LOS ANGELES — It took Andy Ruiz Jr. three knockdowns to debunk Deontay Wilder’s prediction of Luis Ortiz defeating Ruiz by “devastating fashion.”
Ruiz was unable to get his own devastating finish, but he did enough to defeat Ortiz by unanimous decision with scores of 113-112, 114-111 and 114-111 in Sunday night’s heavyweight main event at Crypto.com Arena.
With Wilder watching ringside, Ruiz used his powerful right hooks to control the bout and possibly earn a showdown with Wilder, a matchup that would feature former heavyweight champions.
“Everyone was doubting me, but I worked so hard for this fight,” Ruiz said. “Ortiz is a warrior who hits hard. I did a beautiful job boxing him around. I showed more class than I usually do just coming forward.”
Ruiz (35-2, 22 KOs) dropped Ortiz (33-3, 28 KOs) twice in the second round and once more in the seventh round. He also stunned Ortiz with a straight right hand in the 11th round and the two foes had the spectators in attendance on their feet after an entertaining 12th round. Wilder entered the ring after Ruiz’s victory and said he’s willing to fight him if he’s able to defeat Robert Helenius on Oct. 15.
“If Deontay Wins in October, me and him are with the same management and we can make this fight happen,” Ruiz said. “Let’s do it. Let’s get it on.”
Wilder added: “Deontay Wilder is back and I’m always looking for great exciting fights for the fans. If Andy Ruiz Jr. is what’s next, then I’m ready to get it on.”
Ruiz has had two 16-month layoffs since losing his heavyweight belts to Anthony Joshua in 2019. After returning to the heavyweight title picture, Ruiz wants to stay an active fighter.
“I want to fight at least three or four times a year,” Ruiz said. “I’m hungry and I want to be champion again and bring that belt back to Mexico.”
PPV UNDERCARD
Abner Mares didn’t waste time doing what he knows best by brawling against Miguel Flores during a 10-round lightweight bout on the Ruiz-Ortiz pay-per-view undercard.
The comeback fight started as a slugfest before turning into a sluggish performance for Mares, who settled for a majority draw, with one judge awarding him a scorecard of 96-94 and the other two being 95-95.
Mares ended a four-year layoff with his prior fight coming against Leo Santa Cruz, who was ringside to watch the back-and-forth slugfest. Mares spent the past few years working as a boxing analyst for Showtime and it appeared that way for the final five rounds, as his punch volume rapidly declined versus Flores. But for at least the first three rounds, the former three-division champion turned back the clock to entertain the fans at the downtown L.A. venue.
“Obviously it had been over four years, so I was a little off with my timing and a little sluggish,” Mares said. “But I felt good and I thought I was landing the more powerful shots.
Mares was forced to stop fighting after sustaining detached retinas, but he couldn’t resist the urge of delivering at least one more thrilling bout for Southern California boxing fans. Mares, who was raised in Hawaiian Gardens and born in Guadalajara, Mexico, vowed to retire a second time if he had a poor performance, but boxers have a tough time knowing when it’s time to leave the ring for good.
“After four years away, I did enough to beat a young kid and an active fighter,” Mares said. “My performance speaks for itself. The crowd was happy and it felt good to be home.”
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Boxing might have found its latest Mexican star in the co-main event after Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz delivered a nasty left hook to Eduardo Ramirez in the second round of their lightweight bout.
Cruz dropped Ramirez twice before the referee stopped the fight at the 2:27 mark, as fight fans roared and waved several Mexican flags throughout the arena. “We Want Tank” chants broke out soon after, drawing a smile from Gervonta “Tank” Davis, who was ringside to scout his possible next opponent.
Davis defeated Cruz by unanimous decision in December, but it was arguably the toughest fight of his career and might warrant a rematch.
“We want the rematch with Gervonta Davis,” Cruz said. “That’s what these fans want. I promised the knockout tonight and we got it done.”