The best punch trackers on the market
3rd September 2022
By: Ryan Gurewitz
Ortiz vs Ruiz: The First of the Heavyweight Dominoes
Former unified heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr. (34-2) will face off against heavyweight staple Luis “King Kong” Ortiz (33-2) this Saturday at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. With the division blown wide open following Usyk’s second victory over Anthony Joshua earlier this month, these compelling fighters will be looking to make a statement to earn that elusive heavyweight title shot. Andy Ruiz Jr. shocked the world when he knocked out the undefeated and seemingly unstoppable Anthony Joshua to claim his belts.
While Anthony Joshua reclaimed them in the rubber match, Ruiz’s stock rose tremendously but has remained relatively inactive since. This fight marks his second since his loss to AJ, and with a win already against Chris Arreola, Ruiz will look to make it two consecutive wins this weekend. Luis Ortiz has found himself under the spotlight over and over again. With two massive fights against Deontay Wilder (the only man to beat him) and a resume to compete with the best in the division, Ortiz is only missing one thing in his illustrious career, a world title.
At 43 years old, “King Kong” has shown no signs of slowing down. The Cuban impressed against Charles Martin and since his last loss to Wilder, is 2-0. This fight is a must-win for Ortiz; a loss may set him back too far, and time is of the essence with his aspiration being a world title. The matchup itself favors Ruiz. Ruiz’s hands are deceivingly fast, and with an opponent 11 years his elder, Ruiz must showcase his hand speed if he wants to win. In Ortiz’s last fight against Martin, Ortiz was dropped twice as a result of carelessness and getting caught on the counter. Ruiz is excellent at counter-punching, and with his speed, those counter punches will hurt Ortiz badly.
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Ortiz’s route to victory is simple; stay patient, alert, and look for openings. It may cost him on the cards, but out-pointing Ruiz will not be a viable strategy.
The most lucrative division in sports history finds itself in a place it hasn’t been in a while. The last several years have been dominated by three fighters who seemed to have separated themselves from the rest of the pack. Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, and Deontay Wilder were the top dogs. However, this past year has felt like a transitional phase for the division. With Usyk sitting on the throne and Tyson Fury coming in and out of retirement every other day, there is an uncertainty that we haven’t seen in years.
On top of this fight, Joe Joyce faces Joseph Parker in September for the WBO interim title, and Deontay Wilder faces Helenius in his return in October. Filip Hrgovic remained undefeated against Zhilei Zhang, Daniel Dubois is rumored to have a fight soon, and Frank Sanchez will look to continue his undefeated run. The heavyweight division is heating up, and Ruiz vs. Ortiz will be the first domino to fall.
Written By: Ryan Gurewitz (@ryangurewitz)
PHOTO BY RYAN HAFEY/ PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS
