Victor Ortiz approached his title fight against Andre Berto with a ferociousness that, frankly, we’ve never seen in Ortiz, pre-fight.
The 147 pound Ortiz looked the same as the 140 pound Ortiz, but he talked a whole lot different. That much I knew. I wrote about that six weeks ago.
What I didn’t know, however, was that Ortiz’s “more vicious” approach to his April 16 championship showdown would translate into a “more vicious” performance in the ring — as dominant a performance one could have when being knocked down twice.
The dominance started almost immediately, as both fighters came out firing, with Ortiz striking first. Roughly ninety seconds into their WBC middleweight title bout Ortiz sent Berto the crashing to the mat — a knockdown which referee Mike Ortega would rule a push.
That didn’t matter, however, as Ortiz went right back to work, overwhelming Berto with punches in bunches. A right cross staggered the then-undefeated champion, forcing him to retreat to the corner, and ultimately, after absorbing a flurry of punches from the heavy-handed Ortiz, caused the champ took a knee.
Berto would never fully recover from being sent to the canvas twice in the first stanza, and credit Ortiz for never letting him do so. That hasn’t always been the case with Ortiz.
In the past, the young Mexican-American has let hurt opponents rejuvenate and regain their strength. The Marcos Maidana and Lamont Peterson bouts serve as exhibit’s A and B on that matter. But the “more vicious” Victor Ortiz kept his foot on the gas, not even letting Berto catch his breath when he was taunting him while against the ropes.
Even when he hit a speed-bump — a major speed bump — in round six in the form of becoming one with the canvas courtesy of a Berto right hand, he weathered the storm and returned the favor in the closing seconds of the round, sending Berto down with a short left hook.
He looked like a man possessed, as hungry as ever. He also looked like a true welterweight, his body no longer drained from the days of making the 140 pound junior welterweight limit.
But what was obvious to me at the kick-off press conference was ever-present throughout the fight. Ortiz wasn’t out to just win, he was out to make a statement — and that he did.
“It wasn’t until last fight…it was one of those things in the end I felt like a piece of gum on the bottom of somebody’s shoe,” Ortiz said at the press conference.
He continued, “I’m tired of this ‘Oh, he’s got no heart, he’s got no balls,’…the list [of criticism] goes on and on and on,” Ortiz said six weeks ago.
Ortiz was breathing fire, he was pissed, and possessed. Many thought Berto’s hands would . Not so. Not last Saturday.
Unless Ortiz lands a life-changing payday against Mayweather or Pacquiao, a rematch — likely PPV — would be the next most lucrative bout.
In the past, perhaps I’d question whether Ortiz would be able to bring that same fierceness, that same intensity to the ring twice. But not this time. If they do square up again, I’m taking Ortiz, no questions asked.
The Ortiz at 147 is ferocious. He knew exactly what he wanted and he found a way to get the job the done.
“They say Andre Berto is the best [at 147]. I disagree,” Ortiz said in late March. “Berto is no chump. He’s the champ for a reason. But April 16th, I’m changing that.”
Talking the talk and walking the walk. Bravo. A tip of the sombrero to you, the new…
Kyle Kinder can be reached at KyleKinder1@gmail.com or Twitter.com/KyleKinder
Photo by Claudia Bocanegra
