By: Michael Kane
Deontay Wilder used social media to announce his next opponent over night.
He will face Luis Ortiz later in the year in a rematch, they both faced each other in March 2018, in a bout in which Ortiz had Wilder rattled only to be knocked out in the 10th round.
This announcement puts any potential rematch with Tyson Fury or a unification fight with Anthony Joshua back until next year at the earliest.
Wilder v Ortiz II 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
To all my fans,
I want to announce that Luis Ortiz and I have signed for a rematch, with the date and site to be announced shortly.
All my controversial fights
Must get dealt with ASAP‼️#BombZquad pic.twitter.com/RZs7vLEhaj— Deontay Wilder (@BronzeBomber) May 28, 2019
Joshua, who is preparing in New York for his U.S debut on Saturday said recently that he wanted face to face talks with Wilder to try and thrash a deal out, Joshua was expected to call out Wilder if he beats Andy Ruiz Jr on Saturday.
🗣 @AnthonyFJoshua Has A Message For @BronzeBomber 😤 pic.twitter.com/hml3WqT7an
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) May 28, 2019
There is pressure from fans, especially in the UK for Joshua and Fury to face the best, if no deal can be made for either to face Wilder, could we see the two meet each other? Unlikely at this stage. Both are with different TV companies in the UK and U.S.
The fighter who could win from this situation is Dillian Whyte should he beat Oscar Rivas next month. It seems a fight between Whyte and Fury could be next on the cards with Eddie Hearn saying a deal had been done. Although it would seem Eddie Hearn was talking with his tongue firmly in his cheek in an effort to get Fury to face Whyte.
“It’s very likely that the Oscar Rivas fight will be for the interim WBC title, and then we have confirmed we are happy to fight Tyson Fury next,” Hearn told IFL TV.
“Because he came out and said he will fight Dillian Whyte for the Diamond belt, so, we wrote to the WBC and said, ‘Great news, Tyson Fury will fight Dillian Whyte for the Diamond belt’. So, we’re in for that now.
“After (Whyte) beats Rivas, he will become the mandatory (for Wilder). That’s what we requested, but Deontay will be allowed another fight in October or whenever he’s going to fight, and we’ll fight Fury next, and then after Dillian beats Fury, he’ll fight Wilder.”
Tyson Fury’s coach, Ben Davison has said that Fury won’t fight a final eliminator but that a fight with Whyte would make sense if they can’t tie down Wilder or Joshua.
Davison told metro.co.uk, “Dillian Whyte stylistically is not the toughest fight for Tyson, but with that being said, Tyson’s not going to fight a final eliminator, that’s ridiculous.
“He’s the lineal heavyweight champion of the world and everyone knows he beat Deontay Wilder, the WBC champion of the world. Why would he have to fight a final eliminator? That’s the bad bit of it.
“But, Tyson is chasing fights with Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua and if those fights can’t be made, don’t get it twisted, we’d gladly make that match-up with Dillian Whyte.”
