Victor Ortiz

By Michael Natalino

Victor Ortiz: Knocking on the Door of Superstardom

It was a mid-April morning at the armory in the Washington Heights section of New York City, where a group of young students from Harlem’s Rice High School anxiously awaited the arrival of two successful young men chosen to deliver motivating words of wisdom.

Touching on issues that are the source of life’s daily struggles, along with techniques on how to cope with them, the two men set to take the podium were no strangers to life’s tussles, both battling with and overcoming their share. They were very passionate about the hurdles they have overcome and cared enough to elaborate on them specifically….one not succumbing to childhood obesity, while the other overcame childhood abandonment. Although both of these obstacles were different in nature, triumph over them provided the same form of remarkable self-assurance. Today, both of these young men continue to triumph, making a living off of overcoming the highest level of adversity, as accomplished, professional, world-class prize-fighters competing for the WBC welterweight championship. The champion at the time, Andre Berto, was one of the fastest rising stars in the sport of boxing, and the challenger, Victor Ortiz, a young and ferocious fast -paced puncher, was looking to reestablish himself amongst the best in the sport.

In addition to hearing these guests speak, the children would be awarded the rare opportunity of witnessing one of the most traditional experiences in sports, a prefight-championship press conference. They would watch Berto and Ortiz partake in their final face off until their scheduled meeting on April 17th at Foxwoods Casino in Ledyard, Connecticut.

Neither the students nor the media covering the event had the slightest inclination that today’s incident would soon become the opening chapter in one of the most astonishing stories in recent boxing history.

At the press conference, Berto and Ortiz made this an experience the students would never forget. There was to be no sugar coating this event. Not even the presence of the students could control the hostility the two fighters had for one another, which was evident through multiple verbal assaults. Besides the students, few were on hand to witness this intense showcase. Since this matchup was to represent nothing more than a stepping stone for the sensational young Berto, solidifying his dominance in the welterweight division, there was a very small gathering of press, especially for an HBO championship fight.

On paper, Ortiz had appeared to have lost his luster. He was in the mist of trying to redeem his career after suffering a detrimental loss in a grueling slugfest to the hard hitting contender, Marcus Maidana, in a fight for which he was accused of quitting.

Regardless of all of the bad press circulating because of the outcome from the Maidana fight, Ortiz bounced right back by adding some colorful names to his win column, which included the likes of former champion Vivian Harris and veteran Nate Campbell . Shortly thereafter, Ortiz was unfortunately sidetracked by a controversial draw with Lamont Peterson.

Before the Maidana fight, Ortiz was labeled as one of the top hopefuls to lead the sport of boxing into the next generation. Allowing him to be the victim of a controversial decision in the Peterson fight, after one displeasing performance, was unjustified. Usually, when a favored young prospect, such as Ortiz, is experiencing resurgence after such a disappointing loss, the pendulum tends to swing in the prospect’s favor. In this case, it was clear to see that the early support Ortiz had from the press, which saw him as an up-and-coming star, had fallen by the way side.

It was starting to appear that Ortiz was being positioned as a catalyst for other rising stars in the sport of boxing. The perception of Ortiz being used as a sacrificial lamb, drummed up by the press, followed him into the Berto press conference, along with into their April 17th fight. I, for one, wasn’t falling for that notion.  The only person who seemed not to be bothered by these antics was Ortiz himself. If anything, it invigorated him to prove to the media he was still a force to be reckoned with.

At the final press conference before his fight with Berto, Ortiz showed immense poise under pressure. All of Berto’s aggressive actions to gain a psychological edge didn’t seem to bother him in the slightest. It was here that Ortiz set the precedence and made it clear that on the eve of April 17th, he would not be denied.

One of the main reasons I believed that Ortiz would not be deprived of victory was the convincing voice of his manager, Rolando Arellano. Before the fighters were called up to speak their part, Arellano addressed the crowd with an inspiring speech that fit the occasion, deep from the archives of renowned president Theodore Roosevelt. I understand these were just words, but the fact that Arellano chose a literal verse with such substance clearly showed how much this opportunity meant to Ortiz and himself.

Other members of the media obviously weren’t as touched, since the majority of them congregated towards Andre Berto, who was considered their designated man of the hour.  Shame on them for making the foolish assumption that Ortiz would fold like a deck of cards. It was very narrow-minded on their part to put this contender out for the count.

I, on the other hand, was inspired, and decided to engage in a one-on-one interview with Victor Ortiz and his manager. Ortiz touched on his life’s hardships and how Berto’s scare tactics did not faze him, but only made him angry. Ortiz made it clear that he’s seen life’s bottom and boxing is nothing compared to that. He also went on to question what could be done to him that hasn’t been done already, including being dealt his first loss and being written off by the press.

This mental thinking makes a man dangerous. Add that to a man who has something to prove, and you have someone viscous.

By the way Ortiz conducted himself in our interview, it seemed clear to me he was far from the quitter the press was portraying him to be. This sparked a curiosity that led me to take an in-depth look into his career.

My research unveiled a talented young man whose progression after adverse times was completely overlooked.  It’s fair to say three of the four blemishes on his record should be considered flukes, and it is unfair to use them to equate his position in the sport.  Let’s start off with his first defeat, when Ortiz was disqualified against Corey Alarcon. This match might have put a mark in the loss column but should not be considered of any value because of the type of defeat.  Then there’s a pair of draws against Marvin Cordova Jr. and Lamont Peterson, whom, between the two of them, carry forty career wins and only one loss. The Cordova fight was early on in Ortiz’s career, and the Peterson bout was clearly an unfair and controversial decision.  It’s unjustified for one to make a negative assessment of Ortiz based on either of these performances.

