WBC Heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder faces Luis “King Kong” Ortiz on November 23rd in a rematch of their March 2018 bout. This go around they face off at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Although Wilder was victorious in their first encounter, Luis Ortiz more than showed his mettle. Placing Wilder in jeopardy on a number of occasions. Ahead of this Saturday, Wilder held a call for the press and talked about his first fight with Ortiz, their unlikely bond, how Anthony Joshua shot himself in the foot with Andy Ruiz and whether he’d ever step into another ring – that of professional wrestling. Here is what Wilder had to say.
On Luis Ortiz The Fight
“It was a fight that kept everyone on the edge of their seats from the first round through the 10th round. No one knew what was going to happen until it happened and here we are again. The same effect, the same momentum, the same game plan coming in for us. I’m sure it’s the same for him. He wants to be the first Cuban Heavyweight Champion of the World and – I still want to keep my title.
This is what it’s all about in the Heavyweight Division. The big boys. It’s the heavy hitters where one hit can end everything no matter how hard a person has worked, no matter how many weeks, how many months. One fight, one night, one blow can end it all. And we already know I’m the hardest hitter, probably in boxing history period.”
On Luis Ortiz The Fighter
“One, he is one of the best in the world. No one has dared to give Ortiz the opportunity even after I defeated him the first time.
Most of the times when you win, especially when you knock him out, other guys are willing to fight him. They see weaknesses. They see kinks in his armor. But Ortiz’s situation in this case, none of these guys still they didn’t want to fight him then and they don’t want to fight him now.
So, I wanted to give him an opportunity again to prove all doubt about our first fight that we had.
Secondly, Ortiz has a family. I grew a great bond with Ortiz the first time with his child and my child, as she was born with a disorder as well. So, I know personally how hard it is and how much it takes to take care of a child with a disorder. It takes a lot of money and it takes a lot of care and I grew a great bond with him.”
On Anthony Joshua’s Loss to Andy Ruiz
“So, me and Anthony Joshua, we have different mindsets. My mindset is very strong. It’s way stronger than him. I spoke about this before and Joshua, he called it upon himself. He knew he was going to lose one day. He had spoken about it.
He had spoken it to the universe and even when it was time for it to happen, look, he gave his belts over to Ruiz. He literally transported his belts to this man. His energy gave his belts to this man.
My mindset is different. I’m a totally different king. I’m a totally different beast. I’m the best in the world and I prove it each and every time I go in the ring.
I’m not worried about going in and making any mistakes and stuff and if I do make any mistake in the ring, rest assured I will correct it as the fight goes on. I see this fight going one way and that’s Deontay Wilder knocking out Luis Ortiz point blank and period. You know it, he knows it, I know it.”
On Round 7 of Wilder-Ortiz I
“The seventh round was an amazing time for me. It allowed me to see what I’m really made of. It allowed the world to see what type of champion and a true champion that they have in America and he has been here.
With that seventh round being under the conditions that I was under, I was very proud of myself to be able to handle those situations. To be able to go into the fire like that for one, plus just taking the fight going in to the fire like that with a flu. You know proper protocol is to cancel that and wait to a later date until you are healthy.
But being me, I’m a hard headed. I always do things that many boxers don’t do, and I think that’s part of wanting my legacy to be different from the rest. I don’t want the same old, I want to be different. That’s why I do the things that I do.”
On Scoring A Knockout
“A win is a win whether it’s ugly, pretty or in-between. A win is a win. I never want to leave the ring without a man being knocked out. I knock you out. That’s the rules that I play with in this boxing industry. I don’t play around with no one. I don’t act like I play around with you and everything I say I mean.
I make it loud and clear. I meant it what I said, I say it loud and clear so there is no miscommunications between my language and the words that I chose to use. I’m a knockout artist. That’s what I plan to do, to knock you out. That’s plain and simple.
There are no other better words that can explain that. I come to knock you out point blank, period. I don’t care who you with, where you are from or what you’ve got going on at that time of your life. You sign the contract. You step in the ring with me now you’re getting blessed.”
On One Day Joining the WWE
“WWE was a thing that we years ago talked about as far as promotion and different things and that’s the reason why [Tyson Fury] is doing it for promotion. He is trying to get his name bigger in America and that’s a good route to take because WWE has millions upon millions of followers that look at it.
So that was a good approach for him trying to build his name especially after coming from his Vegas shows and their ticket sales. The only reason he sold the first time was because he was coming to have a fight with me.
So now he is trying to find some type of way to market himself even more before the rematch or the fight. But if the opportunity came by at this point in time who knows. It all depends on what I have got going on at the moment in time or when the opportunity presents itself what the scale will be looking like.
I can’t say no, and I can’t say yes. You know, I’m going to keep that bridge open. You never want to burn bridges because you may never know when you may need to cross them again. So that bridge is still open.”