LUIS ORTIZ: THE NEXT GREAT CUBAN HEAVYWEIGHT

Recuerdo del primer mensaje :


The journey from Cuba doesn’t always end with title fights and million dollar contracts for its world-class amateur boxers.

When Luis Ortiz left Cuba eight months ago, he knew there were no guarantees when he landed in Miami. Yet he was willing to leave his 2-year-old daughter Liz Mercedes to make a better life for his family through pro boxing.

Ortiz, who signed a promotional contract with The Heavyweight Factory and lives in Kendall, will be featured in the co-main event on the August 17th Rise of the Heavyweights card at Hard Rock Live.

With 362 amateur fights and 2-0 pro record, both knockouts, the lefthander is on the fast track and could be the next great heavyweight from Cuba.

Ortiz is attempting to follow in the hallowed footsteps of Cuban heavyweight greats Teofilo Stevenson and Felix Savon, who never left the small Caribbean nation of just over 11 million people to pursue pro boxing.

Cuba has won 32 gold medals in Olympic competition since 1972 but doesn’t allow pro boxing, forcing several boxers to defect for greener pastures. In Cuba, boxers earn little more than $25 a month but are treated as national heroes and often enjoy state-bestowed privileges such as a car or house.

President Fidel Castro’s government regards the top boxers, along with other star athletes, as supreme products of its socialist sports system.

At 31, the 6-foot-4, 235-pound Ortiz is one of the best-kept secrets in the U.S. Still, he is regarded by many as one of the best products to come out of Cuba. When he arrived in South Florida, he resumed training immediately at the Professional Fighting Center near Tamiami Airport.

“As soon as he got here he started boxing,” said Anibal Pedroso, a close friend and hip hop artist who walks in with Ortiz before his pro fights. “Cuban boxers are great and he is the greatest. I think he is the next Muhammad Ali.

“This is a huge opportunity for him and I believe he is going to make it happen,” Pedroso said. “He has been doing his thing little by little. People don’t know him yet because he is not that big yet. But he will be known.”

Ortiz is known as “The Mercedes.” “That’s his mom’s name and plus he likes that car and he wants one when he makes it,” Pedroso said. “I think it will take him a year to get there. For his size he is quick and has the technique. I think he is something the heavyweight division needs.”

Ortiz said he knew he was going to make it in boxing at age 18 when he got to spar Savon, one of the all-time heavyweight greats.

With a 343-19 amateur record, Ortiz took a silver medal at the 2003 World Championships and gold medal two years later. But it was that one shining moment with Savon he treasures. In his heyday, Savon beat every single amateur contender including David Tua, Sultan Ibragimov, Shannon Briggs and Lamon Brewster.

“I held my own against him and he respected me for that,” said Ortiz who was trained by legendary Cuban boxing coach Alcides Sagarra for seven years on the national team. “He never dropped me. There were no knockouts. I was a boy fighting a hero. I was a new boxer but I was faster than him. I couldn’t hit him because he was fast, too.”

Ortiz has the physical talent, strength, movement, speed and power to get to the next level.

“It is a privilege to be a Cuban fighter, there is the best schools in Cuba for boxers,” Ortiz said. “They have had some of the biggest names in boxing all around the world.

“Now that I am in pro boxing I want to accomplish the same thing. The big people are over here. I always wanted to accomplish this big dream inside of me and that’s to be the champion of the world.”

Of course, growing up in Cuba as a boxer brings high expectations and pressure.

“I only follow my heart,” Ortiz said. “The pressure I have is the pressure I put on myself.

“It has always been my dream to be a great boxer,” Ortiz said. “I have been dreaming this since I started when I was 11. I had a chance in Cuba but it was so political. They loved some other boxers and put me to the side even though I was the best. They didn’t realize I was the one.”

The experience of having nearly 400 fights as an amateur boxer has helped him rise quickly in the pro ranks.

