What’s Next For Luis Ortiz?

Itauma is considered one of the sport’s top prospects. A fight against Ortiz would be “youth versus experience”. Itauma’s game plan would be to overwhelm the 46-year-old Ortiz with relentless pressure and power, using his speed to break down the veteran’s defense. Ortiz, on the other hand, would need to rely on his slick southpaw style, ring IQ, and still-present power to counter Itauma’s aggression. 

While Ortiz has called out the likes of Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua, these fights are highly unrealistic for tactical and career reasons. A fight against Usyk would be a chess match between two southpaws, but at 46, Ortiz would be too slow to keep up with Usyk’s movement and high-volume output. Usyk would likely outbox Ortiz over 12 rounds, winning a comfortable unanimous decision. 

A fight against Joshua would be even more dangerous. Joshua is known for his concussive knockout power and would likely exploit Ortiz’s lack of mobility and age. Ortiz’s loss to Andy Ruiz Jr., where he hit the canvas three times, showed that he is vulnerable to power. For Joshua, a fight with Ortiz would be a high-risk, low-reward situation. Either way, Ortiz is targeting the big fights.