Carlos Ortiz

Carlos Ortiz, a legendary Puerto Rican boxer, was born on September 9, 1936, in Ponce, Puerto Rico. His professional boxing career spanned over 17 years and included 70 fights, with 61 wins, 7 losses, 1 draw, and 1 no-contest. Ortiz recorded 30 KO wins and one loss via knockout in his illustrious career.

Ortiz's professional debut as a boxer was against Harry Bell on February 14, 1955, at the age of 18, which he won via 1st round KO. He went on to have a tremendous run, winning 19 more consecutive fights, including eight via stoppage.

Ortiz had his first shot at a world title at the tender age of 22 on June 12, 1959, after 32 professional fights, against Kenny Lane, for the super-lightweight NBA (vacant) and NYSAC titles. He defeated Lane via 2nd round TKO to become the super-lightweight champion of the world.

Ortiz was a one-time undisputed lightweight champion and won four world titles at lightweight. He was promoted as world champion twice and had eight total title wins. He went on to defend his titles on 11 occasions, recording nine KO wins in the process.

He retired from professional boxing with a record of 61-7-1, which included 30 knockout wins and one loss via knockout, and four title wins. His in-ring artistry earned him a place in the International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF) in 1991.

Career Highlights

Carlos Ortiz was undoubtedly one of the best fighters of his generation and had many memorable moments throughout his career. Here are a few of his career highlights:

Winning His First World Title

Ortiz won his first world titles against Kenny Lane via 2nd round TKO on June 12, 1959. He became the super-lightweight champion of the world and clinched the NBA and NYSAC super-lightweight world champion belts in the process.

Defending His Titles against Battling Torres

On February 4, 1960, Ortiz successfully defended his NBA and NYSAC super-lightweight titles against Battling Torres, winning the fight via 10th round KO.

Winning Three Lightweight Championship Titles

Ortiz won four world titles at lightweight, including becoming a one-time undisputed lightweight world champion. He elevated as world champion twice and won his first lightweight world-champion belt by defeating Joe Brown via 13th round KO on April 21, 1962.

He defended his NYSAC, WBA, and The Ring lightweight titles against Teruo Kosaka and won the fight via 5th round KO on December 3, 1962. He retained his WBA, WBC, and The Ring lightweight titles by defeating Flash Elorde via 14th round TKO on February 15, 1964.

Ortiz completed his hat-trick of winning lightweight championship titles by unanimously defeating Ismael Laguna via 15 round unanimous decision on November 13, 1965. He holds the WBA, WBC, and The Ring lightweight world-champion belts.

Defending His Lightweight World Titles

Ortiz defended his WBA, WBC, and The Ring lightweight titles four times against Sugar Ramos, winning twice via TKO in 1966. He defeated Sugar Ramos the first time via 5th round TKO on October 22, 1966, and the second time via 4th round TKO on July 1, 1967.

He also defended the same belts against Flash Elorde via 14th round TKO on November 28, 1966.

Notable Victories

Ortiz defeated some notable boxers in his illustrious career, including five hall-of-famers. Here are some of his best fights and notable victories:

Ismael Laguna

Ortiz earned his undisputed lightweight world-champion belt by defeating Ismael Laguna via 15 round unanimous decision on November 13, 1965. Laguna gave a tough fight, but Ortiz's skills got him in the winning path in the end, as the judges gave him a unanimous decision to earn his third lightweight championship title.

Sugar Ramos

Ortiz won twice against Sugar Ramos in his career, both times via TKO. The first one was on October 22, 1966, in a fight where he successfully defended his three-world champion belts. He then beat the same opponent via 4th round TKO on July 1, 1967, in another fantastic display of his boxing skills.

Duilio Loi

Ortiz defeated Duilio Loi via split-decision on June 1, 1960, in a non-title fight. Loi had a significant advantage over Ortiz in terms of experience, as he was the reigning light-welterweight world champion at that time. Ortiz was only 23 years old back then and proved to be worth his salt and defeated a future hall-of-famer, who had a record of 115 wins.

Ortiz's professional boxing career came to an end in 1972 at the age of 36, with a loss against Scottish boxer Ken Buchanan on September 20, 1972. He lost the fight via 6th round RTD.

Conclusion

Carlos Ortiz established a legacy as one of the best boxers in Puerto Rican history due to his exceptional boxing skills that earned him eight world championship titles. He was a master of the art of boxing, and his career is a testament to this. His career highlights and notable victories put him among the greats of the sport, with his career coming to an end in 1972.

Carlos Ortiz Fight Record