Victor Ortiz’s life has changed dramatically since his April upset over then-WBC welterweight champion Andre Berto and his name is being thrust into the spotlight even more so with an upcoming showdown with Floyd Mayweather Jr. Ortiz defends his crown against the brazen and brash Mayweather on September 17th in a fight that looks more and more likely to be heading to the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Mayweather announced the Ortiz bout to his million-plus Twitter followers on June 7th but since we have heard nary a word from the Oxnard-based fighter on what the fight means to his career. I had been curious as to what had been on Ortiz’s mind as was happy to see an in-depth interview on the 24-year old conducted by RingTV’s Joseph Santoliquito earlier today.
<--- Slideshow: Ex-Mayweather foe Shane Mosley chilling with girlfriend Bella Gonzalez
In the interview Ortiz opened up and discussed how he overcame his horrific June 2009 TKO loss to Marcos Maidana, what his mental state was heading into the Berto fight, and how he plans on pulling off the upset over Mayweather later this fall. Ortiz also gave his reaction to Berto’s apparent accusations that he had taken illegal substances prior to their fight and discussed why he won’t let Floyd’s pre-fight actions bother him.
In his own words, here are a few highlights from Ortiz’s interview…
Same old Ortiz… “Not much has changed in my life since I beat Berto. The money hasn?t changed, either. At the end of the day, I live my life to the fullest. I don?t have a lot of money, but I do have a lot of dignity and that keeps me going. It?s pathetic how I?m paid, despite what happened in beating Berto. I still live in the same two-bedroom apartment in Ventura, Calif., that I lived in prior to the Berto fight. Don?t get me wrong, I?m grateful for being in the position that I?m in.”
His mind set heading into Andre Berto clash… “There were so many people, so much of everything, that said what I can and what I can?t do. I?m my own person, my own man, and I guide my own life. I was going into that ring and I was going to do me. I was over it all and they kept saying that I was going to fear Berto?s power. I didn?t respect Berto?s power and I know what I wanted that night and I wanted to be world champion. I was sick of the shit; very sick of it.”
Recent slideshows: Nonito Donaire stops by the H.I.T. Factory to show support to Zab Judah / Mark Melligen settling into training camp at Floyd Mayweather’s gym / Roger Mayweather talking trash on Manny Pacquiao
The lingering effects after losing to Marcos Maidana… “I don?t think it will be ever justified losing to Maidana until I?m done as a fighter. Maidana can?t look me in the eyes today, because he knows he?d get his ass beat if we fought again.”
Brushing off Berto’s accusations that he took PEDs… “I wasn?t angry over it. I just laughed at it like I am now. It was too bad that a former world-class champ who got his heart taken couldn?t accept that he lost. Yeah, he bitched up; he couldn?t deal with it. It didn?t anger me at all. I kind of feel sorry for Berto. To take a beating like that from me and then I take his belt, it makes me laugh; it?s a bad excuse.”
Ready for anything with Floyd Mayweather Jr… “The contracts have been signed. Everything is set to go. We?re looking for a venue, and it?s going to be on pay-per-view HBO. I don?t know what Floyd?s issues are outside of the ring, all I know is that we?re fighting. But it hit me a long time ago that my life has changed. Bucky Avila and Ron Lyle, those two were there since way back, and they always told me that I would be in the lights one day. In doing so, I should always keep my feet on the ground. I always listen to what they have to say. I wake up each morning and work hard. Coach wants me at four in the morning and I?m there at 3:30. If Mayweather is running two miles, I?m running three miles. I?ve been through so many ups and downs these last three years, I?m ready for anything.”
Personal struggles… “Even personally. I underwent my first breakup in four years. I was seeing someone who was everything to me, and she broke it off with me. I think I got too big, too fast. There was this arrogance that I had to reign in. It was a very hard time for me. For some reason, I was thinking negative the whole week leading up to fighting Vivian Harris. I thought to myself and I looked at myself and said, ?I was going to be world champion whether I liked it or not.? I went out and knocked out Harris. I know I won the [Lamont] Peterson fight. My girl was proud of me and this and that. But after I fought Berto, I hadn?t heard from her. We?re both kids and no one is perfect. I realize that I have to take care of myself. With all of that, and the way my whole family has been, it makes you mature and grow fast.”
Getting ready for Mayweather’s antics… “What?s funny is that I don?t scare easily and I don?t let stuff like that bother me. I know what Floyd is up to and I know he?s there to sell tickets. I?m there to take him off the throne. He can call me anything in the book, I?m ready for it. I?ll pretty much laugh it off; I know it?s coming. Floyd will drum up something to say and I?ll laugh at him. I don?t anger easily, either. I?ve been called every name in the book. I?m this, I?m that, I have no balls. Floyd can?t bother me.”
How to defeat Floyd Mayweather… “I?ll take him the same way I thought Oscar De La Hoya beat him, the way Jose Luis Castillo beat him, that?s take the war to his ass. Every fighter I?ve faced is different. I?m not sure what Mayweather has planned for me, or what I have planned for Mayweather. Berto was one fight, we had a plan for him. Peterson was another fight, a different plan for him. I know how Floyd fights. We?ll come with some game plan and go from there. I?ll start training soon, maybe mid-June. I?m fat right now for welterweight, walking around at 156 pounds. I know I?ll get down. I won?t have problems making the weight.”
