Luis Ortiz believes he can still avoid it

By: Hans Themistode

Even at 42, Luis Ortiz believes his time near the top of heavyweight is far from over.

In just a few weeks, the Cuban-born will want to prove that age is nothing more than a number when facing former IBF heavyweight champion Charles Martin. The two are scheduled to go head to head on New Year’s Day at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida.

While Ortiz has scored some devastating wins throughout his career, after two losses at the hands of former WBC belt holder Deontay Wilder, Ortiz has become somewhat of a forgotten man in the grand scheme of things. greatness of everything. More than anything, the slick and strong southern team that patiently watched the likes of Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, Oleksandr Usyk and Andy Ruiz Jr., received well-deserved awards as best of the best. in the tournament.

On the other hand, Ortiz believes that his name should still be mentioned among the elite. However, while Ortiz is convinced that his skills are second to none, he has a strong hunch as to why his name is not mentioned by any of the top people along the way. time with him.

“You know why my name isn’t mentioned?” Asked Ortiz during a recent virtual press conference. “Because they avoid me. I don’t know why they avoid me but they do.”

Although Ortiz believes his name should still stick out near the top of the heavyweight, he will have a chance to climb back up to his ranks on January 1. Since losing a decision closely but clearly unanimously into the hands of Adam Kownacki in September 2018, Charles Martin pressed the restart button. As a result, the former world champion had three consecutive victories.

However, despite Martin’s current form, Ortiz is confident he will be able to put an end to it. Most recently, after a seventh round defeat at the hands of Deontay Wilder in November 2019, Ortiz is back. The Cuban tennis player quickly knocked out Alexander Flores in November 2020, stopping him in the first round.

Although Ortiz hasn’t been able to enter the ring since then, he speaks confidently about his work ethic and commitment to staying in the gym. If the Cuban star does win against Martin, he wouldn’t expect any former or current world champion to call him out publicly. While he’s surprised by the lack of top names willing to take on him, Ortiz believes he has an idea why his name isn’t exactly on people’s minds.

“Maybe it’s because they have their panties in a pile. I don’t know but I’ll be ready when they call my name. ”