Anthony Joshua or Wladimir Klitschko will have to fight unbeaten heavyweight Luis Ortiz, according to the World Boxing Association (WBA).
The WBA have sanctioned Anthony Joshua’s clash with Wladimir Klitschko on April 29, meaning both the IBF and WBA ‘Super’ titles will be on the line.
And now WBA president Gilberto J. Mendoza has decreed that Ortiz must be given a title shot by the new champion, whoever that happens to be.
"The decision is the following: Joshua will fight Klitschko, the winner will have to face Ortiz," Mendoza told FightNews.
"We decided to give [Ortiz] a chance at the winner.
"I will set deadlines between the winner of Joshua and Klitschko [to agree a fight with Ortiz]."
Ortiz fought on the undercard of Joshua’s three-round win over Eric Molina against Yorkshireman David Allen.
The Brit forced Ortiz into the last second of the seventh round before the fight was stopped, although the Cuban was always in control.
The victory was his 27th in professional boxing and he has yet to lose a bout.
The 37-year-old, the first foreigner to sign for Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Sport promotion group, has previously held the interim WBA title but has yet to fight for a world title.
And Joshua himself has said that he would welcome a fight against Ortiz.
"I see how that is going to unfold,” Joshua said in November.
“That's another fight, for me, that is no problem.
"Hopefully I defeat Klitschko and then I can fight Luis Ortiz.
“I will be watching him for sure because he is a competitor in the division that I could face sooner or later, so I have to put him as a priority.
"If we fight Ortiz, it would be a good scrap because I like fighting southpaws.
“I’ve got a powerful right hand that I could whip into the body or straight to the head.
“It will be a good challenge and a good name to have on the record at some stage.”
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