Concerning news has come ahead of the WBC heavyweight title fight as Luis Ortiz tests positive ahead of the bout in New York.
The Cuban boxing maestro has reportedly tested positive for a banned substance ahead of the much anticipated heavyweight showdown that was only recently announced as a fight confirmed for November 4th at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
This news however has thrown the fight into uncertainty.
It was confirmed by the President that the challenger tested positive for a banned substance in the VADA Testing program:
@WBCBoxing has received confirmation from @Vada_Testing that Luis Ortiz has tested positive for a banned substance under #CleanBoxingProgram
— Mauricio Sulaiman (@wbcmoro) September 29, 2017
This leaves Deontay Wilder in doubt with who his next opponent could be.
If it wasn’t to be Ortiz, in theory, Wilder’s team will have at least a month to line up a replacement but it will have to be someone credible if indeed Wilder is to then fight Anthony Joshua in a unification fight next year as expected.
No comment has been forthcoming from Ortiz or his team as of yet further to the WBC President’s statement regarding the positive test.
Luis Ortiz (38) currently holds a professional boxing record of 27-0-23KO. Deontay Wilder’s record stands at 38-0-37KO.
