In an IBF heavyweight title eliminator two-time world title challenger Luis ‘King Kong’ Ortiz 33-2 (28) had to rise off the canvas twice to defeat former IBF heavyweight champion ‘Prince’ Charles Martin 28-3-1 (25) by sixth-round knockout at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida on Saturday night.
In the all-southpaw battle it was the 35-year-old Martin who got off to the better start, nailing Ortiz with an overhand left in the opening frame to send him to the canvas. The second round was better for Ortiz but Martin appeared to regain control in the third. In the fourth a stiff jab sent Ortiz down once again.
Martin seemed to get the better of the action in fifth and was leading the fight 48-45 twice and 47-46 going into the disastrous sixth when Ortiz found a home for his lethal left cross. The punch left Martin out on his feet but rather than finishing him off with a flush blow to the chin, the 42-year-old Cuban chose to spin his opponent around and hit him with a series of rabbit punches that left him draped over the top rope.
The fight should have been stopped there and then.
Instead, referee Frank Santore Jr allowed the bout to continue. Martin, ever the warrior, tried to brawl his way out even though it was clear he didn’t know where he was and was fighting on instinct alone.
Ortiz took the opportunity to bang away to the body while Martin tried to clinch. Many of Ortiz’s shot were below the beltline or borderline at best. Ortiz switched up to the head and eventually Martin, bleeding from the mouth and nose, succumbed to the damage and was counted out at the 1:37 mark.
In the main support bout on the undercard rising heavyweight prospect Frank ‘The Cuban Flash’ Sanchez 20-0 (13) kept his unbeaten streak alive with a 10-round shutout over Christian Hammer 26-9 (16).
Hammer was a late replacement for original opponent Carlos Negron 25-3 (20) of Puerto Rico tested positive for Covid-19 and was forced to withdraw from the fight. He stepped in on four days notice.
Sanchez was in complete control but failed to put his foot on the gas until the final two rounds. A knockdown in the last frame led to scores of 100-89 across the board.
Heavyweight Jonathan Rice 15-6-1 (10) proved his July victory over Michael Polite Coffie 12-2 (9) in five was no fluke with a comfortable points win over 10 frames in their immediate rematch.
According to CompuBox, Sanchez almost quadrupled Hammer in the punches landed category, 87-22. Sanchez landed 48% of his power punches (70 of 145) and landed 36 body punches to Hammer’s five.
In a scrappy affair, Coffie frequently switch from orthodox to southpaw but found little success from either stance. Rice gained control early with his long, accurate punches while Coffie struggled to find his way inside.
Rice had a big round four, hurting Coffie with a right hand and forcing him back to the ropes. But Coffie soaked up the punishment and rallied back in the final minute of the round.
Both guys were breathing heavily in the fifth. Rice landed three right hands in a row to the jaw of Coffie in the sixth.
Coffie’s left eye was closing by the seventh and Rice continued to target the wounded ortibal with jabs and right hands for the remainder of the fight. The ninth stanza saw Rice dig into the body, blows that Coffie didn’t seem to appreciate.
In the 10th Coffie landed a couple of good one-twos early, but it was too little, too late. Rice had Coffie leaking claret from his swollen right eye by the final bell.
Judges Manuel Marquez and Toby Tamarkin both scored the bout 97-93. Judge Peter Zamoyski had it wider at 99-91.
According to CompuBox, the total punches thrown were relatively even – Rice 387 to Coffie’s 378 – but Rice was more accurate, landing 108 to Coffie’s 59. Rice also landed 44% (68/154) of his power punches along with 40 jabs.
Heavyweight Ali Eren Demirezen 15-1 (12) was able to wear down Gerald Washington 20-5-1 (13) to force the stoppage in the eighth round of their 10 round bout.
Washington was effective early but became more passive as the fight went on. His trainer Buddy McGirt implored him between rounds to let his hands go, but Demirezen was able to walk him down.
By the time the eighth round came around he was shipping punishment, forcing McGirt to stop the fight at the 0:27 mark.
According to CompuBox, Washington out-landed Demirezen 48 to 34 over the first three rounds. From the fourth round on, Demirezen out-landed Washington 74 to 46.
In a barnburner to open the card, heavyweight Viktor Faust 9-0 (7) scored a second round knockout of Iago Kiladze 27-6-1 (19) but had to climb off the canvas twice to get the win in their scheduled eight round bout.
The fight seemed to be going to plan for the 29-year-old Ukrainian when he dropped Kiladze early in the first. But the 35-year-old Georgian quickly returned the favour before he found himself on the canvas again in the opening frame.
Kiladze drew first blood in the second, sending Faust to the deck again. But Faust retaliated with another knockdown of his own.
Kiladze was quickly to his feet but after the mandatory eight count he took a little stagger step to his right, which was enough for referee Samuel Burgos to wave of the fight.
Kiladze was unimpressed with the verdict, tapping Burgos on the chin with an extended right hand in rebuke. It drew a swift verbal response from the referee. Kiladze left the ring before the official decision was announced.
The time of the stoppage was 1:44.
