L.A. Boxing Icon Johnny Ortiz Passes Away

Published

10 years ago

August 13, 2014

Los Angeles boxing lost one of its great ambassadors, Johnny Ortiz, who passed away on Saturday after a lengthy battle with cancer. He was in his late 70s.

In the past 50 years few people can be associated with boxing as heavily as Johnny Ortiz, whose entire life was engulfed in the sport, first as an amateur boxer, then as co-manager of the historic Main Street Gym. He was also a Hollywood actor, magazine writer, radio show host for “Ringside L.A. with Johnny Ortiz on ESPN Radio,” and finally authored the book “My Life Among the Icons.”

“I first heard him on the radio. I wanted to know who he is. Someone I know said he wears dark glasses and he is always sharply dressed,” said Joe Miranda, a fight photographer for Fightnews.com “When he started doing his show out of Commerce Casino I would go and watch him do the show live. That’s when I first met him.”

He was a regular figure at each Southern California boxing event with his dark glasses and dark snappy clothes. Everyone knew that square jaw and sincere smile. For decades Ortiz attended prizefights, whether it was the Olympic Auditorium, Inglewood Forum or club shows in Ontario, California. He also ventured to Las Vegas until he got tired of seeing his Las Vegas disappear, no Frank Sinatras and Sammy Davis Juniors, and be replaced with the mega casinos and hotels.

“It’s not the same,” he told me. “Plus, there’s too much walking. It’s not for me.”

Ortiz was content to watch the fights on television and report it on his radio show once the fighting was done. He talked to the young Oscar De La Hoya, Shane Mosley, Fernando Vargas, and James Toney. Berating or criticizing was not his thing. Instead he wanted to talk about their skills and aspirations.

When light heavyweight Julio Cesar Gonzalez (who died in 2012 from a motorcycle accident) became the first of Mexican descent to win the world title in Oct. 18, 2003, it was Ortiz who grabbed him immediately by phone to congratulate him on live radio. Gonzalez had defeated Dariusz Michalczewski in Germany and handed him his first pro defeat. Then he was contacted by Ortiz immediately after the fight and the radio world heard about this great victory. Even Roy Jones Jr. refused to fight Michalczewski in Germany. It was a great coup for both Gonzalez and Ortiz.

Before Toney fought Evander “Real Deal” Holyfield in 2003 at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, he was a guest on Ortiz’s radio show and predicted a knockout victory over the great Holyfield. Ortiz didn’t question the prediction but asked why a knockout? Toney answered, “He ain’t never fought me.” Of course Toney was right on the money and stopped Holyfield in round nine. It was only the second knockout loss in Holyfield’s long and magnificent career.

Ortiz was also active with the World Boxing Hall of Fame, which preceded the International Boxing Hall of Fame. He was a guiding force for the organization.

“What I remember of Johnny Ortiz is he was Mr. Personality on World Boxing Hall of Fame. He was a board member. He was a dynamic personality. He was probably the most enthusiastic guy I ever saw in my life when it came to boxing. He lived it,” said Ken Thompson, who is currently a promoter and served as a president on the WBHOF.

As time passed Thompson and Ortiz became good friends and both got to know each other more on a personal basis.

“In the world of boxing in LA, Johnny Ortiz played a big role. He knew just about everyone in boxing,” Thompson said. “His life was blessed from the very first time he was involved in the sport, but his pride and joy was to say he was a part owner of the Main Street Gym.”

The historic gym was located on Main Street near Second Street and had provided a training facility for some of the best pugilists the world had ever seen. From Jack Johnson to Roberto Duran, the second floor gym that had that smell of 90 years of sweat and blood was the center of boxing on the West Coast. When owner Howie Steindler was found dead in a parking lot the responsibility of maintaining the boxing jewel was left to his daughter Carol Steindler. She later asked for Ortiz’ help and he kept things in boxing order.

