Deontay Wilder stunned Luis Ortiz with a right hand missile at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday night to retain his WBC heavyweight title. Wilder (41-0-1) was way behind on the judges’ scorecards when he landed a straight right which sent Ortiz (31-2) into oblivion. The Cuban, staggered and blinking, was unable to beat the count. The concussive ending came after a strangely lacklustre first half of the fight from Wilder. The fight was a rematch of a bout last year when Wilder struggled to a 10th round stoppage against the crafty veteran. KNOCKOUT - Don't Blink! Another brilliant knockout victory for Deontay Wilder who ends the rematch with a massive right hand pic.twitter.com/ukOkzgkWSf — Sky Sports Boxing (@SkySportsBoxing) November 24, 2019 Wilder fought cautiously but began to pick up the pace as the fight rounded the midway point, and the right hand that brought the fight to a close at 2:51 of the seventh seemed to come from nowhere. Ortiz was a picture of devastation after the fight, smashing his fists into the canvas as Wilder and his jubilant entourage did a victory dance yards away. He knew he’d missed a golden chance to hand the American champion his first loss after dominating the first six rounds of the fight, outclassing Wilder in every department. But when the end came, it was swift and crushing. Wilder’s atomic punch power continues to be his best tool by far, but it is truly seismic and the other top heavyweights in the division will have felt the shockwaves after seeing Wilder’s finish. After the fight, Wilder said he has a February date in his calendar for the renewal with unbeaten Briton Tyson Fury. That is a contest that will be anticipated like no other heavyweight tilt in living memory. “Tyson fury is definitely next and then after that, I want a unification bout. We’re ready for Tyson Fury. Hopefully he’s ready for me,” Wilder said.
