I can’t be critical of Mayweather for fighting Ortiz…Lotierzo

Published

14 years ago

August 21, 2011

MayweatherOrtizLAPC_98Hogan

In less than a month undefeated welterweight and at worst the third best pound-for-pound fighter in boxing, Floyd Mayweather 41-0 (25), will meet hard punching southpaw Victor Ortiz 29-2-2 (22). And as par for the course Mayweather will be lauded and excoriated for agreeing to fight Ortiz while Manny Pacquiao is out there and willing to meet him under the normal contractual obligations that have stipulated major fights for years. And regardless of whose side you come down on as to why Mayweather and Pacquiao have yet to meet in the ring, the fight is probably a year overdue and many boxing observers are starting to care less and less if it ever happens as time goes by. Not that that will hurt the interest in it once they do agree to fight if that ever happens.

Give Mayweather credit, he’s achieved his goal of wanting to be relevant, and he his. Floyd’s navigated his career to the point that almost anything he says or does is news in the boxing community. As most know this column has been highly critical of Mayweather the fighter, but never the manager. As a fighter I have almost as many questions about him as I do answers pertaining to his greatness. Although he’s certainly one of the greatest of his era, it’s just that I’m not sure how much weight that carries historically being that he’s never really fought the best of his generation when they were at or near the top of their skills.

However, I can’t be critical of Mayweather for fighting Ortiz. No, I don’t expect Victor to score the upset some would love for him to do. And most likely after the third round Mayweather will have relieved Ortiz’s guns of their bullets and Floyd will coast to a comfortable decision victory controlling the action most of the way. That being said, if Mayweather isn’t going to fight Pacquiao, then who? Compared to Juan Manuel Marquez and Shane Mosley, Mayweather’s last two opponents, Ortiz, although not as accomplished or skilled as either, is more formidable and dangerous. Marquez was too old and small for Mayweather and Mosley was too rusty and old. Marquez didn’t have the power or confidence to hurt Mayweather even if Floyd stood directly in front of him with his hands down and dared him to. Mosley landed a lottery punch in the second round and looked to age by the minute as the fight progressed after landing his big right hand. On the other hand Ortiz is young being he’s just 24 years old. He’s also an aggressive southpaw who can really punch and knows his only prayer to beat Mayweather is to let his hands go and throw punches in waves.

Ortiz is 5-1-1 in his last seven bouts and some may look at that as a negative. But he scored the most impressive win of his career in his last fight over the then undefeated WBC welterweight title holder Andre Berto. And when is the last time Mayweather faced a strong aggressive welterweight in his prime who could really punch? It wasn’t Carlos Baldomir, Oscar De La Hoya or Shane Mosley. That’s for sure. Ortiz has had six of his last seven opponents on the canvas win, lose or draw. That’s not accidental power, especially since those knockdowns were against upper-tier fighters in all but one fight. Granted, it’ll all come down to whether or not Ortiz can deliver his power against Mayweather. If history is any indicator, that doesn’t bode well for Ortiz. Maywether is a truly great defensive fighter and Ortiz has grown frustrated during some bouts when things weren’t going his way. And Floyd’s the last fighter in the world Ortiz could show even the slightest bit of doubt or trepidation against.

Again, it’s hard to build a case that sees Ortiz really getting to Mayweather, let alone beating him. But at least he has something in his arsenal that gives him a prayer. Maybe not a wing and a prayer, but at least a prayer. And that is it’s very easy to assume that if an ancient Mosley who couldn’t get out of his own way the night he fought Mayweather, could come within a punch from putting him down, then it’s plausible that Ortiz could really hurt Mayweather and get him out. Of course that’s not likely, but it’s possible. And that’s something that couldn’t be said of either Marquez or Mosley heading into their bout with Mayweather.

