Luis Ortiz (32-2, 27 KOs) vs. Charles Martin (28-2-1, 25 KOs)
IBF heavyweight eliminator
Ortiz is about a -350 favorite, down from -500.
Ortiz has been in with much tougher competition, but he’s also (at least) 42 years old. Both his losses are to Deontay Wilder. As for Martin, even though he briefly held the IBF title, this would be by far the biggest win on his resume if he gets it.
Frank Sanchez (19-0, 13 KOs) vs. Christian Hammer (26-8, 16 KOs)
Sanchez a 30:1 favorite
Unbeaten Sanchez is a ring technician, late sub Hammer is an experienced veteran. Sanchez figures to win a decision unless Hammer is woefully out of shape.
Jonnie Rice (14-6-1, 10 KOs) vs. Michael Coffie (12-1, 9 KOs)
Rice started at +250, but is now -175
Rice upset Coffie in their first fight but came in 15 pounds heavier here at 283.8 pounds. Can he do it again? Or is he just here for the payday? Biggest question mark of the night.
Gerald Washington (20-4-1, 13 KOs) vs. Ali Eren Demirezen (14-1, 11 KOs)
Demirezen a -250 favorite
WBO #14 Demirezen steps up in class. Washington has lost four of six against better competition than Demirezen has faced and he beat Robert Helenius, so can’t count him out.
Viktor Faust (8-0, 6 KOs vs. Iago Kiladze (27-5-1, 19 KOs)
Faust is a 33:1 favorite.
On paper, Kiladze, 1-4-1 in last six, looking like cannon fodder for hot prospect Faust, the Germanized name for Viktor Vykhryst.
* * *
Frank Martin (14-0, 10 KOs) vs. Romero Duno (24-2, 19 KOs)
This lightweight fight on FOX in the lead-in to the pay-per-view could be the most interesting fight of the night. Martin is a hot prospect and 9:1 favorite. But don’t sleep on Duno. Yes, he got blown out in 98 seconds by Kingry, but normally Duno is pretty tough.
– Hoping that one of these heavyweight fights turns into a good scrap.
– Still not PPV-worthy.
– Will be watching for free on my Amazon Fire Stick.
– Happy New Year to all !!!!!!!
HNY Gary! Hope you no buffering or freezing when you watch today.
This is more a poorman’s Hbo heavyweight Explosion ..Not PPv…
I read an article that talks about what time Ortiz and Martin are scheduled to do their ring walks. Like they are talking about Holmes Cooney or some epic fight the whole world was interested in. Boy I miss the boxing of my youth.
I think cards like this should go for $20-30 bucks tops! Most of us fight fans who happen to be home and recovering from the holidays would probably pay/watch?! Better than college football for sure!!
Ortiz was beating Wilder in both fights and he had him KO’d in Rd 8 in the first fight so they trotted out their crisis actor dressed up in a ring doctor suit right in the middle of round 8 to “examine” Wilder, that is buy him time to recover. There was one honest commentator, Malignaggi, who shouted, “They can’t do that!” But they did it and they got away with it. Such is “sports-entertainment” boxing.
In the second fight Ortiz was beating up on Wilder but he got caught. Same thing happened to Szpilka.
As for Martin, he “won” his belt without landing a punch. Poor Czar Glaskov, who was undefeated, suffered a career ending knee injury when he twisted his leg.
I don’t know why you can get away with a comment like that when they censor me for calling out your naked hate of Wilder. I think your belittling of his accomplishments is wrong
PPV!!
It is right that it is pay per view, except they should be paying us to watch it.
Thankfully the internet is alive and well. So many options to stream fights that I haven’t paid for a PPV in 7 years and never will. Saved so much money on MOSTLY disappointing PPV events it’s not even funny. I’ll be watching this card for free, yet again and spending my money on a pizza!
Why dont you explain and help out fans that might want to be able to do this but don’t know how. Hardly any ppv worth buying these days.
I’d rather watch a Joe Biden speech.