Victor Ortiz: For Want of Discipline

By Boxing News - 01/07/2014 - Comments

ortiz4By Isaac Brodie: With pay per view giants Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao both coming to rest within its ranks the welterweight division has in recent years become the most exciting and most publicized in the sport. And at the high point of his career vicious Victor Ortiz was rated amongst its best. Yet as much excitement and potential as has been seen in this fighter, it has all been periodically tainted by disappointment.

On paper Victor seems to have everything, good speed, great power, decent coordination and footwork. However, all of these gifts have never been seen at their full potential because of a lack of discipline. All fans of the sport are familiar with the Mayweather fight and the manor in which it was ended. Victor was by no means winning the fight prior to its implosion, but he was fighting competitively. Despite being out boxed throughout the few rounds of the fight he was managing to attack more effectively than any of Floyd’s opponents to follow, with the exception of Miguel Cotto. But as we all know Victor lost his composure and paid for it with a KO.

Re-watching that fight I couldn’t help but wonder what might have happened if Victor had been a little bit more mature, a little more composed. It’s more than likely Floyd wound have walked away with the decision but if Victor had stayed to a game plan he, like Cotto could have walked away with pride, despite the loss.

This made me reconsider the Marcos Maidana fight. When I first watched this fight it was as a brawl, a couple of hard-hitting thugs trying to take each other’s heads off. Really it was just a massive mistake on Victor’s part. At that time Maidana was more limited than he is now, really Victor should have been able to out box him. Instead he chose to fight in the only way Maidana could have matched him by trading power shots. And as Victor grew more reckless, so sure of the KO, he became more and more open to those right hand replies.

So now Victor is back, not like was back against Lopez, this time they tell us he is back for good. And we he meets Luis Collazo it will be a good chance to test those attributes, are the gifts still there. And then maybe we can begin to ask, has Victor finally got it together? It he ready to live up to the expectations? Because if he does came back as a more mature version of the same talented fighter he still has the time and popularity to be a force at welterweight, or else junior middle weight. If all goes well I’ll favor him over most welterweights with the exception of Mayweather, Keith Thurman, Pacquiao and possibly an awkward Tim Bradley.

And if this comeback is successful just wait for Maidana’s name to show up.



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