Tuesday 8 November 2016 08:51, UK
Boxing’s worst kept secret, Luis Ortiz, is finally ready to step out of his own hefty shadow and he’s gunning for Anthony Joshua.
They call him 'The Real King Kong' and even the original on-screen gorilla might think twice before arguing with that. Ortiz, the unbeaten heavyweight, might be the most dangerous man in the sport so why doesn't his reputation match the whispers about his ability?
Ortiz has been too good for his own good. For years, the risk of fighting him wasn't worth it to your piggy bank. In becoming the first foreigner to join Matchroom, he has finally understood the need to address his unwanted position as the most avoided fighter in the world.
In a heavyweight landscape usually dictated by brawn over brains, Ortiz can be a perplexing addition to the mix due to a style honed in the Cuban amateur game. A methodical southpaw blessed with a longer reach than Joshua or Deontay Wilder, 25 professional opponents have failed to answer the unique questions that he poses.
He is 37-years-old yet the biggest fights of his career appear to be some way ahead of him. The allure of Ortiz is that not much seems to make sense - his pro career began just six years ago, when he defected from his native Cuba's communist regime to seek further rewards for his craft.
His amateur record is said to be 343-19 but again, it is impossible to verify exactly how many crumpled bodies the enigma has left in his wake. He fled to Miami, specifically the 5th Street Gym that Muhammad Ali called home, to join the paid ranks but has remained no more than a haunting figure in the nightmares of world heavyweight champions.
His main setback was self-inflicted - a positive test for the banned substance nandrolone in 2014 after a swift knockout of Lateef Kayode stopped Ortiz when he was on the cusp of a breakthrough. He was stripped of the WBA interim title and his mandatory position - he would have fought then-champion Wladimir Klitschko. That's an intriguing thought two years later, a fight that is now surely consigned to fantasy.
But what about IBF champion Joshua? He must first deal with Eric Molina on December 10, live on Sky Sports Box Office, but has become a stablemate of Ortiz's. Would Matchroom let their prized asset defend his belt against their dangerous newcomer?
"Luis Ortiz against Joshua could be a huge fight for 2017 and we have no problem in making that fight if it is the right move," said Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn.
"People get the impression that AJ is mollycoddled, but they couldn't be more wrong. Look at the Charles Martin fight, everyone looks back and says it was an easy fight, but at the time they were saying it was a hard fight that was coming too early.
"If the reward is there to take the risk against Ortiz, who is very dangerous, and the fight is big enough, then yes, let's do it.
"We want to build the profile of Ortiz so he can't be ignored and get him in a high value position so he can get these big fights against the best heavyweights out there."
The first assignment for the Cuban southpaw is this Saturday, live on Sky Sports, against veteran Malik Scott (38-2-1) in Monte Carlo. Scott has only been beaten by Deontay Wilder and Dereck Chisora.
Ortiz, who at 37 is battle-hardened yet unscathed, has been provisionally pencilled in for his British debut on Joshua's undercard next month. He's getting closer, Joshua, and it will take serious force to drag King Kong down from the tower.
Watch Luis Ortiz v Malik Scott on a Monte Carlo card including Jamie McDonnell, Stephen Smith and Martin Murray on Saturday, live on Sky Sports 2 HD.
