Cuban amateur star, Luis Ortiz will finally get his chance to come face-to-face with the knockout sensation, Deontay Wilder when they collide on March 3rd at The Barclays Arena in New York.
They had been originally scheduled to face one another in November. However, Ortiz tested positive for a prohibited substance and the WBC refused to let Ortiz fight for the title. He was replaced by the man who Wilder won the title from in the form of Bermane Stiverne.
Stiverne was brutally wiped out inside of one round of his rematch with Wilder. That was ‘The Bronze Bomber’s sixth defence of the WBC world heavyweight title and he will be aiming to make the Cuban southpaw, Ortiz that number 7.
The WBC has now however retrospectively decided that the failed test was simply down due to prescribed blood pressure medication. This meant Ortiz was cleared and he is now free to fight.
https://twitter.com/OSCARSANTANA10/status/943119399271182336
Ortiz began by explaining that Wilder doesn’t know the shock he is in for when that first bell goes.
The man who has been dubbed ‘King Kong’ referred to their meeting as a “He only talks about what he’s going to do, he still does not know what a train crash is.”
Wilder already seeing past Luis Ortiz, and Declare War on Joshua – Boxing News https://t.co/VMU4oHo6Fo
— KING KONG BOXING (@kingkongboxing) January 2, 2018
Ortiz also made reference to Wilder’s recent arrest over marijuana possession. Ortiz has shared that those legal problems should be at the back of his mind with the fight against him a ‘real problem.’
“Now he has a real problem and it will not be the tobacco that the police took from him.”
It will be a problem between him and myself when we are alone in the ring,” Ortiz said.
Touching the issue of the setbacks in his career – “All those problems have only strengthened me, centred my mind to be more focused on my goals.”
“The opportunity for King Kong to fulfil his dream of being world champion.”
“I only know that I’m going to do my job in the ring, my training has doubled and my motivation has doubled at this time.”
Wilder's Coach: We Can't Lose Focus For a Second With Luis Ortiz – Boxing News https://t.co/qJ18iFFhbo
— KING KONG BOXING (@kingkongboxing) January 14, 2018
On the topic of how Cuba will receive its first professional world heavyweight champion, Ortiz told BoxingScene.com – “I do not know if Cuba would recognize it, but I know that the people will.
I see it as they themselves would go into the streets and support me. That is more than enough for me,” Ortiz concluded.
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