Can Victor Ortiz rebound? Does he want to?

by Scott Christ on Jun 28, 2009 6:32 AM EDT in Boxing Results and Post-Fight Analysis

Victor Ortiz's post-fight comments after his loss to Marcos Maidana were troubling to say the least. Can the Mexican-American come back to revive his career? (via www.hbo.com)

After being knocked down in the first round on a nasty right hand from Marcos Maidana, Golden Boy phenom hopeful Victor Ortiz was vindicated on commentary by HBO's Max Kellerman. Kellerman, the color commentary man of the future for boxing's biggest broadcaster, noted the rumblings about Ortiz's chin, but that there had been none about his heart, and as he had recovered from a knockdown from the vicious-punching Maidana and scored two more knockdowns (making three total) of the Argentinian semi-underdog, Kellerman noted that his heart had proven out.

He had yet to see the rest of the fight.

When Ortiz was cut, his opposite eye swollen, and another knockdown suffered in the sixth round, Ortiz quit. There is no other way to put it: Ortiz quit. With no desire to continue on in the first fight of his career where he met resistance from the opposing pugliist, Ortiz waved his arms and let the doctor call the fight on the cut.

Ortiz, 22, has had quite a life already. His mother left he and his siblings one day when he was quite young in Kansas. A few years later, his father disappeared. He made his way to California, and then into boxing. Ortiz, though young, is quite a self-made man. You absolutely cannot disregard the guts he's shown as a human being; in similar circumstances, many would have given up, become inhabitants of society's outskirts, and never gotten anywhere near Ortiz's level as a professional athlete.

But that, like it or not, is the past. Ortiz is a man now. And as a professional, he had never seen a specimen like Maidana, the brawler with the big punch who refused to back off. He wasn't the first good fighter Ortiz had faced, but he was the first that offered a real challenge once the bell had rung. He was Ortiz's test. And Ortiz failed.

The loss was no shame. Maidana was ranked No. 10 by Ring Magazine coming into the fight, with a razor-thin loss to 140-pound titlist Andriy Kotelnik his only setback. The fight, while designed to be an Ortiz win, was no gimme whatsoever, and it turned into one of 2009's best, most thrilling affairs, even if the ending left you wanting a little bit something more.

Personally, I came away impressed with Maidana as a never-say-die warrior, a guy with huge huevos and a bigger right hand. Fight alone, Ortiz's loss was no great big issue. He wasn't able to finish a double-tough guy. It happens. Fighters lose fights when they take risks, and this was a risk by Ortiz.

But his post-fight comments are troubling. Some are already wondering whether or not Ortiz will ever step into a ring again, and they're perfectly right to do so. The 22-year old slugger from Oxnard was outgtunned by a nasty opponent, but he quit. And not only did he quit, but after the fight, he remarked, "I'm young, but I don't think I deserve to be getting beat up like this. I got a lot of thinking to do."

There are a LOT of fighters that came up through the ranks very fast, were deemed the next big thing, and then met the brick wall. For Ortiz, it might well be Maidana, the heavy-handed slugger that wouldn't accept a loss despite three knockdowns. After he'd beaten Ortiz up fairly badly, he made him quit. In Maidana, there was no quit. In Ortiz, there seemed to be nothing but.

I do not mean to disrespect Victor Ortiz, but his post-fight comments invited this sort of criticism. Does he love boxing? Is he willing to take the lumps? Is he mentally capable of being the fighter that Golden Boy Promotions want him to be?

I'm guessing he's not. These kind of comments don't just happen. As beaten up as he was, Ortiz appeared to be clear-headed and aware of what he was saying. He's always been a very honest young man -- it has been part of his charm, not holding back, not worrying about saying "the right thing."

Honesty has revealed something about Victor Ortiz that stings. He's just not going to be able to live up to the hype unless something drastically changes. He felt another fighter's drive and determination, and he didn't like it. Sad as it may be, "Vicious" Victor Ortiz doesn't really look to be part of boxing's future.

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Comments

I think Ortiz will be back. He came into this fight thinking of it as a showcase and when things did not go his way, the mindset of having an easy night were too difficult to overcome and quitting felt like to best option. It’s similar to Guerrero finding out he would have problems if he continued with Yordan.

I think this was circumstantial and he will be back.

by cyke on Jun 28, 2009 9:07 AM EDT reply actions

One of the most fascinating things last night was watching Shane Mosley and Oscar talk to him post fight. While the announcers suggested that the two were offering Ortiz “words of encouragement,” it looked more to me like both were unhappy with him for quitting and were telling him just that.

by The Boxer Rebellion on Jun 28, 2009 9:40 AM EDT reply actions

He's not the first, and he wont be the last

For talented fighters, the last thing that is usually tested is their heart. If your boxing education is scoring comfortable wins over inferior competition, there’s not going to be a chance to display your true will to win until you come up against someone like maidana, who’s talented, strong and relentless.

