Deontay Wilder and Luis Ortiz Square off again later tonight in Las Vegas (Photo: Stephanie Trapp)
By Chris Robinson
On Friday afternoon in Las Vegas, WBC heavyweight champion Deontay “Bronze Bomber” Wilder and former interim champion Luis “King Kong” both weighed in ahead of their big rematch. Wilder (41-0-1, 40 KO’s) and Ortiz (31-1, 26 KO’s) meet inside of the MGM Grand Garden Arena later this evening, with FOX Sports pay per view televising the action.
Wilder is a freakishly athletic heavyweight and came in weighing 219.5 pounds. Ortiz, meanwhile, came in at 236.5 pounds, as he has been working with strength and conditioning coach Larry Wade this camp, and appears a bit leaner.
Wilder stopped Ortiz in eleven frantic rounds in March of last year, but had some trouble along the way. He dropped Ortiz in round five, only to see the Cuban turn the tables and hurt him in the seventh. Wilder eventually regrouped and scored the late-round stoppage to secure the victory.
Saturday night should be wildly-entertaining, especially with Wilder’s proposed rematch with Tyson Fury possibly hanging in the balance.
Chris Robinson can be reached at CRobinson@hustleboss.com