While Ortiz and Steindler ran the gym, he was approached by Sylvester Stallone to use the gym for a motion picture he was going to film. Ortiz consented and the world received the movie “Rocky,” which proceeded to win the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1976.

Rocky films continued to use the Main Street Gym and later other film producers would follow suit. The film industry would grab Ortiz to play various roles and he eventually became a SAG member. He played a gym owner in the 1999 film “Play It to the Bone” which featured Woody Harrelson, Antonio Banderas and Lolita Davidovich.

Ortiz was very passionate about boxing, especially the older generations. Many boxing veterans took residence in L.A. and would visit the Main Street Gym to get an occasional workout. Sugar Ray Robinson, Muhammad Ali and Henry Armstrong were a few of those who Ortiz graciously welcomed with open arms.

When Armstrong was mugged to death at his home in 1988, it remained a topic that would incite rare anger from the usually amiable Ortiz.

The gym was finally closed in 1994 after the Northridge Earthquake caused inspectors to condemn it to the scrap pile. Many people hoped it was just a temporary closure.

“I met him at the Main Street Gym. Then we both came out in an LA Times article. Then later he said he wanted to come work with Uppercut Magazine,” said Jesus Jimenez, who was the publisher for the bilingual magazine in the 1990s and early 2000s. “He gave us a lot of footage and knowledge of the history of boxing. He had been around.”

“He knew guys like the Golden Boy, Art Aragon, and told me he was good looking. I didn’t know he was good looking. He also said Ring Magazine used to forget there was a lot of boxing in California. To me he was a genuine boxing expert. He was probably with us for seven to eight years,” said Jimenez.

While working with Uppercut he would tell tales of boxing’s past gems and also add some of his Hollywood experiences. The crew of writers and editors were entranced by his adventures of L.A.’s past.

“You got to write a book,” I would tell him. “You really need to let the boxing world know these stories.”

Whenever we would meet I would ask. Finally, in 2009, the book of his past was published. It’s a great painting of Ortiz and his life in Los Angeles.

For more than a year Ortiz couldn’t make any of the fights in Southern California. Friends would ask each other about any Johnny sightings.

“If anybody was the LA boxing scene it was Johnny,” said Jimenez. “He was real low key about it.”

How big was Ortiz to the boxing scene?

“One thing I noticed about Johnny Ortiz, it didn’t matter if it was fighter from the 40s or today everyone knew Johnny Ortiz,” said Thompson.

An era has passed.

To assist Johnny Ortiz’s family with burial expenses go to: http://www.gofundme.com/ctlkz4

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David A. Avila

Skylar Lacy Blocked for Lamar Jackson before Making his Mark in Boxing

Published

2 days ago

January 19, 2025

Arne K. Lang

Skylar-Lacy-Blocked-for-Lamar-Jackson-Before-Making-his-Mark-in-Boxing

Skylar Lacy, a six-foot-seven heavyweight, returns to the ring on Sunday, Feb. 2, opposing Brandon Moore on a card in Flint, Michigan, airing worldwide on DAZN.

As this is being written, the bookmakers hadn’t yet posted a line on the bout, but one couldn’t be accused of false coloring by calling the 10-round contest a 50/50 fight. And if his frustrating history is any guide, Lacy will have another draw appended to his record or come out on the wrong side of a split decision.

This should not be construed as a tip to wager on Moore. “Close fights just don’t seem to go my way,” says the boxer who played alongside future multi-year NFL MVP Lamar Jackson at the University of Louisville.

A 2021 National Golden Gloves champion, Skylar Lacy came up short in his final amateur bout, losing a split decision to future U.S. Olympian Joshua Edwards. His last Team Combat League assignment resulted in another loss by split decision and he was held to a draw in both instances when stepping up in class as a pro. “In my mind, I’m still undefeated,” says Lacy (8-0-2, 6 KOs). “No one has ever kicked my ass.”

Lacy was the B-side in both of those draws, the first coming in a 6-rounder against Top Rank fighter Antonio Mireles on a Top Rank show in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, and the second in an 8-rounder against George Arias, a Lou DiBella fighter on a DiBella-promoted card in Philadelphia.

