Friday 10 February 2017 11:49, UK
Luis Ortiz would seriously consider taking a final eliminator against Bermane Stiverne for the WBC heavyweight title, says his promoter Eddie Hearn.
The Cuban has called for a clash against Stiverne for the right to become mandatory challenger to Deontay Wilder, who defends his WBC belt against Gerald Washington on February 25, live on Sky Sports.
Ortiz is listed at No 2 in the WBC rankings, just behind top-ranked contender Stiverne, who had previously been due to fight Alexander Povetkin in a final eliminator before the Russian tested positive for a banned substance in December.
A fight against Jarrell Miller, another contender, has also been mentioned in recent weeks, but Hearn believes Ortiz has a number of options to assess.
"It hasn't been called yet by the WBC, but there are people talking about one and two having a final eliminator for Wilder, which would make sense," Hearn told Sky Sports.
"Ortiz is high in the IBF, he's mandatory in the WBA, he's now No 2 in the WBC. There are so many ways he can go.
"I think if the Stiverne fight came up, he would take that fight in a final eliminator, but then that would close the door on other governing bodies, so it's something he has got to think about carefully."
Wilder will make the fifth defence of his WBC title after taking the belt from Stiverne in a points victory in 2015.
