the great equalizer in his right hand. However, Wilder also says that he can punch so hard that he's never had to truly show his boxing skill. I see something interesting with Wilder tho, in that he's been improving little by little every time we see him. He's VERY lean for this fight at 214 lbs (he was 228 in his last fight). At 6'7, he's built for stamina in this fight. Ortiz coming through at 241 but not alotta fat on the guy either. I caught footage of him running in preparation for this fight. Sneaky southpaw but not alotta head movement. Wilder can catch him, but we'll see. Ortiz is trying to be the first Cuban heavyweight champ out here.
This is a real super fight. Like I legit care more about this fight than the Wilder Joshua fight at this point lol. There should've been way more promotion for this, but I'm super excited anyway. I won't be around on OKP for it, but I'll be back with my thoughts later.
13. "What a great fight!!!!!!" In response to Reply # 0
If Wilder would've used the jab he might could've set up the right earlier. He started pumping that jab and that set up the right to get Ortiz out of there. Ortiz has absolutely nothing to be ashamed of, he was about five seconds from being champion
14. "Congrats to Wilder and MAD respect to Ortiz" In response to Reply # 0
Ortiz gave zero excuses in his post-fight interviews... handled it like a real man. My call was 55/45 for Wilder, and a couple of friends thought I was joking, b/c they didn't understand how dangerous Ortiz is. Most of the fight showed them where I was coming from, especially the end of Rd 7. Wilder got outboxed damn near all fight but overcame with heart (and power). If Ortiz was somehow able to avoid the right and take it to decision, he would've won the fight. He showed everyone why Wilder was the only champion willing to fight him.
Team AJ can no longer hold up the Klitschko win as the crowning achievement that sets AJ apart from Wilder, since Klitschko was older than Ortiz and was coming off a loss when he fought AJ. As Wilder said, Klitschko had been dethroned while they didn't want any parts of Ortiz. Team AJ will still have some silly excuse tho.
I'm still not impressed with Wilder's boxing skill, and I'd like to see it improve as he ages. As long he has that right tho, he has 40 wins that say boxing skill is overrated in the heavyweight division.
That Rd 5 knockdown will definitely be in Wilder's highlight reel.
15. "great fight... Wilder showed me he has some heart.." In response to Reply # 0 Sun Mar-04-18 10:30 AM by LegacyNS
Ortiz just didn't have enough left in the tank to take him out when he softened him up.. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ <---- 5.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dlgiritpmfo
18. "I see a lot of people (not here) critiquing the fight" In response to Reply # 0
and saying it was "sloppy" and not polished - but I think they are missing the point: The HW division isn't usually a "polished" product - nor would many want it to be. It's the one division where giants collide -- often with reckless abandon -- to the degree where the more skilled guy could get smoked out by a single power shot.
While it's true that Wilder tends to swing/wide, wild, and untamed when he has his opponent hurt (though he's getting better at being more clinical when his guy is buzzed) - that's precisely what makes a fighter like Wilder so compelling.
He doesn't have the best jab (although it's very effective when thrown with conviction). Doesn't have the best defense (fights with hands low and often gets tagged unnecessarily) - doesn't have the best footwork/mastery of distance (he was struggling with regards to ring generalship against Ortiz and was often at the wrong fighting distance for his length) - what he does have is exceptional: lion-heart courage, authentic bravado, and world-class thudding power. When he lands his shots - nobody has been able to stand up to them - and he's a heavyweight of 80's/90's throwback vintage with regards to the ability to just stand in the pocket and bang heavy (unlike the more cerebral, technically proficient HWs like Lewis/Klitschko).