“In my mind every fight is important to me, the next fight is more important then the next and the next,” Ortiz said. “I don’t want anything fast, I want everything for sure. I will be happy when I have my daughter next to me when I am champion.”

NOTA: esta velada sera en Agosto 24 quienes vayan al Hard Rock Casino en Hollywood en Florida, alli los vere

Luis Ortiz es un boxeador con bastante buena tecnica. Estuvo muchos anos boxeando en Cuba en un segundo plano, hasta que logro madurar como boxeador, y despues del ascenso de Solis a los Heavy weight, llego a ser campeon nacional de Cuba en 91 kg. Luego subio a los Heavy weight, pero ahi no tuvo buenos resultados, perdendo con las nuevas figuras de la division dentro de Cuba. Precisamente por eso, porque llego aqui con esa edad, y porque le costo tanto tiempo alcanzar una calidad tecnica como boxador, no se len muchos chances en el profesionalismo

Cubano11 mencionaba al joven Mike Perez. Es un buen prospecto, pero tendria que ser un remake de Mike Tyson, porque a su corta estaura para la division se le suma unos brazos bien cortos, que le dificultan mucho el alcance en una division donde reinan tipos por encima de los 2mts( no es el caso de Solis, que tiene un alcance de un hombre de esa estatura). Mike Perez no obstante a eso, es el mejor prospecto cubano por ahora de la division, por u juventud y por supuesto, su calidad.

Aqui Luis Ortiz en sparring con el ex campeon mundial Oliver Mc Call

carlos yglesia escribió:en ''you tube'',,LA SORPRESA DEL CARIBE,, hay pueden encontrar algunos entrenamientos y peleas de ortiz y de otros cubanos recien llegados.saludos

la sorpres del caribe nunnnnca te pone un video completo ,siempre te dejan enganchao ,confio mas en el duque.

Se ve buena rapidez de mano a Ortiz al paraeser tiene su talento no duden que dentro de un o dos ano este en una eliminatoria por un titulo .

asi mismo estoy esperando la eliminatoria y el titulo de solis y de lara q ya llevan casi 4 años en el pro

Gracias por el dato Psico.
Una vez entre en ese sitio,y lo de los boxeadores uruguayos,dejo mucho que decear.
No entre mas.
Muchas gracias por tu tiempo.
Saludos,y ati tambien 11.

Luis Ortiz va a pelear el 24 de agosto, y ya en su 3era pelea va a discutir un título, ya que peleará por el título vacante FECARBOX de los Heavy Weight. Aunque aún no tiene rival programado.

http://boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=528949&cat=boxer

corsario escribió:Luis Ortiz va a pelear el 24 de agosto, y ya en su 3era pelea va a discutir un título, ya que peleará por el título vacante FECARBOX de los Heavy Weight. Aunque aún no tiene rival programado.

http://boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=528949&cat=boxer

Ese titulo se lo dan a los k son buenos cederistas????

leonel escribió:

corsario escribió:Luis Ortiz va a pelear el 24 de agosto, y ya en su 3era pelea va a discutir un título, ya que peleará por el título vacante FECARBOX de los Heavy Weight. Aunque aún no tiene rival programado.

http://boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=528949&cat=boxer

Ese titulo se lo dan a los k son buenos cederistas????

jajaja... más o menos así.. no, pero en realidad es bastante para su 3era pelea. Entre otros que han tenido estos títulos, están Timur Ibragimov, Carl Brock, quien se lo quitó, y luego en la siguiente pelea discutió el título mundial con Wladimir Klitschko, Carls Davis Drummond, antes de pelear también con Ruslan Chagaev, etc

y a todo esto...... donde carajos esta Solis? en el marivilloso mundo de las hamburguesas o que? Alguien sabe algo, ya se retiro? :141amarillos:

cub@_box escribió:y a todo esto...... donde carajos esta Solis? en el marivilloso mundo de las hamburguesas o que? Alguien sabe algo, ya se retiro? :141amarillos:

jijiji ahi mismito