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Home » Andy Ruiz Jr. vs Luis Ortiz PPV opens up for WBC #1 heavyweight spot

Andy Ruiz Jr. vs Luis Ortiz PPV opens up for WBC #1 heavyweight spot

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A fight between Andy Ruiz Jr. and Luis Ortiz is gathering pace after Deontay Wilder secured his trilogy fight with heavyweight rival Tyson Fury.

As WBN first reported, Ruiz and Wilder, are on a collision course in the future for an Al Haymon Pay Per View. Had Wilder failed to win the arbitration, that fight could have been on the cards later this year. And it still could be provided Wilder gains revenge.

But for now, Ruiz has to land a big fish to keep his PPV run going before the potential Wilder encounter. The ideal candidate has emerged in Ortiz.

Both remain rated in the top five of the World Boxing Council Ratings, and WBN understands there are viable reasons to suggest the clash could get sanctioned as a final eliminator for the number one spot.

Currently, Oleksandr Usyk lies second on the rankings. WBC chiefs will remove the Ukrainian in the coming weeks once his WBO mandatory fight with Anthony Joshua gets confirmed.

The WBC always removed a boxer if they fight for another organization title. Therefore, that leaves Ruiz Jr. and Ortiz as the next two due to Wilder being out of the equation.

Fighting for the title will either push Wilder to champion status or see him drop back a few places until he gets another win on his record. A victory for Fury would also be the primary reason why Ruiz and Wilder wouldn’t meet later this year.

Deontay Wilder Andy Ruiz Jr.

ANDY RUIZ JR PPV

It’s not rocket science that you don’t put a top fighter into a massive Pay Per View on the back of two defeats in a row. Wilder would have to return with a win, potential on a double-header card with Ruiz in November or December to get back in the mix.

By that time, Ruiz could be the WBC’s number one contender. The Wilder PPV then becomes even more lucrative as a possible battle for the mandatory spot to Fury.

It’s hard to imagine Wilder getting another opportunity at Fury if he loses to “The Gypsy King” twice. However, if he earns that shot, there’s not much Fury can do in that respect.

Rankings supplied by the WBC have altered little over the coming months due to the pandemic. But with all the major stars being in action over the summer, plenty will switch around before the fall.

Phil Jay is the Editor of WBN. An Auxiliary member of the Boxing Writers Association of America since 2018. And a member of the Sports Journalists’ Association. Follow on Twitter @PhilJWBN.