Finally had a chance to check out Luis "King Kong" Ortiz' knockout over Monte Barrett which took place this past Thursday. Barrett, at 42 years old, was never in the fight. His motor skills looked shaky as he lunged awkwardly to land some body shots on the Cuban ex-pat. It was clear that this fight would only be a matter of time...and how much time it took was strictly dependent on how good Luis Ortiz was.
Still hard to get a read on this guy. He has a sharp and accurate left cross...uses his legs surprisingly well at his size but again...evading the blows of a washed up 40-something isn't something to get excited about. At 35 years old, time is of the essence but certainly not of the same urgency as it would have been in boxing's landscape a generation or two ago.
The fight ended in the fourth with Barrett rubbing his nose after absorbing a solid left cross in the kisser. Referee Raul Caiz didn't bother to count as he saw Barrett in pain and the obvious fruitlessness in allowing the bout to continue.
Ortiz goes to 21-0 with 18 knockouts. He clearly needs more competitive foes to get the fans buzzing. Barrett drops to 35-11-2 (20 kos).
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