Lacy had the Mireles fight in hand when he faded in the homestretch. The altitude was a factor. Lake Tahoe, Nevada (officially Stateline) sits 6,225 feet above sea level. The fight with Arias took an opposite tack. Lacy came on strong after a slow start to stave off defeat.

Skylar will be the B-side once again in Michigan. The card’s promoter, former world title challenger Dmitriy Salita, inked Brandon Moore (16-1, 10 KOs) in January. “A capable American heavyweight with charisma, athleticism and skills is rare in today’s day and age. Brandon has got all these ingredients…”, said Salita in the press release announcing the signing. (Salita has an option on Skylar Lacy’s next pro fight in the event that Skylar should win, but the promoter has a larger investment in Moore who was previously signed to Top Rank, a multi-fight deal that evaporated after only one fight.)

Both Lacy and Moore excelled in other sports. The six-foot-six Moore was an outstanding basketball player in high school in Fort Lauderdale and at the NAIA level in college. Lacy was an all-state football lineman in Indiana before going on to the University of Louisville where he started as an offensive guard as a redshirt sophomore, blocking for freshman phenom Lamar Jackson. “Lamar was hard-working and humble,” says Lacy about the player who is now one of the world’s highest-paid professional athletes.

When Lacy committed to Louisville, the head coach was Charlie Strong who went on to become the head coach at the University of Texas. Lacy was never comfortable with Strong’s successor Bobby Petrino and transferred to San Jose State. Having earned his degree in only three years (a BA in communications) he was eligible immediately but never played a down because of injuries.

Returning to Indianapolis where he was raised by his truck dispatcher father, a single parent, Lacy gravitated to Pat McPherson’s IBG (Indy Boxing and Grappling) Gym on the city’s east side where he was the rare college graduate pounding the bags alongside at-risk kids from the city’s poorer neighborhoods.

Lacy built a 12-6 record across his two seasons in Team Combat League while representing the Las Vegas Hustle (2023) and the Boston Butchers (2024).

For the uninitiated, a Team Combat League (TCL) event typically consists of 24 fights, each consisting of one three-minute round. The concept finds no favor with traditionalists, but Lacy is a fan. It’s an incentive for professional boxers to keep in shape between bouts without disturbing their professional record and, notes Lacy, it’s useful in exposing a competitor to different styles.

“It paid the bills and kept me from just sitting around the house,” says Lacy whose 12-6 record was forged against 13 different opponents.

As a sparring partner, Lacy has shared the ring with some of the top heavyweights of his generation, e.g., Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte. He was one of Fury’s regular sparring partners during the Gypsy King’s trilogy with Deontay Wilder. He worked with Joshua at Derrick James’ gym in Dallas and at Ben Davison’s gym in England, helping Joshua prepare for his date in Saudi Arabia with Francis Ngannou and had previously sparred with Ngannou at the UFC Performance Center in Las Vegas. Skylar names traveling to new places as one of his hobbies and he got to scratch that itch when he joined Whyte’s camp in Portugal.

As to the hardest puncher he ever faced, he has no hesitation: “Ngannou,” he says. “I negotiated a nice price to spend a week in his camp and the first time he hit me I knew I should have asked for more.”

Lacy is confident that having shared the ring with some of the sport’s elite heavyweights will get him over the hump in what will be his first 10-rounder (Brandon Moore has never had to fight beyond eight rounds, having won his three 10-rounders inside the distance). Lacy vs. Moore is the co-feature to Claressa Shields’ homecoming fight with Danielle Perkins. Shields, basking in the favorable reviews accorded the big-screen biopic based on her first Olympic journey (“The Fire Inside”) will attempt to capture a title in yet another weight class at the expense of the 42-year-old Perkins, a former professional basketball player.

