The WBA heavyweight ‘mandatory challenger’ Luis Ortiz was not kidding when he demanded a fight against Anthony Joshua.
According to the rankings the Cuban is the next number one contender for Joshua’s WBA heavyweight title. The WBA stated that ‘serious alternative’ is required for Joshua to not defend his WBA title against Ortiz. This most likely means a rematch with Wladimir Klitschko and the angry Cuban is not happy about this.
“I’m ready for the biggest fight of my life and it’s not with regular opponents but with no other than the world ranking of the WBA,” Ortiz told BoxingScene.com.
Ortiz is willing to go all the way against the WBA if they won’t grant him a fight against Joshua.
“Look, if they think I’m going to fold they must be smoking some good sh*t. I’ve come too far. I’ve struggled too much in my life and starved one too many times in Cuba as a kid, eating only bread and water to stop now. I endured too much having to cross the dangerous waters of the Gulf to make it to the US for freedom for me and my sick little girl to now get bullied by anyone,” said Ortiz.
The Cuban simply wants what he believes is his. Though the IBF mandatory challenger, Kubrat Pulev, is also asking a fight against Joshua. Still, Ortiz believes he is first in line.
“My team convinced me to let the WBA move on with the resolution because of lawsuits that were coming at (WBA President Gilberto) Mendoza so I agreed on the WBA terms so they told the world and me that I was next no matter what the IBF was asking. Look, boxing is a sport not just a business and it’s not fair to me if they allow Joshua to get special treatment because someone is dishing out money. All I want is to be treated fair. I’m not asking for what’s not mine.”