WHO WINS? Anthony Joshua vs. Luis Ortiz

[dirk2686]

Does plenty of damage to the guy who's probably done more to raise the profile of boxing domestically than anyone for a good few years.

Does boxing getting its profile raised necessarily lead to better fights?

I'd say so. More money into the sport, more people buying and watching it, equates to a greater ability to cough up the necessary funds to make the biggest fights.

[PredatorHayds]

I'd favour AJ. Ortiz is starting to look more and more one paced. He struggles to shift through the gears.

As for AJs record the one win I do rate is Breazeale. He may be technically limited but he has huge heart and will to win.

[Rob3_142]

Does plenty of damage to the guy who's probably done more to raise the profile of boxing domestically than anyone for a good few years.

Does boxing getting its profile raised necessarily lead to better fights?

I'd say so. More money into the sport, more people buying and watching it, equates to a greater ability to cough up the necessary funds to make the biggest fights.

This. In the long term, it will get more kids into boxing at the grass routes level which should hopefully in time provide a greater strength in depth. You need the prizes to get the best engaged. The very reason why the US heavyweight scene is so weak at the moment is because boxing is not an attractive prospect. A lot of these guys are eyeing up careers in American football or basketball etc.

[Rob3_142]

Ya, Gary Cornish had been an unsolvable puzzle until AJ figured him out.

[wesshaw1985]

Ortiz in line for the WBA Title...

[Ricky_]

Ortiz for me. I think Joshua is a ko waiting to happen. These muscle-bound bullies hit a brick wall sooner or later, he was finished tonight but Klitchko just didn't have the trigger.

[BitPlayer]

After his stunning wins of Scott and Dave Allen, I don't think anyone could beat Ortiz.

[rd350lc]

After his stunning wins of Scott and Dave Allen, I don't think anyone could beat Ortiz.

[lillywhite14]

Does boxing getting its profile raised necessarily lead to better fights?

I'd say so. More money into the sport, more people buying and watching it, equates to a greater ability to cough up the necessary funds to make the biggest fights.

This. In the long term, it will get more kids into boxing at the grass routes level which should hopefully in time provide a greater strength in depth. You need the prizes to get the best engaged. The very reason why the US heavyweight scene is so weak at the moment is because boxing is not an attractive prospect. A lot of these guys are eyeing up careers in American football or basketball etc.

I agree with most of this, never agreed with the football and basketball argument though. Sure, a few potentially decent heavyweights might be milling about in the NFL or NBA but definitely no all time greats. ATG boxers don't decide to pursue a career in boxing as opposed to other sports. They have usually been boxing since a kid and it's just in their DNA.
It's not like American Football has many transferable "skills" to boxing either ( big, run fast, strong...tennis has far more indication of how someone might be able to box well imo )

[samwbr]

Ortiz for me. I think Joshua is a ko waiting to happen. These muscle-bound bullies hit a brick wall sooner or later, he was finished tonight but Klitchko just didn't have the trigger.

[willardx]

After his stunning wins of Scott and Dave Allen, I don't think anyone could beat Ortiz.

[JimJim2009]

Ya, Gary Cornish had been an unsolvable puzzle until AJ figured him out.

[JimJim2009]

After his stunning wins of Scott and Dave Allen, I don't think anyone could beat Ortiz.

Its strange with Ortiz, after stopping Jennings his momentum and reputation peaked and he looked like the divisions' dangerman, since linking up with matchroom he's looked quite poor and I think his reputation has gone backwards. Will be interesting to see what happens next with him being the mandatory for the WBA title and refusing to accept step aside money.

[samwbr]

After his stunning wins of Scott and Dave Allen, I don't think anyone could beat Ortiz.

Its strange with Ortiz, after stopping Jennings his momentum and reputation peaked and he looked like the divisions' dangerman, since linking up with matchroom he's looked quite poor and I think his reputation has gone backwards. Will be interesting to see what happens next with him being the mandatory for the WBA title and refusing to accept step aside money.

He not with Matchroom any longer.

[JimJim2009]

Its strange with Ortiz, after stopping Jennings his momentum and reputation peaked and he looked like the divisions' dangerman, since linking up with matchroom he's looked quite poor and I think his reputation has gone backwards. Will be interesting to see what happens next with him being the mandatory for the WBA title and refusing to accept step aside money.

He not with Matchroom any longer.

Interesting. I'd heard about his link up with Al Haymon but thought there was still a link, like with Selby and DeGale. Guess it didn't work out then if Ortiz and Matchroom parted company so quickly.

[Oiky]

Ortiz gets my vote if they box each other

[wesshaw1985]

Ortiz thinks he stops Joshua in 8 - http://www.BS.com/luis-ortiz-i ... ok--116163

[wesshaw1985]

"No money in it," according to Hearn today...

[Stuarty]

"No money in it," according to Hearn today...

What a fuckin arse piece!

[wesshaw1985]

"No money in it," according to Hearn today...

What a fuckin arse piece!

There's always "no money in it" when Eddie doesn't fancy it.
As much money in this fight as there is in AJ vs. Pulev. Both mandatories.
Got a feeling Eddie fancies one much more than the other...

[lefty]

"No money in it," according to Hearn today...

What a fuckin arse piece!

Yeah. Such a huge amount of money in fighting the glamour boy of the heavyweight division Kubrat Pulev aswell. Or the guy with the double D's- Breazeale.

[Stuarty]

"No money in it," according to Hearn today...

What a fuckin arse piece!

There's always "no money in it" when Eddie doesn't fancy it.
As much money in this fight as there is in AJ vs. Pulev. Both mandatories.
Got a feeling Eddie fancies one much more than the other...

Exactly. AJ v anyone will do big numbers at this point and Hearn knows it. He obviously sees Ortiz as a potential banana skin. I don't mind the Pulev fight but I'd rather it was Ortiz given the choice. I think AJ stops both but Ortiz is probably the trickier of the two.

[knockout]

Ortiz a more interesting fight because every boxing fan wants to know what he really has got! Pulev been beaten in a way that you could quite easily imagine Joshua duplicating ! Ortiz has looked both good and bad but still no one has beaten him ! Surely that's a selling point ?

Good amateur pedigree too

[lefty]

Ortiz a more interesting fight because every boxing fan wants to know what he really has got! Pulev been beaten in a way that you could quite easily imagine Joshua duplicating ! Ortiz has looked both good and bad but still no one has beaten him ! Surely that's a selling point ?

Good amateur pedigree too

He's also more well known to the British public having boxed on some sky shows.

[Wales]

I think Ortiz is getting progressively heavier, having more frequent lazy spells during fights and surely becoming more and more dissolusooned with the business mentally. It really is now or never for him.

38 years old, 6 months inactivity, nothing planned as yet, steadily gaining weight.