Pulev is IBF mandatory and Ortiz is WBA mandatory. WBA stated they may grant AJ a voluntary before Ortiz but can't see IBF allowing that as they are super strict on mandos. Only way out of one of them 2 fights would be a unification but I doubt Wilder will be wanting to step in the ring with AJ anytime soon and it looks like Parker will fight Bellew or Wilder. Also doubt the Wlad rematch will happen. Who's next for him?
I believe it would be Pulev if in the UK or Ortiz if in the US. I would prefer the latter, Ortiz deserves his shot and it would be an entertaining fight. Ortiz' chin is untested, but I would not be sursprised if he took AJ to the scorecards for the first time.
Pulev will be next. It won't be much of a challenge but maybe AJ needs an easier fight after that war he just had.
In this era of 250lbs behemoths that's as close to as a war as you'll get. Both men dropped, a number of changes in momentum and a spectacular KO, you'll not see the kind of wars of old where smaller heavies could stand and trade and throw huge numbers of punches. So yeah in the context of the current era that was a war.
