Luis Ortiz turned down £5.5m offer to fight Anthony Joshua as Miller replacement before Andy Ruiz, reveals Eddie Hearn
EDDIE HEARN has blasted Luis Ortiz after revealing he offered the Cuban £5.5million to replace Jarell Miller and fight Anthony Joshua.
After American Miller, 30, failed three drug tests the search was on to find a replacement in time for AJ’s US debut on June 1 at Madison Square Garden.
Promoter Hearn immediately turned to southpaw Ortiz, 40, who’s only career loss came at the hands of WBC champ Deontay Wilder in 2017.
But Hearn told his two offers were snubbed by the Cuban’s team, which included a lucrative rematch if he beat unified champ Joshua, 29, or another fight “for a lot of money for security”.
Hearn said: “I got two phone calls when the [Miller] news broke straight away. One was Jay Jimenez who is Luis Ortiz’s manager.
“Jay Jimenez phoned me up and said, ‘I can’t believe this, I don’t think Luis will be ready.’
“I said, ‘Find out if Luis will be ready.’
I came back and said, ‘Right, this is it, $7million for June 1. [If he wins, he gets] a rematch for quite a bit more and if he loses, I’ll give you another fight for a lot of money for security.’
Eddie Hearn on his offer to Luis Ortiz
“He came back the next day or two days later and said, ‘Make us an offer’.
“I made them an offer $6million – that was my first offer - no reply, this was on Friday. Monday I said, ‘I’ll call you'.
“Later on that day I came back and said, ‘Right, this is it, $7million for June 1. [If he wins, he gets] a rematch for quite a bit more and if he loses, I’ll give you another fight for a lot of money for security’.
“Nothing back.”
After the snub Joshua will instead defend his WBA, IBF and WBO world titles against Mexican-American Andy Ruiz Jr, 29.
Matchroom Boxing chief Hearn predicted “King Kong” will now wait for a rematch against Wilder, 33, who he only earned £766,380 against when he fought him before - “seven times” less than he was offered to fight AJ.
He added: “Not only were you offered $7million, but you tried to out us in the public eye, in the media.
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“To try and f*** our reputation and discredit us when you got offered $6million and then $7million for a fight.
“And how much did you get when you fought Deontay Wilder? I don’t know, $1million? If that?
“So you got offered seven times more to fight Anthony Joshua.”
