Wilder Calls Ortiz ‘Dangerous’

Luis Ortiz arguably tested Deontay Wilder like no one had before at the time of their 2018 encounter, and Wilder knows it won’t be easy again when they meet later this year.

Wilder and Ortiz faced off for the WBC heavyweight title in March of last year, with Wilder retaining the title with a 10th-round finish. Wilder dropped Ortiz in the fifth round, but “King Kong” stormed back and pummeled Wilder in the seventh. “The Bronze Bomber” battled back, however, and dropped Ortiz twice in the 10th en route to victory.

The loss was Ortiz’s first, but the former interim WBA heavyweight champ has won all three fights he’s had since — finishing Răzvan Cojanu and Travis Kauffman before a unanimous decision win over Christian Hammer in March.

Now, Wilder feels Ortiz will be hungrier than ever in their rematch, and he feels there’s a reason no top-level talent is facing him.

Luis Ortiz is a dangerous fighter. That’s why a lot of these guys at the top don’t wanna fight him. So, he has no choice but to fight a lower caliber of fighters.

“Ortiz, you know, when I look at the landscape of things and I’ve been observing how other fighters, they talk about him in a negative way, as far as his age,” Wilder said. “But none of them wanna get in there and test him. We’ve seen in this sport many times that age is only but a number. That keeps proving itself over and over again. Look at Bernard [Hopkins]. Look at Manny [Pacquiao]. I never would’ve thought he would’ve come out with a performance like that, with a Keith Thurman.

“So, age ain’t nothing but a number. It takes a certain caliber of fighter to get another fighter up. And everybody gets up for Deontay Wilder, because they know it’s not a regular fight. Your life really is on the line each and every time with me. I make that loud and clear to those that are listening. So, you have to get up for me.”

Ortiz was offered $7 million to fill-in short notice to take on then-unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua on June 1, but his team turned it down because the fighter was guaranteed to get a rematch with Wilder.

Wilder and Ortiz are expected to have their rematch on Nov. 9.

“We’re getting close,” Wilder said. “We’re narrowing it down to a couple things. It should be announced very soon. It’s just the very small, minor stuff. Everyone is gonna be pleased when it happens. It’s gonna be a special fight.”

Original Story: Boxing Scene