Luis Ortiz will face Joe Hanks on 28th July.

I think Ortiz is screwed unless he can get into a title eliminator position no one is gunna take his guy on. Everyone bangs on about what an old man he is but not one of them have stepped up except Jennings. Ortiz has to keep beating whichever fighter will fight him and work his way up the rankings. It’s strange that the IBF have literally kicked him out of the top 15 all of a sudden.

 

They all kicked him out of their rankings because of that 2nd failed test. Only the WBC kept him in their rankings, probably because of their relationship with Haymon.

Jennings only fought him because nobody really knew much about him or rated him before he KO'ed Jennings. Ortiz's entire reputation was built off that one fight where he KO'ed a guy Klitschko couldn't.

There's loads of reasons not to fight him. Too risky for such a low reward, might fail a doping test again so wastes your time, not ranked by anyone but the WBC, if you beat him, you beat an old man, if you lose, you've lost to an old man and known to be difficult to deal with, Rabinsky called him "problematic" when trying to make Ortiz/Ustinov, where Ortiz ducked out of the fight twice on short notice, refused to sign with Hearn, his previous promoter instigated a lawsuit when he allegedly breached his contract with him and signed with Goldenboy, who he then a few months later bought out his contract from Goldenboy.

Will be hard for him to get into a eliminator position as he isn't ranked by anyone by the WBC and Whyte already turned him down to fight Parker because the WBC wouldn't name the winner the mandatory but a weird 2nd mandatory.

His best hope is if the WBC try and mandate another eliminator against Bellew, Fury, Martin or Kownacki. So maybe he'll fight a couple of nobodies then get his eliminator in late 2018 and fight Wilder again in 2019 or whoever is the WBC champion then. But he'll be 40 by then and if Joshua/Wilder happens that and the rematch would push his mandatory to 2020 when he'd be 41 and so yeah he's probably screwed.

 

He was left without a dance partner, so had to pick someone or else be forgotten.

 

It's "Joe Vs The Volcano," all over again!


Careful what you jump into there, Joe......

 

Why do we care that he’s fighting Tom Hanks brother?!

 

I rated Luis Ortiz before he beat Jennings I saw the footwork and skill even when he fought journeymen. Ortiz is imo the 3rd best HW after AJ and Wilder and he proved it in the wilder fight.

I don’t Ortiz would fail a drug test with any other fighter but Wilder as Wilder is the only boxer in the HW division who uses all year round VADA testing.

You are right he is high risk low reward, so like we agreed he needs to beat up these no names and hope he gets mandated for a final eliminator.