Indeed and that's probably why I'm just so ambivalent about it. It isn't a shock in the slightest. And annoyingly, it'll likely be a good watch as well.
Damn Wilder Ortiz 2...the first fight was fun but no one wants to see th again. Wilder will KO him quicker this time round. These big men are starting to pisss me off now....GIVE THE FANS THE FIGHTS THEY WANT!!!!! WILDER VS FURY WILDER VS JOSHUA JOSHUA VS FURY
Thing is, whilst it would be amusing in a sense, it almost certainly stops the Joshua Wilder fight ever happening. Ortiz immediately becomes the guy who Hearn would just chuck a pile of money at to make a fight. Wilder is a massive puncher, but crucially becomes an ex champion, with limited selling power, a guy who has lost his last fight, probably lost to Fury as well. Who needs him?
Whilst it's not a shock, I still think it warrants the obvious question; why would you, after 40-odd fights, decide to rematch an old man you've already beaten rather than fight to make history. The 'he's going to increase his profile' line seems so obviously nonsensical. Would Joshua increase his profile rematching Povetkin? What about Fury having another fight with Hammer? What would be the point of those fights?
Ortiz was apparently born in March 1979, I am just not having it. The guy is at least 50 just look at his grandad face. Wilder is a embarrassment to heavyweight division.
Fury has already beaten Wilder, who now holds a paper title. every unbiased follower of boxing knows this. Let's make Joshua v Fury for the title and ignore Wilder. A trilogy between them would be even better, then some of the next generation would be ready for a crack. Wilder could be frozen out for good.
Problem with that; Wilder still has the title. Joshua and Fury won't want to be saying 'yeah, but I'd have won it anyway and if you think about it I sort of won it.' History says they didn't. That said, I'd not be surprised if Wilder is just Bowe to Joshua's Lewis. He blatantly doesn't fancy the job. I reckon he could lose it or just end up dropping it. Joshua definitely fights Fury at some point and with Usyk/Pulev/Dubois/Joyce/Gorman potentially on the horizon, plus who knows who else, he still has the potential to create a decent legacy. Wilder has had more than 40 fights and fought in the era of Klitschko, Fury, Joshua, Whyte, Haye, Chagaev and Povetkin. His greatest win is still against a geriatric with lower back problems and a heart condition.
Luis Ortiz, formerly known as Connor Macleod was born in the 16th century in the Scottish Highlands. He’s been wandering about since then, decapitating rivals, banging on about how there can only be one.