Every fight is dangerous in the heavyweight division and just a handful of punches can change an outcome. That’s exactly how the fight between Andy Ruiz Jr. and Luis Ortiz played out on Saturday night, with Ortiz technically winning more rounds on the three official scorecards but Ruiz taking a unanimous decision victory thanks to three knockdowns in the fight.
The action was frequently slow and often dominated by Ortiz’s jab, but every moment of note belonged to Ruiz. The most exciting round of the fight was the second, with Ruiz dropping Ortiz with a big right hand to the side of the head and scoring a second knockdown moments later as Ortiz had yet to recover his equilibrium.
Ortiz would continually grab control of the pace of the fight with little more than a sharp and disciplined jab, but another Ruiz bomb dropped Ortiz in the seventh round, leaving a win on the scorecards little more than a prayer for Ortiz.
Still, Ortiz showed an ability to still contend at 43 years old and was not ready to hang up the gloves after the loss.
“I told you I was going to be a warrior,” Ortiz said after the fight. “I love this. This is Cuba vs. Mexico. It was a war. … If they said ‘King Kong’ is old. I gave you a war today. I think I gave a good fight tonight.”
As for Ruiz, the former three-belt heavyweight champion of the world, he said his plan is to be more active, no longer looking to fight just once each year as he tries to get back to a world title fight after shocking the world by defeating Anthony Joshua to win the IBF, WBO and WBA titles before losing them in the rematch.
“Staying active, man. I don’t want to be waiting so long before I fight,” Ruiz said. “I want to be fighting three or four times a year. I’m ready. I want to bring the belt back to Mexico.”
Ruiz then suggested a fight with former WBC champ Deontay Wilder could be next, assuming Wilder defeats Robert Helenius in October. Wilder, who was in the crowd for the fight, entered the ring after the call out and seemed open to the idea.
“If that’s what lines up next,” Wilder said. “I gotta handle business first but let’s get it on.”
CBS Sports was with you throughout the event in Los Angeles.
Ruiz vs. Ortiz fight card, results
- Andy Ruiz def. Luis Ortiz via unanimous decision (113-112, 114-111, 114-111)
- Isaac Cruz def. Eduardo Ramirez via second-round knockout
- Abner Mares vs. Miguel Flores ends in a majority draw (96-94, 95-95, 95-95)
- Edwin de los Santos def. Jose Valenzuela via third-round TKO
Ruiz vs. Ortiz scorecard
| Ruiz | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 114 |
| Ortiz | 9 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 111 |
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