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They?re calling one of them Feckless Fernando and labeling him a disgrace to the Philippine flag.
The other is being mocked as Not So Vicious Victor and a growing legion of detractors are saying he is not a ?real Mexican anyway,? just a Mexican American who should make like Dorothy in the ?Wizard of Oz? and return to Kansas.
Fernando Lumacad, a heretofore obscure flyweight from Manny Pacquiao?s hometown of General Santos City, did not get physically hurt in getting knocked out quickly Saturday night in Atlantic City by four time world champion Jorge Arce.
But there?s got to be some mental pain and suffering as the young, overmatched Pinoy sees and hears all the criticism he?s getting for not getting off one knee to resume fighting.
Lumacad, age 23, is need of ring redemption.
Ortiz, age 22 and pushed too hard and too fast by icon hungry promoter Golden Boy to assume the mantle of Oscar De La Hoya, is in need of ring redemption.
Frankly, I wonder if either will achieve this given their current pugilistic predicament.
It would take some salesmanship to talk promoter Bob Arum into giving Lumacad a second chance, perhaps on one of his ?Pinoy Power? PPV TV cards. Arum called a spade a spade in ripping Lumacad as a quitter.
But Arum loves a good story line and, with his Filipino centered cards, he just might give Lumacad another chance to show his red badge of courage.
HBO loves sizzling story lines also and surely they will follow Ortiz?s narrative after his sixth round KO loss to rugged Marcos Madiana.
The prime cable network had a lengthy preflight video piece on Ortiz?s sorry childhood and his meteoric boxing rise. De La Hoya, who was as someone said was a ?Golden quitter? against Pacquiao, went on ESPN Friday night to lavish praise on his Golden child.
Ortiz?s fighting heart and will to battle past adversity is being deeply questioned.
One difference is that I was the only reporter who bothered to speak to Lumacad and his camp after the loss to Arce.
But Ortiz had a bigger stage and a wider audience after his stunning defeat. And his words were not those of an I can?t wait to come back stronger warrior.
?I am not,? Ortiz said, ?going out on my back for anyone. I don?t deserve to get beat up like that.?
It?s one thing for a faded veteran, a high mileage combatant, to make such remarks knowing he?s at or near his fighting finish.
But, while Ortiz is nothing if not excruciatingly honest in expressing himself, this is not what the boxing public wants to hear said by a guy being peddled to them as the Next Great Thing.
Who among us has never sought redemption for one thing or another? My hand is not going up as a person without faults who has never wanted to right a wrong.
Redemption, that?s what Ortiz and Lumacad both need. They both need to clean their slate.
While we wait and hope that one or both redeem themselves in this dangerous sport, let?s not forget that boxing?s list of the seriously wounded and the dearly departed is long and telling.
Ortiz came out and said it, he likes scrambled eggs but not scrambled brains.
Lumacad?s sense of self preservation was seen in his remaining down until the count of 10.
Let?s temper our criticisms of these youngsters and hope they can earn redemption.
Let’s also remember they are the soldiers who climb between the ropes for our amusement.
Criticize them, yes but at the same time, let?s admit theirs is a game of life and death.
