Pictured: WBA Inter-American champion Luis Ortiz


Wladimir Klitschko became the WBA's super champion by beating then WBA champ David Haye on July 2, 2011. With Haye losing, the WBA's regular world title was left vacant.

On August 27, 2011, Alexander Povetkin became the regular world champion by beating Ruslan Chagaev but the title became vacant again when Povetkin lost to Klitschko on October 5, 2013.

Chagaev, by winning a majority decision over 41-year-old veteran Fres Oquendo, won the vacant regular title this past July 6.

So, the WBA has Klitschko as its super champion and Chagaev as its regular champion but its #1 contender spot is listed as "OFFICIAL CHALLENGER VACANT." That's not good. So, does the WBA sanction an eliminator to fill that spot? No, that's not good enough. So, what we're going get on September 11 in Las Vegas is WBA Inter-American champion Luis Ortiz (21-0, 1 NC, 18 KOs), the 35-year-old "Real King Kong" and the WBA's #2 contender, versus former top ten cruiserweight Lateef Kayode (20-0, 1 ND, 16 KOs), currently the WBA's #5 ranked heavyweight contender, for the vacant WBA Interim world heavyweight title (and the Official Challenger's spot in the rankings).

Ortiz, a southpaw, has fought his way to his #2 ranking by beating Charles Davis, Kendrick Releford, Zack Page, Francisco Alvarez, Smokin' Bert Cooper, Luis Pineda, Henry Saenz, Arron Lyons, Epifanio Mendoza, Walter Palacios, Alex Gonzales, and earlier this year, Monte Barrett. A veritable who's who of the heavyweight division? Not exactly.

Kayode, as a cruiserweight, defeated Jose Luis Herrera, Alfredo Escalera, Jr., Mendoza, Matt Godfrey, and Felix Cora, Jr. and fought to a draw with Antonio Tarver which was later changed to a No Decision because of Tarver's failed drug test. Late last year he moved up to the heavyweight division and stopped Travis Fulton in two rounds. He followed that up with a 6-round TKO over Jonte Willis in January. Fulton had knocked out 20 of the 21 men he had beaten and earlier in 2013, had fought fior the heavyweight title. Well, not THE heavyweight title but a heavyweight title, the fringe WBU (U.S.-based version) title. He took on then 40-year-old "Half-Man, Half-Amazing" Jeremy Williams and lost by disqualification in the third round. It was Fulton's 32nd loss. His loss to Kayode was his 34th.

Willis was 9-7-1 coming into his bout with Kayode. He owns decision wins over former cruiserweight contender Gary Gomez and former heavyweight prospect Art Binkowski but had lost three points verdicts in a row coming into his bout with Kayode.

So, its a battle of the unworthy, I mean, unbeaten for the vacant WBA Interim title. The WBA knows best and knows we need this even if we don't think we do.

Ortiz-Kayode! Maybe the winner will defend against Tarver who the WBA lists as its #10 heavyweight contender. Just what we need!