By Tim Royner: WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder is letting Luis ‘King Kong’ Ortiz have just one more free chance of fighting him without having to earn it by working to become his mandatory challenger. Earlier on Friday, the news of the Wilder-Ortiz fight was announced for March 3 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
The fight will be televised on CBS or Showtime. One of those 2 networks will be showing the Wilder-Ortiz affair.
Wilder (39-0, 38 KOs) says he’s going to whoop Ortiz’s behind on March 3 to show the boxing world that he’s the better fighter. The first time Wilder and Ortiz (28-0, 24 KOs) were scheduled to fight each other last year on November 4, it failed to happen after the Cuban heavyweight tested positive for the banned diuretics chlorothiazide and hydrochlorothiazide. Those drugs used as masking agents by some athletes, but in Ortiz’s case, he said that he was using them to control his high blood pressure. The November 4 fight between Wilder and Ortiz was canceled because of the positive drug test by the Cuban fighter.
“I was ready the first time. This is a new day for you,” Wilder said to ESPN.com in talking about Ortiz. “I think you’re one of the best heavyweights in the world and I want to prove that I am the best. We must fight each other. You will have your fight. Be ready, I don’t want no excuses. I’m gonna whoop your ass.”
Ortiz has tested positive 2 times in the last 3 years. Wilder doesn’t mind though. He’s still willing to take the fight because he recognizes the talent of the 6’4”, 240 pound Ortiz. Wilder wants to beat him and showcase his boxing skills and power in front of the entire world. Ortiz might be the third best fighter in the heavyweight division behind Wilder and Anthony Joshua.
Ortiz obviously believes he’s as good as both of them if not better. He’ll get his chance to prove that on March 3 when he steps inside the ring with the 6’7” Wilder. Ortiz will be giving away 3 inches in height, and considerably more in the power and speed department. If the southpaw Ortiz is going to win this fight, he’s going to need to do it based on his boxing skills more than his size, speed, athleticism youth and power, because he’s not going to be able to match-up with Wilder in those departments.
Ortiz is back in the WBC’s rankings after being cleared by the sanctioning bodies of his positive drug tests. If Ortiz beats Wilder, he’ll get to keep his WBC heavyweight title. There hasn’t been anything said about whether there’s a rematch clause in the contract for the Wilder-Ortiz fight, but you’d have to assume there is because this is a voluntary title defense for Wilder. He chose to fight Ortiz rather than him being ordered by the World Boxing Council to make the fight.
Ortiz fought last month on December 8 and knocked out Daniel Martz in the 2nd round in his first fight back from a 1-year layoff. Wilder was waiting for Ortiz after the fight to let him know that’s giving him a second chance to fight him. Ortiz looked grateful to Wilder for giving him the second chance. He stood there smiling mostly as Wilder let him know that he was going to give him the title shot. Wilder seems to care about Ortiz, and wanted to help him out by giving him the fight.