Luis ?King Kong? Ortiz was once popped, so to speak, three years ago after his quick, first round mauling of Lateef Kayode?
Call it a lesson learned. Perhaps those of us who still find ourselves clamoring for a return to the recent heyday of the heavyweight division will be made to wait for another decade, if not more. The land of the big men held many legendary names long before many of the readers of this article even graced the Earth. That?s not a sleight, to be sure, against boxing fans. It?s simply an indication of how good things used to be. The heavyweight class was where many of us looked for the best action. Much of that changed by the mid 1990?s and that?s fine. Still, how often as fans of the sport have we heard someone say, ?I sometimes watch the big fights but I stopped actively watching after Mike Tyson went away?? Some of us could pay our car note if we had a few cents for each time we heard a friend mention their views on boxing?s current state.
This is not to suggest that the sport is going nowhere. On the contrary, 2017 is certainly shaping up to a great year for the sweet science and it?s not quite done just yet. Sadly, the bout which could have perhaps taken us a step closer to seeing a showdown between Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder has been scrapped. Luis ?King Kong? Ortiz was once popped, so to speak, three years ago after his quick, first round mauling of Lateef Kayode. He tested positive for steroids after he thought he?d captured the then-interim WBA heavyweight title. Since that time, Ortiz (27-0, 23 KO?s) has torn through all opposition in the form of five knockouts in six bouts. Since he turned professional in early 2010, the former member of the Cuban National Team hasn?t been one to regularly go the distance, much as is the case with Deontay Wilder (38-0, 37 KO?s), his slated opponent for November 4th in Brooklyn, New York.
By now, many of us have read the news that Ortiz has failed another drug test and the WBC heavyweight strap owned by Wilder may ultimately become up for grabs due to the fact that he hasn?t fought since February. Incidentally, that particular contest, which was a fifth round knockout win over late fill-in Gerald Washington, was as such because Deontay?s original opponent Andrzej Wawrzyk had also failed a drug test. In May of 2016, the foolish decisions made by one of the top heavyweights in the world, Alexander Povetkin, caused the cancellation of a Moscow showdown with Wilder.
We can be upset about what?s transpired, yet the bigger picture is even more disheartening. Some of us may have had visions of Wembley Stadium in London or perhaps a football stadium in America hosting the titanic clash between Wilder and the undefeated, undisputed clear heavyweight kingpin, Anthony Joshua (19-0, 19 KO?s). For now, Luis Ortiz owes all of us an apology. He owes one to Deontay Wilder. Furthermore, he can?t forget Shawn Porter, Adrian Granados, Bermane Stiverne and Dominic Breazeale, all of whom are participants of the undercard on November 4 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Ticket buyers, employees of the venue and all other affected parties should feel let down. Did we really want to see this fight anyway? Before Friday?s announcement, Wilder was a slight favorite according to the bookies (-235) against Ortiz (+185). The longer the bout lasted, chances are that Ortiz would run out of energy against the hard punching champion from Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Frowns all around. We can?t always get what we want and sometimes, who don?t even get what we need. Mick was wrong after all?
