Luis Ortiz Would Take Bermane Stiverne Eliminator, Says Hearn

By Carlos Boogs

As BoxingScene.com recently reported, Luis Ortiz (27-0, 23 KOs) is positioned for a final WBC world title eliminator - if he decides to go in that direction.

Ortiz is already the WBA's mandatory challenger to the upcoming fight between Anthony Joshua and Wladimir Klitschko, which takes place on April 29 at Wembley. There is no guarantee that Ortiz will get the winner, as the IBF has also mandated the winner of that contest to face Kubrat Pulev.

With Alexander Povetkin's removal from the rankings, Ortiz is now ranked in the number two position and Bermane Stiverne sits at one.

Stiverne was scheduled to face Povetkin last December in a final WBC eliminator to get a shot at world champion Deontay Wilder. The morning of the fight, it was revealed that Povetkin had tested positive for a banned substance and the entire fight fell apart when the WBC withdrew their sanction.

Wilder is making a voluntary defense on February 25th, against undefeated Gerald Washington.

Promoter Eddie Hearn of Matchroom is working with Ortiz on a fight by fight basis and he believes the Cuban banger would accept the opportunity to fight Stiverne, but it's a decision that he would have to think over as taking a final WBC eliminator would void out his mandatory status under the WBA.

"It hasn't been called yet by the WBC, but there are people talking about one and two having a final eliminator for Wilder, which would make sense," Hearn told Sky Sports.

"Ortiz is high in the IBF, he's mandatory in the WBA, he's now No 2 in the WBC. There are so many ways he can go. I think if the Stiverne fight came up, he would take that fight in a final eliminator, but then that would close the door on other governing bodies, so it's something he has got to think about carefully."