I thought last night's fight was the best of the early year - and was one of the better HW fights of the past decade. Joshua/Wladimir was the best HW fight of the new century. HW boxing is back. Wilder v. Joshua could be the biggest unification fight in the sport, and perhaps even the most compelling. -->
22. "No we should all want it to be more polished" In response to Reply # 18
Theres no reason that it shouldnt be. It can be both clash of the giants and skilled fighters. Saying its never been is kind of a cop out we should Look at all divisions the same
23. "RE: I see a lot of people (not here) critiquing the fight" In response to Reply # 18
> >While it's true that Wilder tends to swing/wide, wild, and >untamed when he has his opponent hurt (though he's getting >better at being more clinical when his guy is buzzed) - that's >precisely what makes a fighter like Wilder so compelling. > Agreed
>He doesn't have the best jab (although it's very effective >when thrown with conviction). Doesn't have the best defense >(fights with hands low and often gets tagged unnecessarily) - >doesn't have the best footwork/mastery of distance (he was >struggling with regards to ring generalship against Ortiz and >was often at the wrong fighting distance for his length) - >what he does have is exceptional: lion-heart courage, >authentic bravado, and world-class thudding power. When he >lands his shots - nobody has been able to stand up to them - >and he's a heavyweight of 80's/90's throwback vintage with >regards to the ability to just stand in the pocket and bang >heavy (unlike the more cerebral, technically proficient HWs >like Lewis/Klitschko). >
I think he has the best jab in the division. A blinding, thudding jab. It didn't appear that way against a highly skilled southpaw but right handed fighters like Joshua will have problems. Wilder is still primarily a basic 1 2 fighter. His hook is not particularly effective. He either blinds you with the jab and throws the right or counters with the right. Basic in its presentation but highly effective execution. You can be effective against Wilder but you better be dialed in for the entire 36 minutes. All it takes is 1 punch.
>I thought last night's fight was the best of the early year - >and was one of the better HW fights of the past decade. >Joshua/Wladimir was the best HW fight of the new century. HW >boxing is back. Wilder v. Joshua could be the biggest >unification fight in the sport, and perhaps even the most >compelling.
I definitely feel like it was the fight of the year up into this point. Wilder and Joshua, Heavyweights, will bring out more casual fans. I still think Spence and Crawford should they meet in the near future will be the biggest fight in the sport from a competitive standpoint.
26. "don't think you'll ever see Wilder look polished...but " In response to Reply # 18
I mean for him that was a very technically sound fight... He resisted throwing his big Right ..even during times when he kind needed to save himself...because he was conscious of Ortiz left hook....
and it was good that he waited because when the battle really started...he had enough to finish him off..
21. "Great fight but I don't think either are that good " In response to Reply # 0
I say Wilder gets killed by a more skilled fighter like Joshua. I didnt care for either of the fighters records IMO, the division isn't that great. Wilder fights very much like a raw new fighter IMO and Ortiz is all top heavy. Yeah he throws bombs but those skinny ass legs are problem.
24. "Nah Joshua isn't more skilled than Ortiz" In response to Reply # 21
I don't think any heavyweight could be the Ortiz that showed up Saturday except Wilder. Nobody else has that great equalizer that Wilder has in his right hand.
25. "yea I don't think people fully realize what we just saw." In response to Reply # 24
Ortiz was showing *immense* craft and angling to get off shots at awkward angles - and he was scoring beautifully with many of them, really bothering Wilder with his *boxing* - not slugging. I had Ortiz slightly up on cards at the time of stoppage based on his ability to outbox in between the hurricane flurries.
But Wilder clearly won the bulk of the hurricane flurries - and not just with brute force - but well thrown power shots that slipped around guards. And the uppercut that finished Ortiz was beautifully thrown from the inside.
Wilder is very much a 1,2 - feint - combination punch from a stiff-jab, overhand-right - but he does it *very* well - and does mix up his punches enough with varied hooks, straights, overhands, uppercuts that his offense isn't tediously predictable.
I thought this was one of the more skilled HW bouts I've seen in years. I urge people to watch Wilder-Stiverne (first bout) if they doubt Wilder's ability to box. When he wants to use it - his jab is dominant and can control the pace of a fight.
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