Ortiz: ‘I don’t know if Deontay will be improved for this fight, but I will definitely be’

It was a “King Kong Monster Smash” in Las Vegas on Halloween Thursday, as top heavyweight contender Luis “King Kong” Ortiz treated the media to some of the tricks he has in store for WBC Heavyweight World Champion Deontay Wilder before they rematch in the main event of a FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View taking place Saturday, November 23 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Here is what Ortiz had to say Thursday from the Las Vegas Fight Club:

“My main goal has always been to become heavyweight champion and that goal has not veered at all. I haven’t lost any of that hunger. You don’t go through the torture of a training camp like this to just show up.

“I don’t know if Deontay will be improved for this fight, but I will definitely be an even better version of myself on November 23. If I get that opportunity like I got in the last fight, I’m not going to stop punching until it’s over. I’m going to seek and destroy.

“Our mantra is, he quits, they quit for him, you make him quit, or you knock him out. Any of those four is us winning.

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, this fight is going to end in a knockout. Either I’m knocking him out, or he’s knocking me out…but he’s not knocking me out.

“When you watch videos online from Wilder, there are definitely things he does better now. But he still doesn’t have the experience of taking that from training into the fight. He’s got to have a plan B and C, and if he doesn’t, it will be a mistake. I have a plan for everything.

“I’m very proud to be Cuban and I’ve been around some of the great Cuban fighters of all time. It’s going to be very exciting to become the first Cuban heavyweight champion.

“I wouldn’t be here in Las Vegas if I wasn’t serious about being all-in for this fight. I would have stayed home in Miami. I haven’t seen my family in months and that’s worse than any Deontay Wilder punch.

“This fight isn’t personal against Wilder, but it’s personal because I want to erase the loss and that thorn in my side. My motivation is for this fight and this fight only. I’m not thinking about any other heavyweights.

“If anything is going to change in this fight, it’s going to be Wilder making adjustments, if he can. I’m in 15 round shape and he’s going to have to deal with me for every round. We added Larry Wade as strength and conditioning coach and I’m happy and I’m blessed that I’ve had this great training camp.”

Photo: Ryan Hafey/Premier Boxing Champions