http://www.fightnews.com/Boxing/victor- ... ore-330193
“It’s another tough fight, once again, he’s hungry and so am I. There are two hungry guys that want the same thing,” Victor Ortiz told Fightnews.com®. “This is definitely the next chapter of my boxing career and I want to take full advantage of it. I’m healthy and I’m young and I’m still able to pull the trigger.”
Coming off a stoppage over Gilberto Sanchez Leon this past December, Ortiz is riding a two fight win streak. Previously he lost three straight fights by KO to Luis Collazo, Josesito Lopez (in which he suffered a broken jaw), and of course the controversial KO loss to Floyd Mayweather.
“I questioned God why is it I am doing so well and then he puts all these obstacles in front of me,” Ortiz said. “I just got shattered or broken something. I learned to deal with it. It is what it is.”
During that three fight losing streak, Ortiz suffered some injuries and ended up taking time away from the fight game to play a role on the action film ‘The Expendables’ starring Sylvester Stallone and ‘Southpaw’ starring Jake Gyllenhall. Now the 29-year-old will focus on the ring as he looks to win another world title.
“I’ve fought a lot of wars. I’ve been in battles. I broke my jaw and my wrist, that’s three years right there. But my will to fight led me back. The more boxing I watched, the more upset it made me. I don’t think the other welterweights are on my level. I’m not thinking of Hollywood right now. I’m just trying to conquer these belts.”
It was April 16, 2011, when Victor Ortiz went in as the underdog against then undefeated Andre Berto at the Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut. Berto was already in line to fight Floyd Mayweather and Floyd was seated ringside to witness the 2011 Fight of the Year. Ortiz came out strong scoring a knockdown. Later in the fight, the two traded knockdowns and Ortiz pulled off a decision win.
“It was one hell of a fight. I definitely had to fight the champ. It wasn’t like they gave me the easy fight. I had to go in there and prove that I can beat him. Everyone said I was a ‘tomato can’ who had no business being in the ring with Berto the first time. I had to go to Connecticut to get my belt and my respect.”
Berto has been struggling since their fight. He went on to win the IBF welterweight title with a stoppage Jan Zaveck, but suffered setbacks with a pair of losses to former world champion Robert Guerrero and Mexican journeyman Jesus Soto Karass as well as a nagging shoulder injury. In his last fight he suffered a one sided decision loss to Floyd Mayweather in Floyd’s alleged farewell fight.
“I see a lot of decline in Berto. I’m not shooting for twelve rounds this time. He thinks he has a chance. That’s always a good dream to have. Berto blames me for his downward spiral, but anytime you have to blame someone else I would be pissed off too. It’s not even me, it’s himself.”
Despite what turns both of their careers have gone there is some bad blood between the two. Following the kickoff fight press conference the two posed with Ortiz getting under Berto’s skin and Berto responding with a shove.
“It don’t matter, there’s a ring, referee, judges, I don’t care what anybody needs to say about me, what they are going to do to get their satisfaction. I don’t care. I’m doing this for me. Ultimately I’ll do what I want,” Ortiz said.
Must be on crack or something.
