Ortiz vs Collazo: Victor Ortiz not worried about jaw, excited for Barclays debut

Victor Ortiz (29-4-2, 22 KO) hasn't won a fight since April 2011, when he beat Andre Berto in an instant classic on HBO. That was a lifetime ago -- Golden Boy fighters fought on HBO, Andre Berto was undefeated, Ortiz was on yet another "last chance at stardom" bid, and we hadn't yet seen his ridiculous headbutt of Floyd Mayweather, followed by the sucker punch heard and laughed at 'round the world, and then Josesito Lopez's big-time upset of Ortiz in 2012.

But after all that downtime, all the FaceLube commercial shoots, all the Dancing with the Stars, all the whatever else Ortiz has done with his entrepreneurial aspirations, he's back in boxing on Thursday to face Luis Collazo in Brooklyn, live on FOX Sports 1.

"We're so ready, we've had the best sparring partners and we're ready to get in the ring. Training camp was really good," Ortiz said.

Ortiz also doesn't believe he'll suffer any ring rust, and he's not concerned about the jaw being an issue.

"Absolutely not, I'm completely 100 percent confident. I have no ring rust whatsoever. I'm not at all concerned about my jaw, I feel great and I can't wait to get in the ring."

The last time Ortiz fought in 2012, the Barclays Center wasn't even open for business. Starting in October of that year, it has become a fight destination for Golden Boy Promotions, and one of the best venues for the sport in the United States. Ortiz, of course, will be making his debut. He's excited but also unsure, or whatever this means.

"This is my first time fighting in Brooklyn and I'm excited. I don't have any words to say, nothing bad, nothing good. I'm here for the victory."

Brooklyn, of course, is Collazo's turf, and if Luis' fans show up in force, Ortiz could be returning not only from a long layoff, not only likely rusty, not only potentially a bit trigger shy, but inside of a hostile environment, too.

Has Ortiz taken on too much for his comeback? We'll see on Thursday night.