“Man
maintains his balance, poise, and sense of security only as he is
moving forward.” – Maxwell Maltz.
Former
WBC Welterweight Champion “Vicious” Victor Ortiz 29-3-2 (22)
knows a thing or two about adversity. After his thrilling hard fought
victory over Andre Berto 28-1 (22) over a year ago, Ortiz displayed
his inner courage and complete strength of character in the ring as
he dropped Berto in the first round and went down himself in second
round, with both fighters tasting the canvas in the sixth round of
their memorable match of wills. As Victor Ortiz eyed a potential
rematch on the horizon with Andre Berto, Berto joined the ranks of
the most unholy of holies and popped positive for the steroid
nandrolone, thus eliminating the prospect of another brawl that would
surely entertain and captivate fans once again. With Berto out of the
loop, Team Ortiz opted to take on Josesito Lopez 29-4 (17) as a
replacement, a rugged Welterweight who is looking to break into
division stardom through his clash with Ortiz for the vacant WBC
Silver Welterweight title on June 23. With both fighters jockeying
for position, and Ortiz attempting to erase his memory of the
disappointing loss to Floyd “Money” Mayweather, Jr. 43-0 (26) for
a title that he held for five months, “Vicious” has to live up to
his namesake and flatten Lopez as he pushes forward and extends his
vision far past Berto and hopefully redirects it towards Saul
“Canelo” Alvarez 40-0-1 (29) and the opportunity of a title scrap
at 154 for the WBC Light Middleweight Championship on September 15,
with Ortiz going up in weight. For Lopez, this bout means everything
and can propel his career in a direction that the Californian has
never known. Ortiz clearly realizes what is at stake and needs to
channel his internal beast in the squared circle, a mode that the
typically humble and likable fighter switches into when he laces up
the gloves and lets the leather fly.
Forward
momentum is paramount for Victor Ortiz at this point in his career. A
boxer who is ultimately committed to training and preparation, he
must refuse to fall victim to ring rust or becoming stale in the
ring. Ortiz needs to stay as active as possible and keep his spirits
high even in lieu of the recent Berto situation. Ranked the 5th Welterweight in the world with Lopez falling in at 10th and Berto seated in the 2nd slot behind Timothy “Desert Storm” Bradley 29-0 (12) who remains
questionably at the top, Victor is in the ideal situation to
capitalize on his athleticism and marketability in the sport. His
congenial personality and blue collar fighting style make him an
instant fan favorite and with Showtime recently kicking off a feature
showcasing the boxer leading up to his impending challenge with
Josesito Lopez, all the cards seem to be falling in place. And with a
$100,000 knockout bonus being offered up by Golden Boy Promotions,
the incentive for Ortiz to perform well is on the line. Confident of
an eventual showdown with Alvarez, Ortiz still isn’t taking Lopez
lightly saying, “I know I have to stay focused on Josesito Lopez on
the 23rd though and he’s good.” Victor continues to keep his head up
surrounding what happened with him against Mayweather as well,
surprisingly even answering questions surrounding a would-be rematch
with the superstar with, “Absolutely I would fight Floyd again, but
there is a lot of work before that happens.” The clear cut work at
hand is what stands out most these days for Ortiz with a full dance
card comprised of Lopez first, and then possibly Alvarez and maybe a
promising rematch with Mayweather should he dispose of Josesito in
dramatic fashion.
Modest,
amiable, and ready for battle, Victor Ortiz can notably push his
career back into the limelight with a victory over Lopez and regain
that momentum that he has been striving for. Often criticized by the
boxing media, Ortiz doesn’t let it faze him in the least saying, “I
know what’s on the line. People think I won’t be focused on this
fight. I know I’m being counted out again. That’s no surprise to
me. I welcome it.” A laid back and friendly personality outside of
the ring, Ortiz is all business inside of it. His training regimen is
a proof of this truth and Victor knows that he can’t slow down,
acknowledging that with him, “There’s no lay off. I’m not your
typical boxer. I’m in the gym everyday. It’s what I do .It’s a
lifestyle” Boxing is his lifestyle and while earning a living the
hard way through his fists is definitely challenging, Ortiz is always
game and ready to answer the call. Experiencing the ups and
inevitable downs that come with being a professional boxer, Victor
Ortiz has overcome adversity and then some. Critics will continue to
say what they are going to say, and we all know how critical the
boxing media can be of its idols. One minute fighters become media
darlings and in the next they become ostracized and vilified all in
the same sentence. Victor has experienced this much during his career
at the biased hands of the media, but the easy going boxer just lets
it roll off his shoulders, much like the stinging blows that are
aimed at his head during prizefights.
Victor
Ortiz is on a quest of cleansing himself from the trials of his past
and looks to enthrall and capture the imagination of boxing fans once
more with his upcoming outing on June 23. While the fight will not be
with Berto as anticipated, Lopez is a more than capable opponent who
should offer up Ortiz a sturdy night of work. The best of luck is
extended to Ortiz, whose biggest fight lately seems to be up against
an unforgiving media who has all but forgotten how great of a fighter
Ortiz truly is. They don’t matter anyway Champ... Jason can be reached with your questions, concerns, gripes, moans, complaints, insults or kudos at BoxingWarrior@hotmail.com. Your feedback is appreciated as always. Stay honest and keep punching.
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