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Mizuki Hiruta Dominates in her U.S. Debut and Omar Trinidad Wins Too at Commerce

Published

4 days ago

January 18, 2025

David A. Avila

Mizuki-Hiruta-Dominates-in-her-U.S.-Debut-and-Trinidad-Wins-Too-at-Commerce

Japan’s Mizuki Hiruta smashed through Mexico’s Maribel Ramirez with ease in winning by technical decision and local hero Omar Trinidad continued his assault on the featherweight division on Friday.

Hiruta (7-0, 2 KOs), who prefers to be called “Mimi,” made her American debut with an impressive performance against Mexican veteran Maribel Ramirez (15-11-4) and retained the WBO super flyweight world title by unanimous decision at Commerce Casino in Commerce, Calif.

The pink-haired Japanese southpaw champion quickly proved to be quicker, stronger and even better than advertised. In the opening round Ramirez landed on the floor twice after throwing errant blows. On one instance, it could have been ruled a knockdown but it was not a convincing blow.

In the second round, Ramirez again attacked and again was met with a Hiruta check right hook and down went the Mexican. This time referee Ray Corona gave the eight-count and the fight resumed.

It was Hiruta’s third title defense but this time it was on American soil. She seemed nervous by the prospect of getting a favorable review from the more than 700 fans inside the casino tent.

For more than a year Hiruta has been training off and on with Manny Robles in the L.A. area. Now that she has a visa, she has spent considerable time this year learning the tricks of the trade. They proved explosively effective.

Though Mexico City’s Ramirez has considerable experience against world champions, she discovered that Hiruta was not easy to hit. Often, the Japanese champion would slip and counter with precision.

It was an impressive American debut, though the fight was stopped in the eighth round after a collision of heads. The scores were tallied and all three saw Hiruta the winner by scores of 80-71 twice and 79-72.

“I’m so happy. I could have done much more,” said Hiruta through interpreter Yuriko Miyata. “I wanted to do more things that Manny Robles taught me.”

Trinidad Wins Too

Omar Trinidad (18-0-1, 13 KOs) discovered that challenger Mike Plania (31-5, 18 KOs) has a very good chin and staying power. But over 10 rounds Trinidad proved to be too fast and too busy for the Filipino challenger.

Immediately it was evident that the East L.A. featherweight was too quick and too busy for Plania who preferred a counter-puncher attack that never worked.

“He was strong,” said Trinidad. “He took everything.”

After 10 redundant rounds all three judges scored for Trinidad 100-90 twice and 99-91. He retains the WBC Continental Americas title.

Other Bouts

Ali Akhmedov (23-1, 17 KOs) blasted out Malcolm Jones (17-5-1) in less than two rounds. A dozen punches by Akhmedov forced referee Thomas Taylor to stop the super middleweight fight.

Iyana “Roxy” Verduzco (3-0) bloodied Lindsey Ellis in the first round and continued the speedy assault in the next two rounds. Referee Ray Corona saw enough and stopped the fight in favor of Verduzco at 1:34 of the third round.

Gloria Munguilla (7-1) and Brook Sibrian (5-2) lit up the boxing ring with a nonstop clash for eight rounds in their light flyweight fight. Munguilla proved effective with a slip-and-counter attack. Sibrian adjusted and made the fight closer in the last four rounds but all three judges favored Munguilla.

More Winners

Joshua Anton, Tayden Beltran, Adan Palma, and Alexander Gueche all won their bouts.

Photos credit: Al Applerose

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Avila Perspective, Chap. 309: 360 Promotions Opens with Trinidad, Mizuki and More

Published

5 days ago

January 16, 2025

David A. Avila

Avila Perspective, Chap. 309: 360 Promotions Opens with Trinidad, Mizuki and More

Best wishes to the survivors of the Los Angeles wildfires that took place last week and are still ongoing in small locales.

Most of the heavy damage took place in the western part of L.A. near the ocean due to Santa Ana winds. Another very hot spot was in Altadena just north of the Rose Bowl. It was a horrific tragedy.

Hopefully the worst is over.

