By Dominic Sauboorah: Many have slated Victor Ortiz for having no heart and a lack of courage after he quit against Josesito Lopez due to a complaint of a broken jaw, however I believe this to be unfair.

With all the training and preparation that goes into a fight, including the fight itself, it is very unorthodox for an average person to question a boxer’s heart.

Ortiz sustained the injury when a massive left hook crashed against his jaw. You could automatically tell that the punch affected him, due to the fact that he kept his mouth open for the rest of the round. He then went back to his corner with his mouth still open. After a lengthy discussion Ortiz’s corner decided to pull their man out of there and Ortiz agreed with the decision. Despite the fact that Lopez was landing good combinations Ortiz was definitely ahead on points thereby showing that he wasn’t outclassed by the underdog in any sense.

The one thing that did surprise me however was his post fight reaction to him losing the fight. He graciously decided to congratulate Lopez on his victory although when Showtime went into the ring to interview him he was laughing and smiling, as if he didn’t care. He showed a similar attitude after he was sucker punched by Floyd Mayweather in his last fight.

Obviously this is another huge blip in Victor Ortiz’s career. His heart was questioned after he decided to quit against Marcos Maidana and now he’s quit again. I believe that his courage shouldn’t be judged after this defeat simply due to the fact that there was an injury involved. Ortiz was aware that he was taking a fair bit of leather from Lopez and if that continued to be the case in the last 3 rounds his jaw could’ve been permanently damaged, thereby ending his career. Many people forget that this man is only 25, he has many years left in him and he was fighting an opponent that was seen as a stepping stone to greater things such as a possible bout against Saul Alvarez.

I see it as fair that people are condoning what Ortiz did, considering his history in boxing. Nevertheless to question his heart is ridiculous. To carry on boxing with a suspected broken jaw knowing that you could make the injury worse or even permanent is a sign of stupidity. To quit on your stool in front of millions of people knowing that they will most likely judge and accuse you is a sign of bravery. Other boxers might have carried on but I guarantee that all other people, that aren’t boxers, that accused Victor Ortiz of being a coward would’ve done exactly the same thing.