During the past few years Mayweather hasn’t been overwhelming and his success has been in part due to the fact that he was fighting guys who couldn’t exploit his somewhat eroding skills. Remember, he only throws one or two punches at a time and really hasn’t had to use his legs much in his last few fights. If Ortiz comes at him, which in reality is the only way he can fight Mayweather, then Floyd will have to open up and probably even have to use his legs. Who knows what they have left? Maybe he hasn’t lost much, or perhaps he’s only capable of fighting in spurts and will be in peril if he has to use his legs in trying to move away and set Ortiz up. Most forget that neither Marquez nor Mosley pressed Mayweather in his last two fights, nor did they force him to move or break off the exchanges. On paper before the fight Victor Ortiz is more likely to make Floyd do both. And that’s why Mayweather’s choice of Ortiz to fight before or instead of Pacquiao isn’t as bad as him fighting Marquez and Mosley when he did. Not to mention if Mayweather decisively beats Ortiz, he’ll be back on top of the boxing world in the eyes of many fans and observers.

Frank Lotierzo can be contacted at GlovedFist@Gmail.com

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Frank Lotierzo

Results and Recaps from Las Vegas where Richard Torrez Jr Mauled Guido Vianello

Published

10 hours ago

April 6, 2025

Arne K. Lang

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LAS VEGAS, NV – In an inelegant but wildly entertaining rumble, Richard Torrez Jr, bullied his way past Guido Vianello. The 10-round heavyweight contest, an appealing match-up between former Olympians, was the featured attraction on a Top Card at the Pearl Theater at the Palms Casino in Las Vegas.

Torrez, the pride of Tulare, California and a 5/2 favorite, promised to show more dimensions to his game, but was the same old frenetic bull-rusher. Torrez likes to dig inside and smother the punches of his opponent who is invariably taller. His chief asset is an engine that never quits.

The early rounds were marred by a lot of wrestling. Referee Tom Taylor, who had a difficult assignment, took a point away from Vianello for holding in round two, a controversial call although it proved to be a moot point.

Vianello, who was coming off an eighth-round stoppage of Russian-Canadian behemoth Arslanbek Makhmudov, wasn’t able to build on that victory and declined to 13-3-1 (11). Torrez, competing in his first scheduled 10-rounder, improved to 13-0 (11).

Co-Feature

In a tactical fight (translation: no fireworks) Lindolfo Delgado remained undefeated with a 10-round majority decision over Elvis Rodriguez. The scores were 95-95 and 96-94 twice.

Delgado, a 2016 Olympian for Mexico, won over the judges by keeping Rodriguez on his back foot for most of the fight. However, Rodriguez won the most lopsided round of the bout, the ninth, when he hurt the Mexican with a punch that sent him staggering into the ropes.

Delgado, a 3/2 favorite, improved to 23-0 (17). It was the second pro loss for Rodriguez (17-2-1), a 29-year-old Dominican who trains in Los Angeles under Freddie Roach.

Abdullah Mason

Cleveland southpaw Abdullah Mason celebrated his 21^st birthday by winning his first scheduled 10-rounder. Mason (18-0, 16 KOs) scored three knockdowns before the fight was waived off after the sixth frame.

Mason’s opponent, Mexican southpaw Carlos Ornelas (28-5), fought a curious fight. He wasn’t knocked down three times, not exactly; he merely thought it prudent to take a knee and after each occasion he did his best work, if only for a few brief moments.

Ornelas, a late sub for Giovanni Cabrera who had to pull out with an eye injury, was clearly buzzed after the third “knockdown.” The doctor examined him after the sixth round and when Ornelas left his corner with an unsteady gait, referee Raul Caiz Jr had seen enough.

Other Bouts

Featherweight Albert “Chop Chop” Gonzalez, a protégé of Robert Garcia, improved to 14-0 (7) with an 8-round unanimous decision over Australia’s durable but limited Dana Coolwell. The judges had it 80-72, 78-74, and 77-75.

The granite-chinned Coolwell (13-4) was making his second start in a U.S. ring after taking Shu Shu Carrington the distance in an 8-rounder underneath the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson exhibition at the stadium of the Dallas Cowboys.

SoCal bantamweight Steven Navarro, the TSS 2024 Prospect of the Year, stepped up in class and scored a fourth-round stoppage of Mexicali’s Juan Esteban Garcia who was winning the fourth round when Navarro (6-0, 5 KOs) reversed the momentum with a flourish, forcing the stoppage at the 2:46 mark.

