Ortiz is on the brink of retirement while Ruiz tries to capture past glory. With the Heavyweight Championship looking for a new home since “the retirement” of Tyson Fury, which one of these men will rise to the occasion, put their opponent on the canvas and put their name back in the chase for gold?
September 4 | Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles | 9 p.m ET Fox Sports PPV
Both of these fighters have something to prove and something to lose. With Ortiz on his way out of boxing, this is an assumption based on his age, he is looking for one more chance to reclaim the heavyweight strap he held in 2015-2016. He has come close to stealing back the belt and even with limited chances the proud Cuban fighter continues to force himself into the conversation. When he does hang up his gloves for good, many will argue that he should have been given more chances than he had as the true boogeyman of the Heavyweight division. A fighter that most have tried to avoid over the years, even as he rises in age he still touts staggering power in both of his hands. As dangerous as ever he has a chance to put Ruiz out and once again reclaim a buzz to drive him into the Heavyweight conversation but that is only if he is able to emerge victorious.
Opposing Ortiz and hoping to plan his retirement tour is Andy Ruiz. A fighter than not long ago shocked the boxing world by defeating Anthony Joshua, Ruiz has found himself in a bit of boxing purgatory since giving the belt back to Joshua in the rematch. Before that fight Ruiz slimmed down considerably and it seemed like he didn’t have the same power that helped him in the first fight. Returning to what looks like a healthy weight is an important factor in this fight because of the power on the other side. If Ruiz can make Ortiz feel him and inevitably respect his hands, the fight swings in favor of the “Destroyer”. Even though Ortiz has been around much longer than Ruiz, making this a technical fight instead of a slugfest would most likely end in a decision and put Luis Ortiz one more step toward retirement.
While Ortiz himself has said he expects one of them to end up on the canvas before the fight goes the distance, it will be interesting to see how Ruiz handles the pressure of a man with nothing to lose. Even though Usyk is lurking in the shadows, I can’t see the winner of this fight not getting a shot at one of the titles.
| Favorite | Underdog | Weight Class |
| Andy Ruiz (-350) | Luis Ortiz (+275) | Heavyweight |
| Isaac Cruz Gonzalez (-600) | Eduardo Ramirez (+450) | Lightweight |
| Abner Mares (-275) | Miguel Flores (+225) | Featherweight |
| Jose Valenzuela (-700) | Jezzrel Corrales (+450) | Lightweight |
Also fighting on the card are two lightweights destined for a collision course. Isaac Cruz Gonzalez and Jose Valenzuela are both favored in their bouts this evening. Two rising stars in the division, Valenzuela has already said he has Cruz circled on his list of contenders. If they can get past their opponents, that fight will be one step closer to reality.
Predictions:
Joe: While I am truly most interested in Jose Valenzuela because I think he is the next big thing to hit the lightweight division, I am going to lean toward the better story. Ortiz has been the gatekeeper for elite heavyweights and with the division influx, outside of Usyk, he will once again be the man to carry the torch. He is going to force this fight into a brawl and in those moments is when chaos occurs. I would expect the plan for a man with nothing to lose is something like pressure out of the gate, lean on him when you can and force him into a mistake. I believe he can get it done. Ortiz KO