Despite Luis Ortiz (27-0, 23 KOs) testing positive for 2 banned drugs in his pre-fight test by VADA, WBC heavyweight champion Deontay “Bronze Bomber” Wilder (38-0, 37 KOs) says he’s still going to be fighting on November 4th at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Wilder, 31, doesn’t know who he’ll be fighting, but he would prefer that it be Ortiz if possible. However, it’s not up to him, Wilder admits. It’s up to the World Boxing Council to make the decision. The WBC is not likely to let Ortiz go ahead and fight Wilder after he tested positive on his A-sample by VADA during his pre-fight testing.
Wilder said this on his Instagram:
“The Bronze Bomber here, I just wanted to let you know that I will still be fighting on November the 4th at the Barclays Center. Announcements are coming soon. We’ll see what’s going on. We’re going to try and resolve this matter as soon and as fast as possible.”
Is a huge turnaround for Wilder to be now saying he wants to fight on November 4? Wilder was talking about wanting to retire from boxing earlier today in talking on his social media site. For Wilder to suddenly change his mind about retirement and now talking about wanting to still fight on November 4th, it comes across as strange.
It isn’t up to Wilder whether he fights on November 4. It’s also not up to Wilder to still fight Ortiz. It’s nice gesture on Wilder’s part to still want to fight Ortiz, but he’s not going to be the one that makes the decision.
If Wilder is still going to be fighting on November 4, then that leaves him only one option and that’s former WBC heavyweight champion Bermane Stiverne (25-2-1, 21 KOs). He stepped aside to let Wilder fight Ortiz, and no one else. So, if the fight against Ortiz isn’t going to take place, then Wilder will likely be required to fight Stiverne, who is already scheduled to fight on his undercard against Dominic Breazeale.
It’s unclear if Stiverne can move up into the main event and fight Wilder or not. It might not be possible if Stiverne’s contract for the Breazeale fight doesn’t allow him to do that. It’s got to be Stiverne. That’s how I see it. Siverne is Wilder’s mandatory challenger, and he’s the one that took the step aside to let Wilder fight Ortiz. Now that Ortiz is out of the picture, that means Stiverne has to step up and take his fight with Wilder.
”I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I do know that November the 4th is still going down,” said Wilder. ”It’s up to the WBC, whatever they want to do with it. I’ve already put in a request that I still want to fight him no matter what. It’s not up to me, so we’ll see what happens. Let’s make this [expletive] still happen,” said Wilder.
#3 WBC Dillian Whyte wants the fight with Wilder, and the WBC would likely be agreeable to that match taking place. However, Wilder wants a lot of money to defend his title against Whyte. Would Wilder take less than what he’s been asking for?
