Luis Ortiz continues to prove that power is the last thing to go for a boxer.
At the ripe old age of 47, the former world heavyweight title challenger scored a second brutal knockout in the space of two weeks at a Team Boxing League (TBL) show in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
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Ortiz is now 2-0 with 2KOs under the Team Boxing League formatCredit: YouTube/Team Boxing League
For the uninitiated, TBL is a team-based boxing event made up of 12 city-based franchises across the United States.
TBL cards pit fighters from two opposing franchises against one another over 24 one-round bouts.
Each contest is scored individually on a unified point system.
The team with the most points accumulated at the end of the 24th round is then declared the victor.
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Whichever team wins the most matches by the end of the season wins the league.
Story of the fight
On Sunday, while the UFC staged its unprecedented event at the White House, Ortiz’s team, the Miami Assassins, met NYC Attitude in gameweek 12.
Ortiz was matched up against unbeaten 2-0 pro Edward Millard, 40, in a round 8 heavyweight clash that was explosive for as long as it lasted.
‘King Kong’ decked Millard inside 15 seconds with a clubbing left hand before Millard returned the favour less than 30 seconds later, courtesy of a well-placed right hook.
Ortiz quickly leapt back to his feet and got back to work as he dropped Millard for a second time with another left.
Once again, Millard was able to beat the count, but the shot clearly dazed him.
And as the action was resumed, Ortiz shut his lights off with the same shot.
The referee didn’t bother counting as Millard’s limp body hurtled to the canvas in a crumpled heap.
Luis Ortiz’s form
His most recent win is unlikely to elevate Ortiz’s standing in the heavyweight division, yet it is no doubt impressive to see a man nearing his fifties knock out men significantly younger than him.
On May 31, in his TBL debut, Ortiz rendered a 36-year-old Stephon Moss unconscious in two minutes and 25 seconds.
His victory over Millard came 13 seconds quicker.
Before joining TBL, Ortiz attempted to revive his professional boxing career with two first-round KOs over unheralded opposition.
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Ortiz challenged for the WBC heavyweight title twice against Wilder in 2018 and 2019Credit: Getty Images – Getty
Ortiz has not been in a significant fight since his unanimous decision loss to Andy Ruiz Jr in September 2022 and is 7 years removed from his rematch with Deontay Wilder for the WBC heavyweight title.
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It’s unclear what he hopes to get out of boxing with the little time he has left in the sport, although one thing is for sure: he intends to go out swinging.
Boxing schedule
For all the upcoming fights and results this year, check out talkSPORT.com’s boxing schedule.