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“I’ll Fight Louis Ortiz” Says Amir “Hardcore” Mansour!
By: Ken Hissner
This writer recently did an article calling 38 year old Louis “King Kong” Ortiz, 27-0 (23), the most feared heavyweight in the world. I had also said that at one time about 44 year old Amir “Hardcore” Mansour, 23-2-1 (16). If it were not for a bad cut on his tongue against Dominic Breazeale after beating him up for 5 rounds it would have been him fighting Anthony “AJ” Joshua in June of 2016.
Why isn’t Mansour in any of the alphabet organizations ratings? When I tell you the champions people make sure Mansour is not in their top 15 there isn’t any way they can fight him. There are 60 slots in the ratings and you tell me Mansour isn’t worthy of one of them? The WBC has him ranked at No. 21.
One thing Ortiz and Mansour have in common is they are both southpaws and rarely does an orthodox boxer want to fight a southpaw. When you look at the ratings it’s not what you have done but who bought their way into the ratings one way or another.
A perfect example is BJ Flores who has been 2-2 in his last 4 fights with 1-2 as a cruiserweight and only in his last fight did he fight heavyweight and beats Jeremy Bates 26-18-1 for the WBA NABA title and is put into the WBA ratings at No. 11. Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller beats Fred Kassi for the WBO NABO title in his last fight in August of 2016 and is ranked No. 3 WBO, No. 7 WBA and No. 9 IBF. Mansour had knocked out Kassi 2 years before that.
Look at Wilder who hasn’t defended against anyone in his top 4 contenders. He has defended against from last fight on against Washington, Arreola (who flunked drug test prior to this) and Szpilka. French champ Duhaupas and Eric Molina who has had title fights with Wilder and Joshua. I hate to use the term “black balled” but it looks like Mansour has been just that from the organizations ratings!
Whenever this writer has covered Mansour in DE or Atlantic City the fan’s start stirring and cheering from the time he enters the ring with those uncovered arms bulging out. He reminds one of a heavyweight Marvin Hagler with a bigger punch. He knows how to work a crowd before the fight even starts!
Mansour got shortchanged in his draw with Gerald Washington in October 2015 and Washington has 2 fights in 2016 and gets a title fight with Wilder in February of 2017. In January of 2016 Mansour wins all 5 rounds from Dominic Breazeale easily but suffered a cut tongue requiring some 30+ stitches. Just 5 months later it’s Breazeale getting an IBF title fight with Anthony Joshua. In January of 2013 Mansour beats Kelvin Price, 14-1, who had only lost to Wilder before being champ and Price hasn’t fought since Mansour stopped him.
KEN HISSNER: You are line fine wine for the older you get the better you seemed to get. Did you hear about Shannon Briggs failing a drug test which should put him from fighting in a WBA title bout against Fres Oquendo who hasn’t fought in 2 year’s. How would you like to fill in for him?
AMIR MANSOUR: I’d love to take Briggs place. I cannot believe Briggs failed this test but to say he did to make this fight aware to the public since it’s like who knows about it?
KEN HISSNER: Do you feel your two wins over Joey Dawejko and one time contender Travis Kauffman should at least put you back in the rankings?
AMIR MANSOUR: Of course. I won the WBC USNBC title which should have gotten me into the WBC rankings. I’ve held the USBA, WBC Continental Americas, World Boxing Federation and Foundation Intercontinental titles, IBF North American and the interim WBO NABO titles. I have held more junior titles than any American heavyweight out there except for maybe Wilder. I was supposed to fight Artur Szpilka (then 20-1), in December of 2015 with the winner fighting Wilder. Next thing we know Szpilka gets the fight in January of 2016 against Wilder.
KEN HISSNER: Do you think Luis Ortiz will be willing to fight you?
AMIR MANSOUR: I would hope so. Seems like none of the champions will fight him but I would.
KEN HISSNER: How were the ratings when you have fought on say FS1?
AMIR MANSOUR: Their ratings went through the roof. One fight I was the co-feature and had more hit’s than the main event did. Wilder would get many more views fighting me than he did Washington.
KEN HISSNER: I know Joe Hand is your manager and J Russell Peltz normally promotes your fights. How is your working with them?
AMIR MANSOUR: Joe is a great guy. Russell has tried getting us major fights but we get turned down time and again which isn’t his fought.
KEN HISSNER: I want to thank you for taking the time to answer the questions:
AMIR MANSOUR: Thanks Mr. Hissner.
