Wayne McCullough watches Ulises Solis mark one of boxing's most poignant landmarks in style.
Solis makes it two out of two against Ortiz
Last weekend marked the 100-year anniversary of the fight between the legendary Jack Johnson and Jim Jeffries in Reno, NV.
To mark the anniversary, former light-flyweight champions Ulises Solis and Eric Ortiz fought a rematch of their March 2006 fight at the Centennial Event. In their first meeting, Solis won by ninth round stoppage.
Solis and Ortiz had a common opponent in Brian Viloria - who had knocked out both of them and had taken their belts. Ivan Calderon is probably the best light-flyweight in the world right now but this weight division is full of talent.
Even though Viloria took the IBF belt from Solis, it has changed hands between Carlos Tamara and Luis Alberto Lazarate and Solis is now in line again to fight the winner of Lazarate-Tamara - who meet in September - so he technically didn't need to take this fight.
However, it was expected to be a barn burner. While they are only light-flyweights, they have a total of 42 KO's from their combined 79 fights.
Solis, an aggressive fighter who takes a lot of shots but can punch, needed to keep his left hand higher. He typically carries that hand low which is how he got KO'd by Viloria's overhand right.
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Ortiz was wide open for every punch but he wasn't as aggressive as his opponent. He was more of a counter puncher and was nowhere to be found in any of the weight division's rankings while Solis is No 1 in the IBF's ratings.
Solis came in at 8st 1½lbs with Ortiz just half a pound lighter.
Instead of Solis being the usual come-forward, all-action, toe-to-toe fighter that he is, he chose at times to use his smart footwork and boxing skills throwing out an effective scoring left jab that set up his right hand.
Ortiz landed some good shots but wasn't able to get close to the always mobile Solis - and he pushed Ortiz away when he did get close.
He lost a point for that in the ninth but ironically got it back when he dropped Ortiz with a left and right combination just before the bell. This was the round Ortiz was stopped in their last fight but the bout continued to the 10th and final round this time.
Solis continued to land shots to the body and head of scoring another knockdown from a right hand but it wasn't as hard a shot as the previous one that put him on the canvas. Credit goes to Ortiz for getting up again and making it to the final bell.
Solis held onto his No 1 spot in the ranking and showed a variety of skills although this time he didn't get a stoppage. He out-boxed and out classed Ortiz to win a wide unanimous decision on scores of 98-89 twice and 99-88 and is looking to pick up another belt.
