Ruiz? Seriously?

[marvelous marv]

All ranked WBC fighters have to be signed up to VADA. They are the only organization that requires this.

I felt thruout this process it seemed Ortiz camp preferred to fight Wilder because they think he is easier stylistically, they feel he has defensive flaws which he does, and they were very close to winning the first time.

Ortiz team believes he will beat Wilder for similar money then unify with AJ for bigger money.

[Enlightened-One]

All ranked WBC fighters have to be signed up to VADA. They are the only organization that requires this.

I felt thruout this process it seemed Ortiz camp preferred to fight Wilder because they think he is easier stylistically, they feel he has defensive flaws which he does, and they were very close to winning the first time.

Ortiz team believes he will beat Wilder for similar money then unify with AJ for bigger money.

Fighters signed-up to the WBC’s CBP program doesn’t actually mean that they will be tested by VADA.

According to the WBC’s quarterly stats, very few fighters are tested and almost none of them are tested out-of-competition.

Even when fighters pay huge fines for testing positive, such as Povetkin, that money isn’t used to pay for extra testing.

[Thomastearns]

All ranked WBC fighters have to be signed up to VADA. They are the only organization that requires this.

I felt thruout this process it seemed Ortiz camp preferred to fight Wilder because they think he is easier stylistically, they feel he has defensive flaws which he does, and they were very close to winning the first time.

Ortiz team believes he will beat Wilder for similar money then unify with AJ for bigger money.

Their argument kind of makes sense in that he almost beat Wilder last time and it's not impossible that he could actually be clean.

Unfortunately the facts don't quite fit. He isn't getting younger and the Wilder fight is not a given. Furthermore the money for Joshua was there for the taking right now.

As for VADA testing, this is from their own website -

"Professional athletes will volunteer to be subject to unannounced testing at any time during the eight weeks prior to a scheduled fight."

[marvelous marv]

I dont think team Ortiz believes they can beat AJ, that fight is like their cash out retirement option.

[candyslim]

All ranked WBC fighters have to be signed up to VADA. They are the only organization that requires this.

I felt thruout this process it seemed Ortiz camp preferred to fight Wilder because they think he is easier stylistically, they feel he has defensive flaws which he does, and they were very close to winning the first time.

Ortiz team believes he will beat Wilder for similar money then unify with AJ for bigger money.

They're playing a very dangerous game if that's true. It's not inconceivable that Breazeale could beat Wilder. He may be slow but he will have strength advantage, and he'll be able to bully him in the clinches. Wilder won't have a height advantage either so keeping his opponent at distance won't necessarily be easy. Breazeale is a tough guy who showed against Joshua that he can soak up punishment, and has the heart and the endurance to climb off the canvas if he has to.

Wilder is rightly the firm favourite but it's no gimme. Then you have to consider Deontay's injury record. Who knows when his hand problems are likely to make a reappearance and if they did and were serious enough, would he even want to continue considering he's 34 in October?

Neither Ortiz nor Wilder have the luxury of being able to plan what happens next year never mind the year after. Both would be well advised to take their golden handshake against Joshua before the possibility evaporates. A bird in the hand they tell us, is worth two in the bush.

[dagilechia]

I would prefer to see Joshua against Hunter

[ClivePatrickLyons]

ya , too bad ortizs side rejected a great offer and miller got caught

And there is no other heavyweights on the planet but honestly I got a body more like Andy ill be secretly hoping he can land the KO blow for all us fat dude's out there but I very much doubt that scenario if I was AJ I would be really pissed off with the selection of Andy its a fight to sell himself to the masse's in the states the casual fan this fight is a no win type of fight that did not have to be made Hearn dropped the ball this time I wont be watching unless its free

[ClivePatrickLyons]

I know that was his initial thinking but either he knows better now or ... well let's just leave it that

All im really trying to say is if someone was trying to sell a product to the masse's especially in AJ case and his muscle bound body to put that up against someone who looks more like Two Tonne Tony Galento is Bad management if the casual American fan's were already sold on AJ then the body type of his opponent wouldn't be as relevant but say from a Casual fan's view AJ is In a worst matchup then the original one I would say ability wise Ruiz is probably a better alround fighter then Miller but like I mentioned I thought Eddie was trying to sell AJ to the Casual Boxing Fan

[candyslim]

Yes that's not ideal I agree. There again Hunter is a recent cruiserweight, Ortiz is officially 40 years old and could be anything up to 50. Ruiz looks deeply unimpressive. There are severe drawbacks with each of them.

I guess Hearn is pinning his hopes on Ruiz's reputation as someone who fights one hell of a lot better than you'd assume by looking at him. He's sold the British allocation. Hispanic Americans and Mexicans should help fill the Garden but I don't suppose there will be a flood of new subscribers to DAZN on the basis of this match-up.

Joshua is probably more pissed off with Miller than Hearn I'm guessing, but I'd like to know if (once team Ortiz had admitted their blame) the Ortiz fight was still a possibility. I'd like to but we never will.

[Rob3_142]

All im really trying to say is if someone was trying to sell a product to the masse's especially in AJ case and his muscle bound body to put that up against someone who looks more like Two Tonne Tony Galento is Bad management if the casual American fan's were already sold on AJ then the body type of his opponent wouldn't be as relevant but say from a Casual fan's view AJ is In a worst matchup then the original one I would say ability wise Ruiz is probably a better alround fighter then Miller but like I mentioned I thought Eddie was trying to sell AJ to the Casual Boxing Fan

Clive, can you give us some idea who you think Hearn and team Joshua should have got instead of Ruiz?

[Syntax Error]

I don't see it at all that way.

Just a one dimensional plodder. Never struck me as skilled at all. Just a big hook.

Did you see him do nothing against Maskaev but walk forward, miss and eat punches?

He showed nothing.

Fortunately for Tua, Maskaev tired badly late, and coupled with a fragile chin, he succumbed. But he was throwing a shutout until then.

Tua looked no better a few years later against Lewis. Nothing but plodding forward, throwing a few hooks that Lewis easily avoided.

Unfortunately for Tua, Lewis chin was sturdier than Maskaev's and there was no late bailout.

I always felt that the savvy Chris Byrd would clearly box Tua's ears off unless he became careless.

Too smart, mobile and adaptable to be bothered by a 1 trick pony like Tua.

Agreed.

His challenge to Lennox Lewis was pathetically laughable.

Just to think some thought the younger and fresher Tua had a shot against an ageing Lewis, but he showed nothing during that fight; I could have put up a better showing and I"ve never boxed in my life.