Comments Thread For: Anthony Joshua vs. Luis Ortiz Ordered By The WBA

[bronx7]

Champs avoided Ortiz no belts no huge fans ped use all risk no reward

[otrocubiche]

I have a feeling that AJ is going to drop the belt, take the easy fight with pulev and then try to unify when king kong is a little older

[N/A]

I have a feeling that AJ is going to drop the belt, take the easy fight with pulev and then try to unify when king kong is a little older

What's more likely is that King Kong unifies with Wilder and the winner of their fight then unifies with Joshua.

It's been almost two decades since we've had a WBC WBA IBF heavyweight champion of the world and it's long overdue. Haymon and Hearn are working to make it a reality. Showtime is on board.

Things only became this complicated because Klitschko wouldn't fight Joshua unless the WBA was at stake. Prior to that, the plan was always to get the WBA on to King Kong and to then have a series of fights between Joshua, King Kong and Wilder that unified the three most important titles.

Klitschko's retirement allows Hearn and Haymon to return to their original plan. Things will just have to be done in such a way that it allows Joshua to save face when he vacates.

[Butch.McRae]

The WBA isn't stripping anybody. That's the one organization that lets the money fighters do what they want. Joshua will fight Pulev in Cardiff and then Ortiz after.

Someone point to the last time the WBA stripped a fighter of his belt for not fighting a mando...this is just posturing to seem credible

[champion4ever]

Nobody is more deserving? How about the hundreds of other fighters who've never doped?

I agree with you. He made a mistake, was wrong and has paid the price for it; A nine month suspension by the NSAC to be exact. Besides, that was several years ago. However, more importantly, he is now currently signed up to the Vada/WBC clean boxing program. He is a clean fighter now. Therefore, there is no reasonable justification to deprive him of what is rightfully his.

What I find so ironic is that there have been several scores of fighters who've juiced in the past and have never been caught or punished before to this day for it, but yet still went on to become mandatory challengers, title holders, champions and multiple weight division titleholders.

[N/A]

Someone point to the last time the WBA stripped a fighter of his belt for not fighting a mando...this is just posturing to seem credible

They haven't had to because they've had three champions in every division. As they return to one champion, they won't have the leeway they once had.

WBA (like WBC) does allow step aside though, but I'm not sure Hearn will want to pay it when he knows Joshua will be fighting a unification for all three belts at some point against a Haymon fighter and the only reason AJ has the WBA is because there was no way to get Klitschko's scalp without it.

[Pigeons]

My guess is they'll tell the WBA they are dropping the belt and they'll fight Pulev at Cardiff. I remain convinced Ortiz will never get an AJ shot..

That would be weak. If he had to choose between one, why would he take the lower ranked fighter?

[Travycat]

They'd probably like Pulev before Ortiz. I think he's ready for either.

[NahMean]

Mauricio Suleiman just yesterday said they are negotiating between Wilder, Ortiz and Stiverne?? I'd rather see Ortiz vs AJ but didn't the IBF say they WILL strip AJ if he doesn't fight Pulev??

So if he fights Ortiz, IBF straps him.. If he fights Ortiz, WBA strip him? This is bul****.. I hope he doesn't get stripped.. These sanctioning bodies make it impossible to unify all the belts! He can't fight both guys at the same time.

Wilder should get Stiverne out the way then fight Parker. AJ gets Pulev and Ortiz out the way then AJ and Wilder unify in a mega showdown.

[Blackclouds]

So we'll see which one AJ chooses. The weaker threat in Pulev or Ortiz. I expect AJ to make the duck of Ortiz official and fight Pulev.