By Elisinio Castillo
Jay Jimenez, manager of heavyweight contender Luis Ortiz (27-0, 23 KOs), is delighted with the World Boxing Council's decision not to suspend his boxer for a failed drug test.
"We are very happy and I can say that we are working hard for Luis to return to the ring as soon as possible, not later than January," said Jimenez to George Ebro. "Justice has been done in his case, he is a clean boxer, and the WBC has proven this.''
Ortiz was scheduled to fight WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder on November 4 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Two weeks before the fight, the WBC revealed that Ortiz had failed a random urine test, administered by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA). The test was taken on September 22, and the boxer came up positive for two banned diuretics, chlorothiazide and hydrochlorothiazide.
Ortiz and Jimenez were very firm that both substances were found in the boxer's prescribed medication for his high blood pressure condition.
Because of the failed test, the World Boxing Association suspended Ortiz for a period of one year. He is able to appeal, but for the moment he is banned until September 2018, and as a result he was removed from the WBA rankings, is barred from taking part in WBA title fights, and also lost his mandatory position to WBA world champion Anthony Joshua.
But the WBC went in another direction. They felt the boxer was telling he truth and allowed him to retain his number 3 ranking in their organization.
Jimenez issued a warning to Wilder, Joshua, WBO champion Joseph Parker and every other top name at the weight.
"Let Wilder know and all the champions and those who aspire to be champions - we are back, we never left," added Jimenez. "Now we will redouble our efforts to look for better and bigger fights. Now the motivation is double.''