At the start of 2017 it looked like boxing was primed to experience a resurgence of the heavyweight division. I even wrote an article declaring HEAVYWEIGHTS ARE BACK!!, highlighting the division’s top 6 fighters. Since then, those contenders have been cut in half for various reasons. Klitschko retired following a thrilling loss to Anthony Joshua. Tyson Fury has ballooned in weight since his suspension and still has licensing issues to deal with if he ever plans to return. Finally, last week, Luis “King Kong” Ortiz was popped for his second failed drug test in the last 3 years.
As I stated above, this is not the first violation for Ortiz. He tested positive for steroids in 2014 following his win over Lateef Kayode. This time, testing revealed banned diuretics that are often used to mask doping. Considering this is the second time Ortiz has been caught, he should not be given another chance. There is no room for repeat offenders that are willing to put other fighters at an unfair risk for their own personal gain. Can’t have boxers hopped up on roids acting like Lattimer from The Program trying to get their place at the table.
The Ortiz failed test has caused the cancellation of his highly anticipated bout with Deontay Wilder scheduled for November 4th. Unfortunately, this is a familiar narrative for Wilder. This is the 3rd fight in the past 2 years that has been cancelled due to his opposition failing a drug test. His opponents have unintentionally formed the most impressive roster of doped up athletes since BALCO.
The question now becomes where does this leave Wilder for his November 4th fight date? The WBC has decided that the best solution is a rematch with Bermane Stiverne who is the mandatory WBC challenger. Stiverne had been paid to step aside for Ortiz and was supposed to fight on the undercard. He will now take part in the main event. There was speculation that Wilder may face Dillian Whyte who stated he was prepared to sub in for Ortiz, but Stiverne will get the chance in a rematch that nobody asked to see.
The first fight between Wilder and Stiverne had some exciting moments. That being said, Wilder was easily able to out-duel his opponent using his jab, length, speed, and superior athleticism. Stiverne is the only man to survive the full 12 rounds against Wilder, but that doesn’t mean it was competitive. The Bronze Bomber was able to pick Stiverne apart at will leaving him hurt on multiple occasions.
To Wilder’s dismay, this fight will do nothing to silence his critics who point to his soft schedule as the reason for his undefeated record. While it is true that Wilder has not faced the best competition throughout his career, I’m not sure how much of that is his fault. He has tried to fight Povetkin, Ortiz, and even called out Joshua on numerous occasions. So far, none of these matches have materialized due to his opponent’s inability to adhere to the rules with the exception of Joshua.
What does this ultimately mean for the heavyweight division? It means that we will have to continue to wait for the crown jewel of weight classes to return to it’s former glory. While fighters such as Deontay Wilder, Anthony Joshua, and even Joseph Parker will certainly draw some interest, the division is once again on the light side when it comes to legitimate contenders. We just have to wait to see if some of these less established prospects such as Jerrell “Big Baby” Miller and Adam Kownacki can insert themselves into the shallow pool of challengers. Until then, fans have to hope the 3 current champions can arrange some unification bouts that will satisfy our heavyweight fix.