Junior middleweight Art Barrera Jr (8-0, 6 KOs) polished off Daijon Gonzalez in the second round. Barrera decked Gonzalez with a hard left hook and when Gonzales got to his feet, he was immediately greeted with another devastating punch which forced the referee to intervene. The official time was 2:56 of round two. A 32-year-old campaigner from Davenport, Iowa, Gonzalez brought a 12-5 record but had scored only one win vs. an opponent with a winning record.

Jahi Tucker, a 22-year-old middleweight from Deer Park, Long Island, scores his best win to date, winning a lopsided decision over former British junior middleweight champion Troy Williamson. The scores were 99-89 across the board.

Tucker (14-1-1) scored two knockdowns. The first in the second round was called a slip but overruled on replay. The second, in round eight, was the result of a left hook. Williamson stayed on his feet but the ropes held him up and it was properly scored a knockdown. The Englishman, 34, fell to 20-4-1 in what was his U.S. debut.

In a junior lightweight bour slated for eight rounds, 21-year-old Las Vegas southpaw DJ Zamora, advanced to 16-0 (11 KOs) with a fourth-round stoppage of Tex-Mex campaigner Hugo Alberto Castaneda (15-2-1). The official time was 1:24 of round four.

Photo credit: Mikey Williams / Top Rank

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Filip Hrgovic Defeats Joe Joyce in Manchester

Published

20 hours ago

April 5, 2025

David A. Avila

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In a battle to retain heavyweight contender status, Filip Hrgovic out-fought Joe “The Juggernaut” Joyce to win by unanimous decision on Saturday on Queensberry Promotions’ first card on DAZN.

It was a heavyweight brawl.

Croatia’s Hrgovic (18-1, 14 KOs) was the more accurate puncher over England’s Joyce (16-4, 15 KOs) in their heavyweight title fight at Manchester, England. Both were coming off losses.

Hrgovic, 32, entered the boxing ring as a replacement for Joyce’s original foe Dillian Whyte. Though short on notice, he worked with Abel Sanchez who formerly trained Joyce. It proved to be a wise move.

From the opening round Hrgovic opened-up with a battering attack, especially with the one-two combination that rocked Joyce repeatedly in the first two rounds. The British fighter known for his rock-hard chin, withstood the challenge.

“He is a beast,” said Hrgovic. “This guy is like steel.”

For the first half of the 10-round heavyweight clash, Hrgovic was the aggressor and the much more accurate puncher. Joyce seemed unsteady on his legs but every round he seemed to gain more stability and confidence.

By midway, Joyce resorted to his juggernaut ways and began to stalk the Croatian fighter whom he defeated in the amateurs a dozen years ago.

Though Joyce had lost by knockout to Zhilei Zhang and was knocked down by Derek Chisora, he was able to remain upright throughout the match with Hrgovic despite some wicked shots.

Just when it seemed Joyce might take over the fight, Hrgovic opened-up with an eight-punch volley in the eighth round that had the British heavyweight reeling. The fight turned around.

Hrgovic seemed to get a second wind and began connecting with left hooks and pinpoint accurate combinations. Joyce tried to fight back but his accuracy was off. The Croatian fighter regained the momentum and never allowed Joyce back in the fight.

After 10 rounds all three judges scored for Hrgovic 97-93, 96-95, 98-92.

“I came to fight on short notice. Thanks to God he gave me strength,” said Hrgovic. “Thanks to Joe for the opportunity.”

The Croatian fighter said he seeks a fight with IBF heavyweight titlist Daniel Dubois.

“This guy beat Dubois and I beat him,” said Hrgovic who lost to Dubois a year ago but defeated Joyce who knocked out Dubois when they fought.

Other Bouts

Heavyweight David Adeleye (14-1, 13 KOs) knocked out Jeamie Tshikeva (8-2, 5 KOs) during a clinch and interference by the referee. It remained a knockout win for Adeleye at 55 seconds of the sixth round. Adeleye becomes the British heavyweight champion.

