By Allan Fox: Former WBC welterweight champion Victor Ortiz (29-4-2, 22 KO’s) has been added to the December 14th Adrien Broner vs. Marcos Maidana pay-per-view card at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. Ortiz, 26, will be challenging IBF junior middleweight champion Carlos Molina (22-5-2, 6 KO’s) for his title in the co-feature bout on the card.
This is a tough comeback fight for Ortiz. Molina is no joke and if Ortiz isn’t in top shape and ready for a touch fight, we could see Ortiz losing again.
It’s a good match-up for Ortiz because Molina isn’t a big puncher and Ortiz would have a huge advantage in hand speed, power and mobility. By the time Ortiz gets in the ring, he’ll have been out of action for 1 1/2 years since his last fight in June of 2012. Ortiz was beaten by Josesito Lopez by a 9th round stoppage after suffering a broken jaw in 2 places.
Ortiz ended up quitting on his stool after the 9th round in that fight due to the pain in his jaw. Before that fight, Ortiz had a reputation for quitting due to his 6th round TKO loss to Marcos Maidana in 2009, and some would say that Ortiz basically quit in his loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2011 when he dropped his guard after losing a point for head-butting him.
Ortiz has got to stick it out against Molina for the full because his reputation will take a major hit if he quits for one reason or another. He’s got to stick it out and take the pain in this fight. Quitting because of a cut or whatever will make him look bad. The good news is that Molina doesn’t have the power to give Ortiz the same kinds of problems as Maidana. Molina is a tough fighter and he’ll take it to the inside and give Ortiz a lot of problems if he’s not ready for an inside war.
Molina, 30, defeated Ishe Smith to win the IBF 154 lb. title last month on the Mayweather vs. Saul “Canelo” Alvarez card in Las Vegas. Molina did a good job of forcing Smith into an in close war, and he ended getting the better of him.
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