Manuel Ortiz

Manuel Ortiz is considered one of the very best boxers of the 1940s, and his accomplishments in the ring certainly support that claim. Born on July 2, 1916, in Corona, California, Ortiz had a professional boxing career spanning over 17 years, from 1938 to 1955. Over the course of 131 fights, Ortiz racked up an impressive record of 100 wins, 28 losses, and three draws, with 54 of those wins coming by way of knockout. He won six world titles and had 19 title defenses, putting him in the history books as one of the most accomplished bantamweight champions of all time.

Ortiz's journey to the top of the bantamweight division was a long and hard-fought one. He lost his professional debut against Benny Goldberg via 4th round PTS but went on to win his next nine consecutive fights, including four by knockout. His first world title fight came on August 7, 1942, against Lou Salica for the bantamweight NBA and The Ring titles. Despite being 26 years old at the time, Ortiz had already accrued an impressive 51 fights as a professional. In that fight, he defeated Salica via 12 round unanimous decision to become the bantamweight champion of the world.

Ortiz didn't stop there, however. He went on to become a one-time unified bantamweight world champion, winning two world titles at bantamweight. He successfully defended his titles a division record 15 times against 11 boxers before losing to Harold Dade in 1947. He regained the title later that year and defended it four more times, giving him a total of 19 successful title defenses. These achievements cemented his status as one of the very best bantamweight boxers of all time.

Ortiz was known for his incredible footwork, which allowed him to dart in and out of range effortlessly. His quick hands and excellent counter-punching skills made him a formidable opponent in the ring. Some of his most notable victories include wins over Lou Salica, Lupe Cordoza, Joe Robleto, Leonardo Lopez, Luis Castillo, Kenny Lindsay, and Jackie Jurich.

There were, of course, moments of defeat in Ortiz's career. He suffered his first loss in his professional debut against Benny Goldberg via 4th round PTS, and went on to lose a total of 28 fights throughout his career. Two of those losses were in title fights, and the other 26 were in non-title fights. He was stopped once and lost 27 times via decision.

Despite his losses, Ortiz's legacy as a boxer is firmly intact. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1996, and was named to Ring Magazine's list of the 80 Best Fighters of the Last 80 Years. His impressive record and accomplishments in the ring are a testament to his skill, tenacity, and determination as a boxer.

Outside of the ring, Ortiz made a brief appearance in a gym scene in the 1947 movie Killer McCoy. He also served in the U.S. Army. Sadly, Ortiz passed away from cirrhosis of the liver after a long illness in 1970.

Today, Ortiz's legacy lives on as one of the greatest bantamweight boxers of all time. His incredible career, which spanned almost two decades, left an undeniable mark on the sport of boxing.

Manuel Ortiz Fight Record