Super lightweight Jack Rafferty (26-0, 17 KOs) knocked out Cory O’Regan (14-1, 3 KOs) in a punch seemingly delivered during a clinch in the fifth round. The match was stopped at 2:26 of the sixth round.

British Olympian Delicious Orie (1-0) made his pro debut and won by decision over Milos Veletic (3-8) in a heavyweight contest.

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Avila Perspective, Chap. 320: Women’s Boxing Hall of Fame, Heavyweights and More

Published

2 days ago

April 4, 2025

David A. Avila

Avila Perspective, Chap. 320: Women’s Boxing Hall of Fame, Heavyweights and More

Many of the best female fighters of all time including Christy Martin, Laila Ali and others are gathering in the glitzy lights of Las Vegas this week.

Several hundred fans including current and former world champions are attending the International Women’s Boxing Hall of Fame ceremony on Friday, April 4 and 5^th at the Orleans Casino in Las Vegas.

It’s one of my favorite events.

Where else can you talk to the female pioneers and stars of the 1980s and 1990s?

The last time I attended two years ago, Germany’s super star Regina Halmich spoke to the packed house about her career in boxing. She and Daisy Lang were two female world champions who sold out arenas wherever they fought. The pair of blonde fighters proved that female prizefighting could succeed.

Many times, I debated with promoters who believed women’s boxing could not succeed in the USA. Though it was popular in Germany and Mexico, various organizers felt female boxing was not appealing to the American masses.

Now promoters and media networks know women’s boxing and women’s sports have crowd appeal.

Expected to attend the IWBHOF event at Orleans will be Mexico’s Jessica Chavez and Jackie Nava who will be inducted into the women’s hall of fame along with Vaia Zaganas of Canada among many others.

It’s also a gathering place for many of the top proponents of women’s boxing including the organizers of this event such as Sue Fox whose idea spawned the IWBHOF.

Each event is unique and special.

Many of my favorite people in boxing attend this celebration of women’s boxing. Stop by the Orleans Casino on the second floor. You won’t be disappointed.

Heavyweight prospects

Heavyweights take the forefront this weekend in two pivotal battles in different continents.

In England, a pair of contenders looking to maintain their footing in the heavyweight mountain will clash as Joe Joyce (16-3, 15 KOs) meets Croatia’s Filip Hrgovic (17-1, 14 KOs) at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester. DAZN will stream the event.

Both lost their last match and need a win to remain relevant. Joyce has lost his three of his last four, most recently coming up short in a riveting slugfest with Derek Chisora.

Meanwhile, in Las Vegas, Nevada, two young heavyweights looking to crack contender status clash as undefeated Richard Torrez (12-0,11 KOs) fights Italy’s Guido Vianello (13-2-1,11 KOs) at the Palms Casino.

Both are Olympians who can crack and each can take a blow.

The winner moves up into contention and the other will need to scrape and claw back into relevance.

Coming up

April 12 in Atlantic City: Jarron Ennis (33-0, 29 KOs) vs Eimantis Stanionis (15-0, 9 KOs) IBF welterweight title.

April 12 Albuquerque: Fernando Vargas Jr. (16-0) vs Gonzalo Gaston (23-7); Shane Mosley Jr. (22-4) vs DeAundre Pettus (12-4).

April 19 Oceanside, Calif: Gabriela Fundora (15-0, 7 KOs) vs Marilyn Badillo (19-0-1, 3 KOs). Also, Charles Conwell (21-0, 16 KOs) vs Jorge Garcia (32-4, 26 KOs).

April 26 Tottenham Stadium, London, England; Conor Benn (23-0) vs Chris Eubank Jr. (34-3); Aaron McKenna (19-0, 10 KOs) vs Liam Smith (33-4, 20 Kos).

Fights to Watch

Sat. DAZN 11 a.m. Joe Joyce (16-3) vs Filip Hrgovic (17-1).

Sat. ESPN+ 2:30 p.m. Richard Torrez (12-0) vs Guido Vianello (13-2-1).

Sat. AMAZON PRIME VIDEO 8:00 8 p.m. Tim Tszyu (24-2) vs. Joey Spencer (19-1)

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