Pro boxing returns with 360 Boxing Promotions spotlighting East L.A.’s Omar Trinidad (17-0-1, 13 KOs) defending a regional featherweight title against Mike Plania (31-4, 18 KOs) on Friday, Jan. 17, at the Commerce Casino in Commerce, Calif.

“I’m the king of L.A. boxing and I’ll be ready to put on a show headlining again in the main event. This is my year, I’m ready to challenge and defeat any of the featherweight world champions,” said Trinidad.

UFC Fight Pass will stream the Hollywood Night fight card that includes a female world championship fight and other intriguing match-ups.

Tom Loeffler heads 360 Promotions and once again comes full force with a hot prospect in Trinidad. If you’re not familiar with Loeffler’s history of success, he introduced America to Oleksandr Usyk, Gennady “GGG” Golovkin and the brothers Wladimir and Vitaly Kltischko.

“We’ve got a wealth of international talent and local favorites to kick off our 2025 in grand style,” said Loeffler.

He knows talent.

Trinidad hails from the Boyle Heights area of East L.A. near the Los Angeles riverbed. Several fighters from the past came from that exact area including the first Golden Boy, Art Aragon.

Aragon was a huge gate attraction during the late 1940s until 1960. He was known as a lady’s man and dated several Hollywood starlets in his time. Though he never won a world title he did fight world champions Carmen Basilio, Jimmy Carter and Lauro Salas. He was more or less the king of the Olympic Auditorium and Los Angeles boxing during his career.

Other famous boxers from the Boyle Heights area were notorious gangster Mickey Cohen and former world champion Joey Olivo.

Can Trinidad reach world title status?

Facing Trinidad will be Filipino fighter Plania who’s knocked off a couple of prospects during his career including Joshua “Don’t Blink” Greer and Giovanni Gutierrez. The fighter from General Santos in the Philippines can crack and hold his own in the boxing ring.

It’s a very strong fight card and includes WBO world titlist Mizuki Hiruta of Japan who defends the super flyweight title against Mexican veteran Maribel Ramirez. It’s a tough matchup for Hiruta who makes her American debut. You can’t miss her with that pink hair and she has all the physical tools to make a splash in this country.

Mizukii Hiruta

Two other female bouts are also planned, including light flyweight banger L.A.’s Gloria Munguilla (6-1) against Coachella’s Brook Sibrian (5-1) in a match set for six rounds. Both are talented fighters. Another female fight includes super featherweights Iyana “Right Hook Roxy” Verduzco (2-0) versus Lindsey Ellis (2-1) in another six-rounder. Ellis can crack with all her wins coming via knockout. Verduzco is a multi-national titlist as an amateur.

Others scheduled to perform are Ali Akhmedov, Joshua Anton, Adan Palma and more.

Doors open at 4:30 p.m.

Boxing and the Media

The sport of professional boxing is currently in flux. It’s always in flux but no matter what people may say or write, boxing will survive.

Whether you like Jake Paul or not, he proved boxing has worldwide appeal with monstrous success in his last show. He has media companies looking at the numbers and imagining what they can do with the sport.

Sure, UFC is negotiating a massive billion dollar deal with media companies, as is WWE, both are very similar in that they provide combat entertainment. You don’t need to know the champions because they really don’t matter. Its about the attractions.

Boxing is different. The good champions last and build a following that endures even beyond their careers a la Mike Tyson.

MMA can’t provide that longevity, but it does provide entertainment.

Currently, there is talk of establishing a boxing league again. It’s been done over and over but we shall see if it sticks this time.

Pro boxing is the true warrior’s path and that means a solo adventure. It’s a one-on-one sport and that appeals to people everywhere. It’s the oldest sport that can be traced to prehistoric times. You don’t need classes in Brazilian Jiujitsu, judo, kick boxing or wrestling. Just show up in a boxing gym and they can put you to work.

It’s a poor person’s path that can lead to better things and most importantly discipline.

Photos credit: Lina Baker

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