LOS ANGELES – Andy Ruiz had a lot to prove Sunday night, including to doubters who did not think he could continue being a heavyweight contender and who thought Luis Ortiz would defeat him.
Not only did he prove he is still one of the best fighters in the division, but he could come out victorious against a dangerous, hard-hitting foe.
Ruiz dropped Ortiz three times en route to a close, unanimous decision victory before a pro-Ruiz crowd at Crypto.com Arena.
Scores were 114-111, 114-111 and 113-112 for Ruiz, who improves to 35-2, 22 knockouts, and won the WBA world title elimination bout.
The clash against Ruiz was a battle between fighters ranked in the top 10 by The Ring. Ruiz and Ortiz are ranked No. 5 and 6, respectively.
Both fighters were assertive from the opening bell, standing in the center of the ring and exchanging combinations.
During the second round, a right hand to the top of the head dropped Ortiz to the canvas. Ortiz beat the count but was pushed down to the canvas, but referee Thomas Taylor still administered a standing eight-count on Ortiz. To his credit, Ortiz came back strong during the round, rocking Ruiz twice with left crosses to the head.
Source: El Universal
