On Saturday, December 19, at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York, interim WBA World heavyweight champion Luis “The Real King Kong” Ortiz (23-0, 20 KOs), the undefeated slugger from Miami, Florida, by way of Camaguey, Cuba, defends his title against Bryant “By-By” Jennings (19-1, 10 KOs), fighting out of the City of Brotherly Love.
After his third round demolition of Matias Ariel Vidondo on the Golovkin-Lemieux undercard at New York’s Madison Square Garden, Ortiz punched his way out of obscurity into the hearts and minds of fight fans.
By all appearances, the up and down career of “The Real King Kong” is up again and if he is able to defeat Bryant Jennings, who acquitted so admirably in April in a losing effort against former heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko, his stock will rise even higher.
“He had a great desire to win and be the champion,” Klitschko told HBO’s Max Kellerman after the fight with Jennings. “He was even talking in the rounds and trying to make it like Ali-Frazier. He gave me a great challenge.”
Ortiz’s promoter, Oscar De La Hoya of Golden Boy Promotions, was beside himself at the prospect of Ortiz fighting Jennings.
“What a terrific heavyweight showdown,” he said. “He’s determined, motivated, he wants to be great and wants to take on all comers. People love that matchup and he loves it. This fight here with Jennings is a perfect heavyweight fight and a perfect test.”
Perfect tests are what Luis Ortiz is all about, but the same can be said about Bryant Jennings.
“This is Ortiz’s first real fight as a professional,” he said. “He has a long amateur career. I have a long professional career. This guy hasn’t seen a real fighter like me yet. He’s confident but a little too confident. He doesn’t understand what he is up against. He has to humble himself because it is going to be an embarrassment. I am prepared to knock him out. I am standing my ground. I will have him crying in the ring. It is going to be real difficult for him to get over this. I’m going to fight and give my all. I am going to shut him down on December 19.”
Those are fighting words, which just so happen to be the words Luis Ortiz likes best.
“The people will know who is coming for the number one spot. I didn’t come here from Cuba to sit and do nothing. I came here to become the heavyweight champion of the world. Every fight is important, but this is the most important fight of my career so far. I am prepared to stop Jennings. I am a boxer-puncher and will knock him out. Of course I have what it takes to beat competitors like Fury and Wilder. I’m ready and able to do what I have to do. I want to bring the belts back to the United States and become the unified heavyweight world champion. Me and Klitschko are nothing alike. I hit much harder.”
It won’t be easy getting Jennings out of there, but win, lose, or draw, it looks Luis Ortiz has every intention of living up to his nickname.
This article was penned by the author who is not related to the WBA and the statements, expressions or opinions referenced herein are that of the author alone and not the WBA.