Ortiz seems like a nice, thoughtful, level-headed guy who can make a success of his life. It just happens that maybe it’s not going to come through boxing

by thirdslip on Jun 28, 2009 11:44 AM EDT reply actions

He may have quit, but his cornermen also seemed to have no concept of motivation

After the 5th round, instead of offering encouragement or advice, they just kept saying “we’re going to stop it” over and over again to him, according to the HBO interpreter. Instead of motivating him, this seemed to completely demoralize Ortiz, perhaps making him think the fight was going worse than it actually was.

A different message from the corner may have created a different outcome.

by bailorg on Jun 28, 2009 12:46 PM EDT reply actions

Absolutely

That was beyond bizarre. Ortiz was winning the rounds, had knocked Maidana down three times and the corner threatens to stop it. One minute later, Ortiz is down again, hurt, and quits.

I’m not saying Ortiz didn’t make his own decision but I do think the tactics of the corner after the 5th may have put much, much more doubt in his head.

by BabyBull1289 on Jun 28, 2009 2:14 PM EDT up reply actions

Lets get this out of the air and open… we need to lower our expectation of fighters until they prove that they are creme of the crop.

It takes a very special fighter to fight while hurt. We have seen various examples recently of a fighters heart willing him to finish or win a fight. Look at Marquez or Abraham. These guys endured hell in their fights with Pacman and Miranda.

Ortiz showed alot at the start when he recovered from being badly hurt in the 1st round to get 2 knockdowns in the 2nd, but the outcome of the fight was decided when he was hurt and then hurt. It was the first time in his life that I think he knew that his best wasn’t going to be enough to survive the rest of the fight. Common… this is the guy who’s whole life has been about one thing…. surviving.

It is no shame to lose to a guy who has world class power. What would people say if Cotto lost to Torres in that great fight? His interview is troubling but it gives us some insight that he doesn’t have the world class heart that some other fighter do. Hey… how many people can say that they survived 3 knockdowns vs Manny? How many people can say that they went 12 championship rounds with a broken jaw? I would say that 99.5 of boxers aren’t in the world class heart range. It is just weird for us hear a guy be so candid about what happened in the fight.

What is more important is how he fight in the next fight. Will he soak in it or will he bust his ass and try and be a better fight. One of the most impressive things in the sport of boxing is when a boxer overcomes a loss and becomes world class. I look at crab arm’ed Vic and give him his props. A lesser fighter wouldn’t be able to come back from such a nasty KO.

"Boxing is dirty," said Casamayor. " The day I’m not ready to be a dirty fighter is the day I don’t fight anymore because it will mean that I have no heart for it anymore."

by Zocalo on Jun 28, 2009 1:12 PM EDT reply actions

Lets get this out of the air and open… we need to lower our expectation of fighters until they prove that they are creme of the crop.

Expectations are a part of life. Plus then no one would ever get to bitch that people are overhyped. ;)

Bad Left Hook
Camden Chat

by Scott Christ on Jun 28, 2009 5:05 PM EDT up reply actions

personally

I think a ‘next fight’ really is 50-50. The most disappointing thing for me was the line, ‘I don’t deserve to be getting beat up like this.’ So its ok for you to beat up on other boxers(19 KOs I think it was?), but when it happens to you, you ’don’t deserve it’?!

Please.

I fully respect everything he’s come through, but that line made him sound really whiny and pathetic, sadly. I’m sure he’s not gotten to where he is by wallowing and feeling sorry for himself, so hopefully thats passed and he moves on.

We're all given some sort of skill in life. Mine just happens to be beating up on people. (Sugar Ray Leonard)

by BrianBrock on Jun 28, 2009 6:05 PM EDT up reply actions

agreed

I felt exactly the same way when I watched the rerun earlier this evening.

Boxing writer: "Iran, what are you going to do when you retire?"
Iran Barkley: "Rob your house"

by Matt Miller on Jun 28, 2009 10:31 PM EDT up reply actions

I might be in the minority here, but I kinda felt like Ortiz was just cracking-wise for much of the interview. I just don’t think I’ve been taking it all as seriously as a lot of people who saw it. The part about “I don’t deserve getting beat up like this” I think was just a way of making light of the situation. The only line that really hurt him was “I’m not going out on my back for anyone” which is a thought that a lot of fighters have but very few say out loud (for obvious reasons.)

But to be fair to Victor, he could have followed the script and claimed, absurdly, that he wanted to fight on and that first Caiz and then the ring doc “made the call.” Everybody saw him quit, and he owned up to it. He could still have a good career, but he’s right that he has a lot a thinking to do. If anything, he might do better now without Oscar and HBO heaping undue praise all over him and acting like he’s the Chosen One. He’ll have to battle uphill to get his respect, and that’s the only kind of respect that matters in the first place.

"This fight'll be the nastiest thing you'll ever see. I been sober for six weeks, and that makes me vicious."
-- Randall 'Tex' Cobb

by jrok on Jun 29, 2009 10:27 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs