Victor Wins In Major Upset!

Foxwoods, Conn.- On June 27, 2009, Victor Ortiz gave up his right to call himself a real fighter.  He just quit, after being knocked down by Marcos Maidana, in the sixth round. At the post fight interview, Victor said that he was too young to be getting beat up and believed that he should choose another career path. He committed the cardinal sin, in boxing, which is to be able to dish out the punishment but not take it. So many people thought, coming into tonight’s fight between undefeated, Welterweight Champion, Andre Berto, and Victor Ortiz, the man who refused to take a beating just two years ago, that Berto’s victory was guaranteed;  this was bound to be a one-sided massacre. Pound for Pound King, Floyd Mayweather, would be watching along with friend and business partner, 50 Cent, scouting Berto to set up a mega fight in the fall and Golden Boy would get one more payday out of Ortiz, then phase him out of the picture like they did Francisco Badjo.  In fact, Badjo had a similar style to Ortiz and like Ortiz was labeled talented but without the heart to become a champion.

Within two minutes of the first round, Ortiz dispelled that theory, stunning Berto and then knocking him down. Ultimately, it was the former quitter with no heart who won a unanimous decision and pulled off the biggest upset of the year. Berto was such a heavy favorite coming into this fight because many experts felt that since Berto was the bigger man and Ortiz had to move up to the Welterweight limit (after spending his entire career at the Junior Welterweight division), Ortiz would just get overwhelmed by the bigger Berto.  Not so.

To everyone’s surprise, once the two combatants where in the ring, Ortiz was bigger and more muscular than the very muscular Berto.  It was at that moment that I knew Berto might be in trouble and I was right. After a disastrous round one, Berto regrouped in round two, stayed in the center of the ring, and put Ortiz down with a perfect straight right hand to the chin, evening up the fight. However, just as in round one Ortiz took over and pummeled Berto against the ropes in rounds three, four, and five.

Then came round six…  Berto came out determined to keep the fight in the center of the ring, using his jab and staying away from the ropes. With a minute left in the round, Berto used Ortiz’s aggression against him and landed a perfect, overhand right that floored him. Ortiz got back to his feet, but was visibly dazed from the shot. Berto, sensing an opportunity, came in for the kill, throwing everything he had in his arsenal, trying to finish a fight that was not going his way.  This time, however, Ortiz did not quit he stood his ground.  With seven seconds left in the round, Ortiz hit Berto with two consecutive left hooks, folding Berto back and putting him on the canvas. The crowd at the Foxwoods Casino, in Connecticut, was in shock as well as entertained as the two young warriors laid everything on the line.

Unfortunately, for the Champion, those were the last heroics we would see from him as Ortiz took over the fight for good.  Even though there were some rounds that had exchanges, we saw Berto, once again, lying against the ropes, taking a beating, and watching his “big money fight” as well as his championship slip out of his grasp.

Once the decision was announced, the crowd stood around in disbelief, trying to put together what they had just witnessed. What many thought was going to be a funeral for Ortiz turned into a resurrection of his career not to mention his reputation.  Now, Ortiz has the Welterweight Championship and possible big fights with Mayweather and Pacquiao. As for Berto, now, his road is uncertain. I’m sure his management team will campaign for a rematch but with the way the Berto team and HBO disrespected Ortiz by not even bringing a belt for him to take home, I am sure Ortiz will go for the money fights, if he can land one. That way he will let Berto take a much less spotlighted bout with a less than stellar opponent.

This should be a valuable lesson for both fighters. Berto will learn that “skills pay the bills”, as he stated before the fight, but his heart got in the way and he failed to be able to go toe to toe with a more natural brawler. Ortiz will learn that his career is in his own hands and only he knows, in his heart, what lies within him when he refuses to quit, because he has already achieved a feat that still causes some to shake their heads in disbelief. We will see both men, again, but for now, Ortiz deserves whatever benefits come from this spectacular accomplishment.

- The Boxing King-