Boxer Luis Ortiz was born in Cuba on March 29, 1979. From 2015 to 2016, he held the WBA interim heavyweight title. In 2018 and 2019, he made two bids for the WBC heavyweight crown. At the 2005 Boxing World Cup, he took home a silver medal in the amateur division.
He is known as “King Kong” because of his powerful punching and counterpunching abilities.
Who is Luis Ortiz?
Luis Ortiz is now rated as the eighth-best active heavyweight in the world by The Ring magazine and the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board as of November 2021.
| LUIS ORTIZ HEIGHT & BODY STATS | |
|---|---|
| Height | 5 Ft 9 In |
| Weight | Not Known |
| Body Measurements | Under Review |
| Eye Color | Not Available |
| Hair Color | Not Available |
| Feet/Shoe Size | Not Available |
Amateur career of Luis Ortiz
Long-time Cuban national team player Ortiz never achieved success at the highest level of international competition.
Cuban Championships medals
- 2002 – silver medal, 95 kg
- 2003 – bronze medal, 91+ kg
- 2005 – silver medal, 91 kg
- 2006 – gold medal, 91 kg
- 2008 – white ribbon, 91+ kg
International results
- 2005 – Panamerican Championships, Brazil – gold medal, 91 kg
- 2005 – World Cup (team competition), Russia – silver medal, 91 kg
- 2005 – World Championships, China – quarter-finalist, 91 kg
Ortiz has a 343-19 amateur record.
Early career of Luis Ortiz
Ortiz, 30, made his professional debut on February 16, 2010, at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida, against American boxer Lamar Davis (4-1, 1 KO). After less than 80 seconds of the first round, Ortiz knocked out the opponent through technical knockout (TKO). On June 15 versus 39-year-old Charles Davis, Ortiz engaged in his second professional fight at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. In round four, Ortiz prevailed via TKO. In his third professional contest, Ortiz defeated 28-year-old Kendrick Releford (22-13-2, 10 KOs) to win the vacant WBC FECARBOX heavyweight title on August 24, 2010.
Releford was knocked out once in round 2, and Ortiz won the fight by a score of 80-72, 79-72, and 79-72 after eight rounds. Ortiz increased his record to 5 wins in as many fights, with 4 coming within the distance, by stopping Zack Page and Francisco lvarez (12-1, 10 KO) in the eighth round of their respective contests.
Ortiz faced Rubén Rivera on January 28, 2011, at the Double Tree Westshore Hotel in Tampa, Florida (3–5, 1 KO). For repeatedly landing low blows, Rivera received a 2 point deduction in round 4 and was later eliminated in round 5.
Ortiz vs. Kayode
Boxing Scene stated in August 2014 that Ortiz would compete for his first world championship against undefeated former cruiserweight contender Lateef Kayode (20-0, 16 KOs) on September 11 at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, for the vacant WBA interim heavyweight title.
The event was scheduled to be broadcast on Fox Sports 1. [10] Ortiz won the interim WBA heavyweight title by knocking out Lateef Kayode in the opening round. The referee stopped the fight after Ortiz hit Kayode with 15 consecutive blows. Following the fight, Kayode argued that the knockdown was a slip and that the stoppage was unwarranted. After the bout, Ortiz tested positive for a prohibited drug, though.
Ortiz vs. Vidondo
A year after being dethroned, Ortiz had another opportunity to win the interim title, this time defeating Argentine Matias Ariel Vidondo on October 17 at Madison Square Garden in New York City as part of the undercard of Golovkin vs. Lemieux.
Ortiz was scheduled to fight former WBC champion Bermane Stiverne (24-2-1, 21 KOs), but once the arrangement had been reached, Stiverne’s promoter Don King refused to sign the contract.
Ortiz vs. Jennings
On October 21, 2015, HBO announced that Ortiz would face former world title challenger Bryant Jennings (19-1, 10 KOs) on December 19 at the Turning Stone Casino in Verona, New York. This would be Ortiz’s first significant test.
The match was initially promoted as the undercard bout between Golovkin and Lemieux, but a contract could not be made.
Ortiz vs. Thompson
On February 9, 2016, it was revealed that on March 5, 2016, at the DC Armory in Washington, Ortiz would defend his WBA Interim championship against experienced heavyweight Tony Thompson (40-6, 27 KOs). “Just another stepping stone on my journey to becoming the unified heavyweight world champion,” Ortiz said of the victory.
Due to Thompson’s lack of a WBA ranking in the top 15 at the time, it was later announced on March 1 that this fight would no longer be for the WBA Interim championship.
Doping case on Luis Ortiz
On September 29, 2017, it was revealed that Ortiz had failed a drug test conducted by VADA as part of the WBC clean fighters programme. Diuretics chlorothiazide and hydrochlorothiazide, which are designed to treat high blood pressure but can potentially be used as coverups for performance-enhancing substances, were the drugs discovered in Ortiz’s sample. On September 22nd, a urine sample was collected in Miami. Ortiz didn’t disclose to VADA that he was using medicine.
The WBC revoked its sanction for the Wilder vs. Ortiz fight on October 4 and then promptly mandated that Wilder face mandatory challenger Bermane Stiverne. The WBC’s decision, according to Ortiz’s manager Jay Jimenez, was made out of concern for Ortiz’s health rather than as a means of punishing him.
Eddie Hearn, who represents Anthony Joshua, said on October 9 that Ortiz might continue to be a WBA mandatory challenger. Ortiz had until October 20 to submit a “B” sample request. Prior to this day, the WBA would wait to make any decisions.
The WBA suspended Ortiz on October 20. Ortiz and his handlers were informed that he would serve a minimum of a six-month ban, have his obligatory status taken away, and be immediately removed from the rankings. Ortiz was formally given a one-year suspension by the WBA on November 2. He was instantly dropped from their rankings and was no longer permitted to compete for any WBA titles during that time.
Re-entry of Luis Ortiz into boxing
Ortiz entered the ring right away after leaving it. On December 4, 2017, it was revealed that he would face journeyman Daniel Martz (16-5-1, 13 KOs) in a 10-round battle on a special Friday night episode of Premier Boxing Champions on December 8 at Miami’s Hialeah Park.
This would be his first fight in Florida in three years. Due to Chad Dawson and Edwin Rodriguez’s cancellation after the former sustained an injury during training, the matchup was only added late.
Professional boxing record of Luis Ortiz
| 37 fights | 33 wins | 2 losses |
|---|---|---|
| By knockout | 28 | 2 |
| By decision | 3 | 0 |
| By disqualification | 2 | 0 |
| No contests | 2 |
Luis Ortiz Net worth
One of the wealthiest and most well-known boxers is Luis. Our examination of data from sources including Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider indicates that Luis Ortiz’s net worth is roughly $1.5 million.
| LUIS ORTIZ NET WORTH & SALARY | |
|---|---|
| Net Worth | $1.5 Million |
| Salary | Under Review |
| Source of Income | Boxer |
| Cars | Not Available |
| House | Living In Own House. |
Also read
- Andy Ruiz Jr. vs Luis Ortiz: Betting, Odds, RingWalks, Date, Start Time, Undercard, Live Stream & Fight info
- Ernie Zampese die Cause of death: What happened to Ernie Zampese?
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