4,585 fans packed the D.C. Armory on Saturday to watch interim WBA World heavyweight champion Luis Ortiz knockout former world title challenger Tony Thompson in six rounds on HBO’s Boxing After Dark.
As expected, Thompson was no match for “King Kong,” as he hit the canvas three times in a fight that resembled a one-sided doghouse sparring session at the Mayweather Boxing Club.
The third and final knockdown put Thompson on the canvas for good, a massive left hand over the top with enough mustard to prevent the 44-year-old from getting up in time.
Thompson accepted an offer to fight Ortiz after several contenders backed out from the challenge. The fight, however, was not an official defense of Ortiz’s interim title.
The WBA refused to sanction the bout because they believed that sanctioning a stay-busy fight as a title bout would have been a misrepresentation.
Now looking at it, it was probably the correct decision.
Ortiz improved to 25-0 with 22 knockouts while Thompson dropped to 40-7 with 27 knockouts.
Jessie Vargas is the new WBO World welterweight champion.
In a close fight throughout, Vargas (27-1, 10 KO’s) stopped Sadam Ali (22-1, 13 KO’s) in the ninth round.
Ali controlled the opening frames behind his quick jab and solid one-two combinations, but as the fight marched forward, it is hard to determine who was winning the rounds.
That changed in the blink of an eye when Vargas knocked Ali down with a colossal right hand that Ali never saw coming in the eighth.
While Ali managed to beat the count, his legs were still spaghetti noodles as the bell rung for the subsequent round.
After getting a dropped once again, the referee halted the fight, giving Vargas what he described as “a career best win.”
– Ryan O’Hara / @OHaraSports
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