Deontay Wilder extends unbeaten professional record

American Deontay Wilder extended his professional record to 42 wins without defeat, with his only blemish coming via a draw with lineal champion Tyson Fury. This also meant it was his 10^th successful title defence, drawing him level in a select group with Muhammad Ali and Wladimir Klitschko. The WBC Heavyweight champion is now set to face off in a rematch with Tyson Fury early next year, as the heavyweight division continues to go from strength to strength. He is likely to prove popular for punters using the Bet365 bonus code, considering his incredible professional record to date.

Wilder recently stopped former WBA interim champion Luis Ortiz for the second time, following their close fight the previous time the pair faced off. This saw them face off inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas with many expecting Wilder to win comprehensively this time around. This turned out to be far from the case against the now 40 year old Cuban.

Ortiz controlled the fight from the off and going into the seventh round was full of confidence and had won each round. This meant he was all but heading for a victory as he again put in a controlled round in the seventh, before that one punch knockout. This gave yet another indication of the danger of fighting Wilder and why at present, he is the biggest puncher in the sport. There is also certainly an argument that he may just be the best puncher ever and enough to rival the likes of Foreman and the great Mike Tyson.

Ortiz was again on the front foot in the seventh only for Wilder to land a huge right hand in the closing seconds of the round, which ended the contest as his challenger failed to make the count. It now begs the question, what is next for Ortiz? As he has long been one of the most avoided fighters in the sport. He had also previously entered the professional ranks following a stellar amateur career, that saw him pick up Silver at the World Cup in Moscow in 2005. This loss also now means Ortiz has a professional record of 31 wins, two losses and two no contests. His only two defeats coming against Deontay Wilder.

Wilder will now be looking to get past Tyson Fury, in what is now a hugely anticipated fight in the division. The winner of that is then likely to challenge the winner of the rematch between Ruiz and Joshua for all the belts. It all sets up for a fascinating 2020 and could we yet see a fighter unify the division next year?