By Elisinio Castillo

Undefeated Cuban heavyweight Luis Ortiz (27-0, 23 KOs) is hungry to get back in the ring.

The boxer is about to conclude the last round of tests ordered by the World Boxing Council to verify the state of his health. Ortiz continues training with an eye on staging his next fight in the first half of 2018.

The Cuban boxer has not been suspended by the WBC nor removed from their rankings - and his team is hoping that a showdown with WBC champion Deontay Wilder can be finalized in the future.

Ortiz was set to challenge Wilder on November 4th at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Late last month, the World Boxing Council announced that Ortiz had tested positive for two banned diuretics that can be used as masking agents for PEDs.

The Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency [VADA], which performs testing for the WBC’s “Clean Boxing Program,” informed the sanctioning body that Ortiz tested positive for hlorothiazide and hydrochlorothiazide in a urine test taken September 22.

Ortiz was pulled from the fight and replaced by Bermane Stiverne, who is the WBC's mandatory challenger.

The boxer and his handlers are standing firm - that his prescribed medication for high blood pressure was the root cause of the failed VADA test. The medication does contain the substances in question, but his test failure resulted from not advising VADA that he was prescribed to take the medication.

At the moment, the WBC has taken no action against Ortiz.

"There has never been a mention here of the word suspension on the part of the WBC," said Jay Jimenez, Ortiz's manager, to George Ebro. "It has been clearly proven that Luis was on medical prescription and VADA has at no time spoken of doping. We do not see why he should stop his career. "

However, BoxingScene.com reported last week that the World Boxing Association has placed Ortiz on suspension and removed the boxer from his mandatory position to world champion Anthony Joshua.

The suspension and removal from the mandatory position is only temporary, while the sanctioning body conducts their own investigation on the matter and issues a resolution. The WBA also work with VADA.

"Our lawyers have sent Luis's medical tests to WBA, and everything related to the case, including documents to display the way the WBC has treated him," Jimenez added. "It would be very unfair for the WBA to make such a drastic decision with our boxer.'

"We are going to move forward and if it won't be with the WBA, then we will work with the other agencies. As soon as the final results of the medical tests are over, we will start working on the next fight."

Ortiz has been out of the ring since December 2016, when he stopped David Allen in the UK.