By JOSEPH G. LARIOSA

(Journal Group Link International)

C HICAGO, Illinois (JGLi) – Legendary Puerto Rican three-time world champion Carlos Ortiz, who broke the hearts of Filipinos in the sixties, is not about to switch his allegiance in the upcoming fight between his countryman Miguel Cotto and Filipino Manny Pacquiao.

Mr. Ortiz, who beat the Filipino legendary boxer Gabriel “Flash” Elorde twice in the mid-sixties, is staying in the corner of his countryman Miguel Cotto against Pacquiao in the Nov. 14 welterweight championship fight at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Ortiz, 73, who is still training “different individuals and fighters” in gyms in New York city, told this reporter in an exclusive phone interview Friday (Oct. 30) from his home in Bronx, New York city that “I don’t have too much information about Mr. Pacquiao or Mr. Cotto. Cotto, I know, is very strong. He’s got a lot of stamina. He is so well trained a fighter and he should have a strength and the edge.”

Although, Mr. Ortiz is ruling out a knockout by either boxer during the fight, he said, “It is hard to tell.” He suggested that whoever delivers “the first punch will have the edge.”

Ortiz, a native of Ponce, Puerto Rico, describes Cotto as having the “ability to win the fight because of his aggressiveness and knowledge” of boxing in contrast to Pacquiao’s “straightforward” style.

As to his advice to the two boxing champions, Mr. Ortiz said, “either Cotto or Pacquiao should work hard. They should go to the ring with a lot of confidence. They should fight their edge off. You put everything you have once that bell rings. You have to give everything you had. The first guy that falls, it will show” who has the edge.

Carlos Ortiz knocked out Gabriel “Flash” Elorde in a bout held in Manila in 14 rounds to retain his world Lightweight title. In a return match in New York, Ortiz knocked out Elorde again in the 14th round of the 15-round title bout. Both Ortiz and Elorde have been voted to Boxing’s Hall of Fame.

W hen asked if he can beat either Cotto or Pacquiao in his prime, Mr. Ortiz said he could knock either one or both fighters out.

Enshrined in the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1991, Mr. Ortiz had a final record of 61 wins, 7 losses and 1 draw, with one bout declared a no-contest and 30 knockout wins.

Ortiz knocked out his fellow hall of famer, Gabriel “Flash” Elorde, in a bout held in Manila in 14 rounds to retain his world Lightweight title. In a return match in New York, Ortiz knocked out Elorde again in the 14th round of the 15-round title bout.

Instead of going up in weight, like most boxers throughout history have done after losing the title in their original division, Ortiz went down in weight from junior welterweight, and challenged world Lightweight champion Joe Brown (also a member of the International Boxing Hall Of Fame). Ortiz won a 15 round decision over Brown on April 21 of 1962 in Las Vegas, to win his second world title, this time in his second championship division. He later lost but regained the Lightweight championship.

Elorde won the world super featherweight title on March 16, 1960 by knocking out Harold Gomes in seven rounds. He defended the crown 10 times, "making him the longest reigning world junior lightweight champion ever (seven years and three months)." He also outpointed all-time great featherweight champion Sandy Saddler in 1955 in a non-title bout. In 1956, he was given a rematch with Saddler, this time with Saddler's featherweight title on the line. However, Elorde suffered a cut in his eye and lost the fight on a 13th round TKO.

Editor’s Note: To read more of Gabriel “Flash” Elorde and other Filipino world boxing champions, please click on this link, Filipino World Boxing Champions

F lash Elorde retired with a record of 88 wins (33 KOs), 27 losses and 2 draws. He is considered the greatest super featherweight champion of all time in World Boxing Council history.

Ortiz said he was saddened after learning only recently that Mr. Elorde had died. A chain smoker, Elorde died of lung cancer in 1985 at the age of 49.

He said, “I never knew until recently that he passed away. I was very sad. We lost a good athlete. A good person. That shows that all the more, athlete should not smoke. Otherwise, he pays” dearly for it.

Mr. Ortiz said his fights with Mr. Elorde might not be his “hardest fight” but he added, “he gave me a good fight.” Ortiz moved to Bronx, New York City, from Puerto before he began his boxing professional career in 1955.

(lariosa_jos@sbcglobal.net) # # #

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