Deontay Wilder has confirmed his next bout will be a rematch with Luis Ortiz.
The chances of a unification fight between Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua appear to be no closer. WBC heavyweight champion Wilder has announced that he has agreed a deal to fight Cuban Luis Ortiz once again.
It will be Wilder's second fight of the year following his devastating first-round knockout of Dominic Breazeale earlier this month.
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 makes his American debut this weekend when he defends his WBA, WBO, and IBF titles against Andy Ruiz Jr at Madison Square Garden, a card that also features our own Katie Taylor.
It had been hoped that once Joshua takes care of business this weekend, it would clear the way for a blockbuster meeting of Joshua and Wilder.
However, boxing fans could have a long wait before they see any of the big heavyweight rivals share the ring. Tyson Fury is preparing for his bout with German Tom Schwarz on June 15.
Fury and Wilder shared the ring in Los Angeles in December, a fight that ended in a controversial draw. It was a thrilling fight and an immediate rematch was expected to be announced but that hasn't happened.
The trio are all unbeaten and all three have different television deals, which is another major stumbling block in terms of negotiations.
For now, we have to look forward to a rematch of Wilder and Ortiz at some stage in September. Wilder finished the Cuban in March of last year but only after a major scare earlier in the fight.
