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Andy Ruiz must honor his unique dedication.
BoxingScene.com has discovered {that a} struggle with Luis Ortiz is again in play for Ruiz, barely 48 hours after the previous unified WBA/IBF/WBO/IBO heavyweight titlist was revealed to subsequent face Tyrone Spong atop a July 16 Triller Pay-Per-View occasion from Plaza de Toros in Mexico Metropolis. The announcement got here as a shock to many within the media, together with Ortiz and Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) who reminded the California-based Mexican heavyweight of a deal in place for an in-house conflict later this summer time.
ESPN.com boxing insider Mike Coppinger was the primary to report the event.
Whereas Ruiz (34-2, 22KOs) was ready to face Spong (14-0, 13KOs) in July, BoxingScene.com was knowledgeable {that a} struggle with Ortiz (33-2, 28KOs)—a Cuban southpaw primarily based out of Miami—will doubtless happen in August. The struggle will doubtless headline a PBC Pay-Per-View, although such particulars weren’t made accessible as this goes to publish.
Ruiz-Ortiz has been in dialogue since at the least final spring, when each have been on website in several roles at Dignity Well being Sports activities Park in Carson, California.
Ortiz and his crew have been in attendance for a Fox Sports activities PPV headlined by Ruiz, who confronted and defeated Chris Arreola in his first struggle since he confirmed up grotesquely off form in a factors loss to Anthony Joshua of their December 2019 rematch in Saudi Arabia. Ruiz claimed the titles in a seventh-round knockout of Joshua earlier that June, satirically in a struggle that was provided to and declined by Ortiz’s crew on roughly six weeks’ discover regardless of being provided a career-high payday for his or her troubles.
Ruiz accepted the struggle with Joshua on 5 weeks’ discover, in the end making historical past because the first-ever fighter of Mexican descent to say a chunk of the heavyweight title. Ortiz went on to face then-unbeaten WBC heavyweight titlist Deontay Wilder in a November 2019 rematch, the place he was forward on the scorecards earlier than struggling a one-punch, seventh-round knockout at MGM Grand Backyard Area in Las Vegas.
Simply two fights have adopted for Ortiz. The previous two-time heavyweight title challenger—each coming in opposition to Wilder—claimed a 45-second knockout of Alexander Flores in November 2020, adopted by a year-long ring absence earlier than surviving two knockdowns to cease former IBF heavyweight titlist Charles Martin this previous New Yr’s Day at Seminole Arduous Rock Lodge & On line casino in Hollywood, Florida. Ortiz hoped to face Ruiz on the date, as a substitute deciding on Martin, in opposition to whom he trailed on all three scorecards earlier than rallying to earn a bailout knockout on Fox Sports activities PPV.
From there got here revisited plans for Ruiz and Ortiz to subsequent meet. Ruiz even took to social media to gauge curiosity in such a struggle, which was met with favorable response except for having to pay for one more PPV simply to see it.
The announcement from Triller on Wednesday to as a substitute reveal a struggle with Spong was met with quick backlash. It was additionally met with a authorized menace, as attorneys had get entangled to implement a signed dedication already in place for Ruiz to subsequent face Ortiz, who turned 43 in March and is raring to tackle as many massive fights as attainable within the superior stage of his profession.
To their credit score, the crew at Triller Combat Membership instantly stepped down upon studying of the present settlement between Ruiz and Ortiz. As famous within the ESPN.com report, Triller agreed to park its struggle for a later date, offering that Ruiz will get previous Ortiz each time they meet later this summer time.
A contingency plan for Triller’s now vacant July 16 headliner was not but recognized presently.
Jake Donovan is a senior author for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
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