Then there’s the Maidana fight, which can be considered an official loss with no excuse; Ortiz was just outgunned. The fight was stopped by the ring doctor, due to Ortiz being unable to see from swelling over one eye and a cut over the other. It wasn’t the loss itself that was so damaging, but the nature of which it took place. According to the press, at the time of stoppage it looked questionable if Ortiz wanted to continue.  His words of choice in a post fight interview with Max Kellerman, “I don’t need this,” didn’t help the situation either.

Put all of this jargon aside, the fact of the matter is that Maidana came into the fight against Ortiz with a ninety-nine percent knockout ratio and one controversial loss. Since this fight, Maidana has been involved in prevalent fights against the top in the division.

People make it sound as if Ortiz gave nothing against Maidana. In reality, he floored Maidana repeatedly throughout the bout and came off the canvas himself in the course of the fight. What I find extremely appalling is the fact that I’ve seen men who are considered legends in the sport quit on their stools, but receive less criticism for their actions than Ortiz experienced for this one incident.

It’s understandable for certain circumstances to be overlooked. Being that the powers that be, along with the media, have very little experience in the ring, the stats speak for themselves. There’s no way this boxer should have moved so low on the totem pole according to these legitimate facts.

If they were having this many problems evaluating his career with concrete, physical evidence, you can’t expect the press to understand or even touch on the mental aspect of Ortiz’s situation. Ortiz may have said some things that people didn’t agree with after his loss to Maidana, but the fact of the matter is his words were genuine and straight from the heart. People seem to forget this young man was given a microphone and asked to speak at one of the most devastating moments in his young life. Everything he worked for his whole childhood was taken just seconds before.

If one were to take a little closer look at that moment, you’ll realize that Ortiz had no shoulder to lean on. Of course, there were people to console him, but not that father-figure that so many fighters have when encountering similar situations. In Ortiz’s circle, he’s always been the foundation of their support center. It’s been that way since early childhood when his parent’s abandonment caused him and his younger brother to be split up. It was Ortiz, at their time of their separation, who vowed to his younger brother that he would be back to get him one day. That promise Ortiz made to his younger brother was the motivating force in his acceleration up the ladder in the world of boxing. Although it once seemed impossible, this trade allowed the brothers to become reunited by providing a revenue stream for the two to get a head start in life.

So when you hear Ortiz say that the harsh conditions one must fight under in boxing cannot compare to his real life struggles, you know he’s telling the cold hard truth. Being the one everyone has looked up to as stable force, the one whom doesn’t fold under pressure, never allowed Ortiz time to dwell on the negatives.

This behavior was obvious in his fighting style shortly after the loss to Maidana, but overwhelming clear after the draw to Peterson. At that point, Ortiz reverted back to his childhood survival mentality and vowed he would dictate the pace of his own destiny. He compiled all the negative publicity towards him, which only motivated him to prove everyone wrong.

On the night Ortiz stepped in the ring to face Berto, at first glimpse, you knew that this night would be different. The anguish that had accumulated over the years was all set to be released. Ortiz was ready to claim the feat he set his sights on as a young boy…becoming champion of the world. Before this dream could be attained, he would have to get past a tough young and undefeated overachiever in Andre Berto, who had no intentions of relinquishing his crown. With both fighters sharing the same aspirations of victory, and neither seeming to give an inch of advantage to the other, it was clear too see that these fighters were about to engage in one of the most memorable fights in recent history. The two battered each other for twelve hard fought rounds. As one man would go down, his overwhelming desire would assist him to arise, and force the other man to visit the canvas. At the final bell it was the one who dared to be great that walked away with the win. Victor Ortiz had fulfilled his childhood dreams and erased any doubt in the minds of the public that he was anything less than championship material. At the post-fight presser, Ortiz showed no animosity towards the press that had previously doubted him. He humbly addressed them and gave thanks to the ones that believed in him the whole ride through.

After all the smoked cleared and the dust settled, I was asked by Arellano to escort Ortiz and his entourage of family and friends to their hotel room to finish the interview I started back in Washington Heights. On that short walk to the hotel, when Ortiz was away from the crowd, he began to emotionally open up about the meaning of this accomplishment. I, for one, as a journalist, was not prepared for the moving moments I would bear witness to when I reached the hotel room. As I walked in, I saw a group of young friends huddle together and give one solid hug to the elected leader of their pact, exclaiming, “We did it.” It was at that moment I knew journalism was out the window and the camera was turned off. Never did I think the experience would be of this magnitude. I believe now, and still till this day, that this special moment deserved to be kept between these close friends and not put on camera for the media. I was honored to be allowed to remain present during this moment of friendship and bonding. I began to wonder why a man in Ortiz’s position allowed me to stay. The answer is simple…that’s the type of guy Ortiz is. When you stick with him, you are considered a friend. He never forgot that I was one of the only reporters that gave him the respect he deserved before this victory.

It was starting to drift in to the wee hours of the morning, and unfortunately, it was time to depart . As I began to say my last goodbyes to Ortiz, he grabbed me to the side and said, “Thanks again, bro.” From there his friends demanded we take a picture. Ortiz proudly draped the championship belt over us and smiled like a kid in a candy store.

On this evening, many believed that Ortiz achieved the unthinkable. In Ortiz’s eyes, this win was nothing more than the final act of a lifelong fight he never considered himself left out of. Ortiz is one of those individuals that take the negatives life throws at you and uses them as a lesson instead of perceiving them as setbacks. The desire to never allow them to happen again breeds an inspiring force that breaks boundaries beyond belief. It is these qualities that allow you to attain your goals and fulfill your dreams, and even, in some cases, allow you to stand face to face with superstardom.