Has Victor Ortiz Redeemed himself?
Victor Ortiz’s loss to Marcos Maidana had utterly tarnished his reputation as a fighter. People thought that he simply gave up in that fight and does not have enough heart to become the champion
he aspires to become. Indeed, that loss broke many hearts especially Ortiz’s.
In fairness to Victor Ortiz, he was only 22 years old that time. Being young and perceived by many as the next superstar of boxing, the ESPN 2008 “Prospect of the Year” believed too much
in his own hype. He was put back into reality by Maidana’s punishing blows.
That loss even led Ortiz to question his own fortitude as a fighter. It was a major upset but Victor chose to continue fighting and seek redemption.
Champions are defined by the decisions they had made and losses are merely lessons to learn from. Maybe the Maidana fight taught the youngster some lessons he cannot learn from coaches—a
lesson only failure can provide. After all, Ortiz had knocked down his conqueror twice before his demise. It was clear that the talent was there. He just needs to show that he has the heart of fighter to get the respect he lost on that fateful night.
Four post-Maidana wins: What did those fights prove?
Victor Ortiz had racked up some wins. These were against Antonio Diaz, Hector Alatorre, Nate Campbell, and most recently Vivian Harris. He ended three of those fights and only Campbell
managed to go the distance.
To say the least, those for fights were awfully easy for Ortiz. Diaz, Campbell, and Harris were shot fighters and they did not pose any real threats to the talented Ortiz. Hector Alatorre,
on the other hand, was a bum. Golden Boy Promotions is clearly careful with Ortiz’s career this time. They acknowledge the kid’s innate talent and potential marketability. If he loses again, he may never live up to his money-making potential.
Ortiz possesses both speed and power. He is also a natural boxer-puncher with power on both hands. He has good footwork and his technical proficiency is also commendable. But we have seen
many fighters with similar faculties who never became known as remarkable champions. If there’s anything history had taught us, talent alone will not bring you to the top and make you stay there for long. Fighters are glorified more if they had endured adversity.
So far, Victor Ortiz has never encountered a real challenge after Maidana. People do not forget easily. Many are still reminded of Ortiz’s display of weakness. He may dominate countless fighters
pitted against him but he may not erase his reputation as a quitter until he is faced with a Maidana-like situation and manages to come out on top. In short, he needs to get hurt and display his will to win despite the pain in order to earn respect. Or, he
just needs to defeat Maidana convincingly.
What’s next for Ortiz?
Definitely, Ortiz is looking for a rematch against Maidana. Victor was calling him out ever since his defeat. However, Maidana is already set to fight Amir Khan which is also an interesting match in its own right. Win or lose, Maidana may be forced
to face Ortiz once again.
With his four wins, Ortiz had somehow positioned himself to impose his desires of getting that rematch. It seems that there are no sensible opponents for Ortiz to fight other than Maidana
or Khan. Needless to say, the rematch will be more dramatic. However, I am not sure if Ortiz’s handlers will allow that to happen in the very near future.
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