Victor Ortiz is an American professional boxer and the former WBC welterweight champion who has a net worth of $7 million. Ortiz is probably best known for winning the WBC welterweight title in 2011. During his prime, he was considered one of the best welterweight boxers in the world. He was especially popular among fans because of his aggressive style. Outside of the ring, Victor has pursued a successful career as an actor. His film credits include “The Expendables 3” and “Southpaw.” Ortiz is also known for his cameo appearance in the TV show “Ray Donovan.”
Early Life
Victor Ortiz was born on January 31st, 1987 in Garden City, Kansas. Raised in a Mexican household alongside five siblings, Ortiz encountered difficulty at the age of seven when his mother abandoned the family. His father, an alcoholic, then became physically abusive towards his children. However, Victor’s father also pressured him to start boxing, which obviously became a great source of future success.
Unfortunately, Victor’s father would also abandon the family after five years of trying to raise his children alone. This resulted in the children being placed in foster care. When his older sister became a legal adult in 2002, Ortiz and his brother moved in with her, and the trio began living together in Denver, Colorado.
Career
Ortiz’s career began when he was noticed by a former heavyweight boxer named Ron Lyle. Lyle took Ortiz under his wing and helped him compete in a Junior Olympics tournament. He was 16 at the time, and he won the 132-pound weight division with a perfect record. Roberto Garcia then spotted him and started training the young boy. During these early years, Ortiz fought and lost to a young Amir Khan.
Ortiz eventually relocated to California in order to train full-time with Garcia. As the years went by, the two became close. Garcia became Ortiz’s legal guardian and helped the young boxer turn professional in 2004, when Victor was still 17. One year later, Ortiz became a legal adult and gained custody of his younger brother. Under Ortiz’s guidance, this younger brother attended college.
After turning pro, Victor established a fearsome reputation for himself by winning his first seven fights. Unfortunately, this winning spree came to an end when Ortiz was disqualified for an illegal punch, although the referee’s decision was seen as controversial. Bouncing back, Victor established a record of 18-1-1 before fighting his first well-known opponent, Emmanuel Clottey. This ended in a TKO victor for Ortiz. He then beat Carlos Maussa in a similar fashion.
Another win followed before Ortiz fought in his first televised bout against Mike Arnaoutis, who had never been knocked out prior to the fight. Victor ended this record by winning via TKO in the second round. Things were looking good for Ortiz, but a 2009 loss against Marcos Rene Maidana forced him to reconsider his overall strategy. The loss was controversial, as the ringside physician prevented Ortiz from continuing after he suffered a cut.
Victor chose to fire Roberto Garcia, revealing that he had been subjected to constant verbal abuse from the trainer over the years. He then hired Robert’s brother, Danny, healed his broken wrist, and defeated Antonio Diaz. Further victories came against Nate Campbell and Vivian Harris before a controversial draw against Lamont Peterson. Many audience members believed that Garcia had actually won that fight.
In 2011, Victor Ortiz was given a shot at the WBC Welterweight title. He was up against Andre Berto, and both fighters came out aggressively in a memorable match. Both exchanged blows and both went down twice. However, Berto looked as if he was struggling more, and Ortiz won the fight by unanimous decision. As the WBC Welterweight champion, Ortiz found himself in the crosshairs of Floyd Mayweather Jr. The fight proved to be highly controversial, and it included a headbutt from Ortiz and a “cheap shot” from Floyd after Victor attempted to apologize for the headbutt.
Things didn’t get much better for Ortiz, as he suffered a broken jaw against Saul Alvarez and subsequently threw in the towel. Ortiz suffered another defeat against Luis Collazo in 2014, but won against Manuel Perez later that year. However, he suffered a broken hand during that fight. He then returned to the ring to beat Gilberto Sanchez. A rematch against Berto ended in another loss, and Ortiz returned to win against Saul Corral in 2017. A draw then followed against Devon Alexander before Ortiz was forced to back out of a fight against John Molina Jr. due to sexual assault allegations.
Fighting Style
Victor Ortiz often utilized a combination of speed and power during his earlier years. He fights with a southpaw style and possesses unique levels of knockout power.
Entertainment Career
In 2014, Ortiz made his on-screen debut with “The Expendables 3,” playing the role of an American soldier. In 2015, he joined the cast of “Southpaw” alongside Jake Gyllenhaal, playing a young boxer. Earlier in 2013, Victor competed in the 16th season of “Dancing with the Stars,” partnering with Lindsay Arnold. He was ultimately eliminated in the sixth week of the competition.
| Net Worth: | $7 Million |
| Date of Birth: | 1987-01-31 |
| Gender: | Male |
| Height: | 5 ft 8 in (1.75 m) |
| Nationality: | United States of America |