Fight fans have read about how a fight between unbeaten WBC heavyweight ruler Deontay Wilder and unbeaten Cuban southpaw Luis Ortiz is very much on the agenda, but so far the fight has not been signed. This could change soon. According to a piece on RingTV.com, the fight is back on the radar, for November 4, in Brooklyn, New York, to go out on Showtime.
“Sources” informed the website of The Bible of Boxing how Wilder and Ortiz are in “advanced talks” and that unbeaten heavyweight contender Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller is set to feature on the card (against TBA). The only real hold up regarding Wilder-Ortiz comes in the form of Bermane Stiverne.
Stiverne – who has fought just once since losing his WBC belt to Wilder way, way back in January of 2015 – remains the WBC mandatory challenger and the former champ has reportedly refused a step aside payment (in the region of six-figures according to “sources” who informed RingTV.com) to allow Wilder-Ortiz to go ahead. If Stiverne won’t budge, it’s not clear what will happen as no TV network has a single shred of interest in paying for a Wilder-Stiverne rematch.
WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman informed RingTV how he hopes to “have a resolution in the next 10 days.” It is to be hoped Wilder-Ortiz does happen, as it is a potentially great action fight as well as being a fight that would provide “The Bronze Bomber” with his stiffest test to date.
And with the vocal and exciting to watch Miller fighting on the under-card, things could get very interesting on November 4. Miller against a top-10 opponent would be great to see. Miller of course has called out Wilder, as well as Anthony Joshua.
Joshua, who next faces his IBF mandatory Kubrat Pulev, must then defend against Ortiz, his WBA mandatory. However, if Wilder faces and defeats Ortiz in November, we could get a massive unification showdown between Wilder and Joshua next year some time. Then again, Ortiz is convinced he has what it takes to KO both Wilder AND Joshua.
If things work out we could be in store for some major heavyweight excitement in the coming months.
