Luis Ortiz: “[Tyson] Fury has no rival, I’m ready”

By: Hans Themistode

Luis Ortiz believes he has something to prove going into a match against Charles Martin on New Year’s Day. At the ripe old age of 42, Ortiz remains steadfast in the belief that despite his age, his dream of becoming the first Cuban-born heavyweight champion is still within his grasp. However, when the two were locked horns at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida, the tough opponent almost ended up going wrong with a knockout loss.

While Ortiz dashed into the middle of the ring with confidence, Martin, a former interim heavyweight champion, did the same. When the two started exchanging leather goods, it was Ortiz who hit the canvas in the first and fourth rounds.

Though things looked bad, Ortiz dug deep in the midpoint of their showdown and bounced back. In particular, in the sixth round, the Cuban male tennis player dropped his man after connecting with his strong right hand leading to a series of punches. Soon after, Ortiz ended the show, finishing Martin later in the round.

The win for Ortiz was his second in a row since his unsuccessful attempt to win the world championship against Deontay Wilder. As Ortiz began sifting through the department’s closest names, he revealed that he would be interested in facing some of the more notable contenders. Or, in a perfect world, Ortiz would love to surpass them entirely and try his hand at another world title.

“I want to fight Andy Ruiz, I want to fight Dillian Whyte,” Ortiz told ESNEWS. “[Tyson] Fury has no rival, I’m ready for anyone.”

Fury, 33, has spent the past two years focusing on his showdown with former heavyweight champion and Ortiz conqueror, Deontay Wilder. Although Fury credits Wilder as the second heavyweight in the world, the Alabama native was unable to claim a victory over Fury in their fighting fights.

In their most recent competition on October 9, late last year, Fury crawled back on his feet on two separate occasions to score the stoppage-time winner on the 11th goal.

Since then, both Fury and his promoter Bob Arum have revealed that the current WBC roster could face either the next Robert Helenius or Andy Ruiz. However, nothing has been perfected yet, leaving Fury unrivalled for the time being.

Considering his victory came from behind, Ortiz would love nothing more than to share the ring with Fury and get his third crack at gold heavyweight.