Deontay Wilder is notorious for his better performances in a rematch after blasting out the first man to go the distance with him in one round.
‘The Bronze Bomber’ did a number on Bermane Stiverne two and a half years after the pair went twelve rounds. Wilder obliterated Stiverne with bad intentions.
Despite surviving a scare against Luis Ortiz back in March 2018, Wilder revealed information about the first meeting which won’t be good news for the Cuban.
“I’m looking to beat Ortiz in even more dramatic fashion. When we fought the first time, I had a bad flu,” stated Wilder. “I could have called off the fight but I want to be able to do things that other fighters shouldn’t or wouldn’t do.
Wilder knows where he went wrong and has assured his fans he will put that right this weekend.
Deontay Wilder
“I don’t think I threw enough jabs at him in the first fight,” he pointed out. “The positioning of my feet was not as good as it could be.
“The movement that we have is very awkward when you have an orthodox fighter against a southpaw. I’m looking forward to making it another great fight.
“When I’m not in the ring, I look back at my past fights as a fan. I understand why these guys run from me and think twice about getting in there across from me.
“With Ortiz we know that he’s a smart fighter and a great counter puncher. He’s really good at what he does. I’m the only person in the top five who’s given him the opportunity.”
As soon as the first bell goes at the MGM Grand, the anticipating crowd can fully expect a similar start by Wilder to the Dominic Breazeale knockout.
A haymaker of a punch in New York meant Breazeale joined a long list of those put down badly by one solitary Wilder blow.
Ortiz will have to be extra careful early on.
“I’m planning to stress Ortiz out. I’ve never been good with predictions. My energy for this fight makes me want to say to everyone, be careful in that first round,” he said.
“I’m the kind of fighter where you can’t blink. You’re always on the edge of your seat and you never know what’s going to happen.”
TRANSFORMATION
Concluding on how he’s grown, not only as a fighter but a person, Wilder is in no mood for niceties come Saturday night.
“It’s a beautiful thing to have a team that I started with and have that same team that I’m going to finish with.
“When we first started we had plans about how we wanted my career to unfold. It’s great to have a team that has my best interests at heart.
“Some people think that boxers need to be one-dimensional people who just train and fight and nothing else. We’re still people who can do so many other things besides fighting.
“I’m a great guy. It just happens that in the ring, I can whoop you as well. There’s a transformation that happens when that bell rings.”
The fact that Wilder was ill and still managed to take Ortiz out in devastating fashion could be a significant omen.
We’ll soon find out.
