What did we learn from Deontay Wilder’s win over Luis Ortiz ahead of potential Anthony Joshua showdown?
The uppercut: Joshua will have been keeping a keen eye on Wilder’s victory in New York and Adam Hamdani breaks down some of the lessons he will have learnt
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Your support makes all the difference.Deontay Wilder’s tenth round victory over the ageing Luis Ortiz may not have been a stone cold classic – but it was close, and a perfect way to reignite the heavyweight division over a potentially blockbuster 2018.
It was a gruelling fight during which both men were at times dragged into the trenches, but Wilder eventually stopped Ortiz with his brute strength and determination proving to be the difference.
It looked as though Wilder could have been stopped in the seventh, having been outboxed by the Cuban veteran in the opening rounds. But Wilder prevailed, keeping an eventual showdown with Anthony Joshua firmly on the cards.
Here is what we learned from Wilder’s performance ahead of a unification showdown with either Joshua or the underrated WBO champion Joseph Parker.
A lot more heart than we thought
Wilder does not have the most storied of records, leading many boxing fans to question: does he really have the heart to stand up against the best? With a lack of credible and top-of-the-line opponents on his record, it would was fair to wonder what would happen when he finally took some heavy hits from a genuine heavyweight contender?
He passed that test with flying colours. Ortiz may be 38 years old (although who knows how old he really is?) and the fight may well have come late into his career, but the Cuban fighter can certainly dish out the pain and in the seventh round, that was evident.
Wilder was forced to weather a storm that could simply have seen the bout called to an end with Ortiz the deserved winner, and yet in a similar manner to that of Joshua against Wladimir Klitschko, the American came through a difficult period and showed he could take a hit or two.
But what might have been most impressive about Wilder’s performance is that during rounds eight and nine, he took his time, regained his composure and showed ring craft like he never has before, coming out and putting on a brutal performance in the 10th round to finish the fight off.
His unusual style could outfox Joshua
If Wilder's style of boxing is known for anything, it is his hard-hitting power in the ring. But it cannot be ignored that the 32-year-old has a brash style which can veer out of control when he begins to load up on his punches.
Joshua is far more tactical and well put together when looking to take out his opponent – or even just look for ways to unlock them. However Wilder showed progress on Saturday night, recognising that he had lost the majority of the rounds approaching the tenth – although he was criminally ahead on all of the judges’ scorecards – and adjusting his tactics as he began to look for the knockout.
Sure, Wilder’s approach of throwing wild haymaker after wild haymaker looked amateurish, but it got the job done in a difficult fight. Although such a style will unlikely prove successful against Joshua.
Or will it? His style is so unpredictable and so difficult to prepare for that he has to be seen as a genuine threat to Joshua’s reign at the top.
Wilder is game
The most important lesson we learnt is that Joshua vs Wilder is a fight that has to happen. He wants it, the world wants it and for all we know, Joshua also wants it. If he beats Parker later this month, a unification bout has to be set up between the two.
As soon as the fight was over, with Wilder interviewed, the questions about Joshua came flying in. “I always said that I want to unify. I’m ready whenever those guys are. I am the baddest man on the planet and I proved that tonight. This solidified my position at the top of the food chain tonight,” said Wilder.
Admittedly, the American has been far more vocal about a fight between the two than his rival has, and that may just be down to the fact that Joshua is always focused on the opponent ahead of him rather than looking too far to the future, but it's an increasingly intriguing situation.
“I figured out a way to come back. A true champion always finds a way. That's what I did.”
It's the only logical step. Joshua vs. Wilder has to happen.
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