Ruiz drops Luis three times at the Crypto.con Arena in Los Angeles, to win a WBC heavyweight eliminatory bout, and as a result puts himself right back into the top echelon fray.

As he was being introduced by Ring Announcer Jimmy Lennon, “King Kong” beat his chest in dramatic fashion. But as the bout began, the forty  three southpaw adopted a prudent approach to Andy, who is eleven years younger  and has fast hands, which belie his rotund frame.

All of a sudden and seemingly out of nowhere a lightning  right from handy Andy, dropped Luis mighty hard in round two. The Cuban got up still looking stunned and surprised, and was soon down again from a mixture of a flurry and a push. Looking wild eyed, he received a second count from Referee Thomas Taylor.

Superbly conditioned for an old timer, Luis weathered the storm and tried to keep Andy at bay with his long barge pole right jab, but got clobbered in the midriff and another big right to the head shook him down to his boots.

Both were feinting, looking for openings in round six. There was a swelling under Andy’s left eye, while a mouse was forming on Luis` left  eyebrow.

More drama in the seventh. A left right combination to the head from Andy, then an even bigger right wobbled Luis and another right to the top of his head which produced a sweat spray… dropped him. Moments later, after the bell rang, Andy crossed himself with his right gloved hand as he walked back to his corner.

Round nine saw some peach of punches landed. A heavy right wobbled Luis and then Andy measured him for another, with the Cuban showing spirit by retaliating with two straight lefts of his own.

Andy yet again wobbled him in the eleventh and the swelling on the Cuban`s eye was worsening by the second. Paradoxically, the twelfth and last round was Luis Ortiz`s best. He finally discarded the strictures of his defense and unfettered, he threw clusters of punches, forcing Andy Ruiz back.

The three knockdowns were the triple decisive. The Judges` scores were: 113-112, 114-111 and 114-111. Andy donned a WBC green sash medal and a WBC cap. He`s  back!