Victor Ortiz's return is put to a hard stop by Luis Collazo in Brooklyn
By Rich Mazon
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 31 Jan 2014
New York - Victor Ortiz leaped from his corner when he heard that opening bell tonight at The Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Tonight, the former welterweight champ makes his return to the ring after being sidelined by an injury in his last fight some eighteen months ago.
He was anxious and it showed in the ring. He wanted to end the doubts and the ridicule that he has endlessly received after a series of unpredicted finishes in the ring.
First was him quitting against Marcus Maidana, second was his head but attack on Floyd Mayweather Jr. and him being knocked out in the process. And then in his last fight against Josesito Lopez, he suffered a broken jaw that ended the possibility of another big payday fighting Saul Alvarez.
Tonight, in what seems to be a crossroads kind of fight for him and his opponent, hometown fighter and former title challenger, Luis Collazo, the road to recovery for Ortiz was derailed by a big right hook from his opponent in the dying seconds of the 2nd round of their fight.
Ortiz was wide and careless with his punches and Collazo landed a counter that shook the Kansas born former 147 champ.
Collazo who was landing the better punches between the two, followed that hook with two punches to the head on a bent and retreating Ortiz who fell to the canvass and stuck his head outside of the ropes to avoid added punishment.
Referee Benjie Esteves attempted the mandatory count but Ortiz's eyes showed no willingness to get back in that ring. He was dazed and shocked at the same time.
The 32 year old veteran Collazo retained his WBA International welterweight belt and improved to 35 wins with 18 KOs in front of his hometown fans, 7000 of them that trooped the arena in a cold winter Thursday night to watch him.
Luis Collazo also produced a highlight reel for his career, a vicious stoppage that will most likely be a stepping stone that will earn him a bigger fight in the future.
Luis Collazo moves on with the big win tonight, while Victor Ortiz will have to deal with more questions from the public and the media, and also questions that he will be asking himself when he looks at that image of him in that mirror of the dressing room at The Barclays.
Is this it for the hard punching, unpredictable son of boxing?
He can only answer that himself.
You can reach the author at rrmaze24@aol.com and on Twitter @Freemazon910.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Rich Mazon .
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