Why I Feel He Should Retire
On September 4, 2022, I was cheering for one of my favorite heavyweight fighters Luis “King Kong” Ortíz. It wasn’t too long into the fight that I realized that not only has father time caught up with the 43-year-old southpaw from Cuba but that he has also taken some heavy punishment when he fought Deontay Wilder. This is not to diminish the power and speed of Andy Ruiz, who is a very talented former world champion, but let’s also be clear this is not a “prime” Ortiz.
Ortiz has a pretty impressive record of 33-3 according to his BoxRec, again two of those defeats coming via KO from arguably the hardest puncher of this generation, Deontay Wilder, and this last defeat by Andy Ruiz. Although Ortiz looked game and finished the fight on his feet, he was put on the canvas several times, and one time looked on the verge of being knocked out.
This is what led me to ponder…..how much more punishment should he take? You can see that Ortiz is a warrior and wants to go out on his shield, but to what end? To become a “gatekeeper” for up-and-coming heavyweights? To become the sacrificial lamb for future champions? Is that worth his health? My opinion might be unpopular amongst the fight fans, or even the fighters themselves, but in my perfect scenario, Ortíz fights one more time and then rides off into the sunset and enjoys his family in peace. Hey if he has the financials to do so, I’d retire now. Ortíz has nothing left to prove to the boxing community, he was the most avoided heavyweight in boxing and now that father time has caught up with him, he may become the most sought fighter. I say let the young lions fight their way up by eliminating their peers, that should give us some very exciting fights and allow for Ortíz to ride off into the sunset without remorse.
To the Great King Kong Ortíz, thank you for the thrills you gave us throughout your boxing career, for letting us see the man outside the ring when he shared about his daughter’s medical needs and why he needed to keep fighting. It has been an honor and a pleasure, may God bless you and keep you and your family in his grace. May your life after boxing be even more spectacular, because you deserve it.
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