Luis Ortiz vs. Tony Thompson: Fight Time, Date, TV Info and Prediction
WBA interim heavyweight champion Luis "The Real King Kong" Ortiz (24-0, 21 KO) will take on Tony "The Tiger" Thompson (40-6, 27 KO) of Washington, D.C., on Saturday at the D.C. Armory in the nation's capital.
Here's a look at the viewing information for the fight:
When: Saturday, March 5 at 10 p.m. ET
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Where: D.C. Armory in Washington, D.C.
TV: HBO
No Belt at Stake
Ortiz's title will not be on the line as the bout failed to receive sanctioning, per Robert Ecksel of WBANews.com. Thompson is 44 years old and he's lost three of his last five fights. Thus, he's not ranked among the top 15 heavyweights by the WBA, and the organization had ordered Ortiz to face Alexander Ustinov by June.
The WBA wouldn't sanction a title fight for Ortiz against another opponent before he faces Ustinov. Per Jake Donovan of BoxingScene.com, Ustinov wanted more time to prepare for a bout with Ortiz. Because he knows his shot at the title is guaranteed, he and his management team elected to take their time preparing to face the 36-year-old Cuban champion.
When the two men do meet, it will be part of the WBA heavyweight tournament designed to decide one champion in the organization's division.
As of now, there are three fighters who can legitimately call themselves WBA heavyweight champions of some sort: Ortiz, Ruslan Chagaev (who defends his title against Lucas Browne on March 5) and unified titleholder Tyson Fury.
It's pretty confusing, but hopefully the tournament will make things a little more straightforward.
Ustinov's decision to delay his bout against Ortiz left the champion and his camp scrambling to find an opponent. Most heavyweights declined, but Thompson was one of the only ones to step up and accept the challenge.
Despite the uncertainty leading up to the fight, Ortiz looks to be in good shape as the bout with Thompson approaches. HBO posted these highlights of the champion's pre-fight workouts:
The Last Time Out
Ortiz Crushes Jennings
(December 19, 2015)
In the best performance of his professional career, Ortiz systematically broke Bryant Jennings down and scored a seventh-round TKO victory. Ortiz dropped Jennings twice before referee Dick Pakozdi called an end to the bout.
It was Ortiz's first title defense and he was impressive from start to finish. Jennings had never been stopped prior to facing Ortiz. In fact, Jennings had made a decent account of himself in April 2015, when he dropped a unanimous decision to Wladimir Klitschko.
After Ortiz dispatched Jennings with ease, he immediately became one of the hottest names in the suddenly interesting heavyweight division.
Thompson Drops Unanimous Decision to Scott
(October 30, 2015)
Malik Scott is a skilled and athletic heavyweight, but he's been known to give uninspired performances in the ring, and he doesn't carry the punch that most fighters in the division possess.
Scott outboxed Thompson for most of their 10-round affair, but The Tiger did catch Scott with a chopping right hand that dropped him in the ninth round. Scott looked hurt for a time, but he rose to his feet and was able to finish out the fight to earn the victory.
Here's a look at the entire fight from Premier Boxing Champions on YouTube:
It was a brief highlight for Thompson, but it might have been enough to keep him relevant.
Prediction
If this fight goes beyond the third round, it'll be a shock. Thompson had issues with Scott's speed and length, but he was able to walk through his punches to remain dangerous late into the fight.
Ortiz is even longer, with an 84-inch reach compared to Scott's 81-inch measurement from armpit to knuckle. The difference in power is night and day. Ortiz is one of the most devastating punchers in the heavyweight division, and he'll throttle Thompson.
Expect a highlight-reel KO from Ortiz.
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