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Whyte was ordered to face 39-year-old Cuban Ortiz to decide the “second mandatory” to Wilder’s title, despite being ranked No 1 in the division by the governing body. Ortiz was knocked out

by Wilder in March but could find himself almost immediately catapulted back into contention in the division, should Whyte decide to continue in his pursuit of Wilder. The decorated amateur

southpaw has long been seen as the boogeyman of the heavyweight division, offering little commercial reward and huge professional risk to those who face him. But Whyte said he would be

willing to step up and take the fight – if he was guaranteed a shot at Wilder in the Bronze Bomber’s next fight. “Deontay Wilder doesn’t want it,” Whyte told iFL TV. “He keeps coming up with

excuses, he keeps trying to put barriers in-between me and him. “Let’s break this down for the people. He just fought Ortiz, voluntary defence. Ortiz is ranked way below me. You knock him

out – how can he just get knocked out in a voluntary defence and automatically he’s back in title contention again? No. “When you lose for a world title, you go all the way down. It’s a

normal process. When you lose you have to build back again. “But like I say, if Ortiz wants it, he can have it. But only if Deontay Wilder agrees to fight me next and nobody else. I’ll fight

Luis Ortiz and I’ll run through him. “He’s an old man, I’ll dismantle him. He’ll get tired and I’ll leave him in a bad way. A bad, bad way.”