"King Kong is back!" - Luis Ortiz reveals he's ready for return against Anthony Joshua
Luis Ortiz has revealed that he's ready to return to the ring and has a big name in mind.
The Cuban has been out of the squared circle since January. 'King Kong' defeated Charles Martin in a wild come-from-behind knockout victory on Fox pay-per-view. Following the bout, the heavyweight contender had to take time off to heal from a nagging hand injury.
According to Ortiz, the hand injury has now healed and he's ready to return. In an interview with BoxingScene.com, he revealed that he's back in training and announced he would like to face Anthony Joshua next.
The 42-year-old has previously been mentioned as a possible replacement for Oleksandr Usyk as he's been forced out of his rematch with 'AJ' for the time being. Ortiz seemed to like the idea, saying:
“King Kong Ortiz is Back! I am starting training this week. My rehabilitation of the hand injury is done. I am ready for anyone, including [Filip] Hrgovic. If not him then any of the top contenders. I heard rumors of Joshua looking for southpaw work. I would be honored to step in for his [interim] bout while he waits for Usyk as he defends his beautiful country. My prayers go out to the Klitschko brothers and all the Ukrainian people."
Check out BoxingScene's interview with Ortiz below:
Luis Ortiz Recovered From Surgery, Would Like To Face Joshua Next dlvr.it/SM9LG4 https://t.co/UsolD8ZVz1
Eddie Hearn has mentioned Luis Ortiz as a replacement bout for Anthony Joshua
It's yet to be confirmed if Luis Ortiz will face Anthony Joshua next. However, it seems the Cuban is seemingly one of the leading contenders to face 'AJ'.
The Brit was set to face Oleksandr Usyk in a rematch of their September 2021 thriller. 'The Cat' walked into the UK as an underdog and left with the heavyweight titles after dominating Joshua and winning via unanimous decision. Following the bout, the former champion activated his rematch clause.
However, the second encounter was postponed due to Usyk enrolling in the Ukrainian military following Russia's invasion of his home country. Eddie Hearn has been forced to find a new opponent. In an interview with BoxingScene, he revealed that Luis Ortiz is one of the contenders:
"I think from a southpaw perspective, which would be great preparation for the Usyk fight, you’ve got Luis Ortiz and you’ve got Otto Wallin. You’ve [also] got Joe Joyce calling AJ out. AJ talks about Deontay Wilder, which is unrealistic as far as I’m concerned, but he doesn’t want to fight a warm-up fight."