Victor Ortiz loses in upset; Juanma remains champion BY GEORGE WILLIS
The Victor Ortiz climb to super stardom has fallen off the ladder. Ortiz, headlining a boxing card for the first time, suffered a stunning defeat Saturday night at the Staples Center.
Marcos Rene Maidana of Argentina survived three knockdowns to score a sixth-round TKO over the heralded Ortiz to claim the interim WBA super lightweight championship. The fight, shown on HBO, was stopped 46 seconds into the sixth round because of a cut over Ortiz right eye caused by a punch in the fifth. Ortiz, who also had a badly swollen left eye, didn’t argue the stoppage after being dropped in the first round and early in the sixth by the hard-punching Maidana.
“I was hurt,” Ortiz said. “I’m not going to go out on back for anybody. I said I can stop while I’m ahead and can speak well when I’m older.”
Ortiz (24-2-1, 19 KOs) was well ahead on the scorecards with the Post having him ahead 49-45 after five. He dropped Maidana in the first round with a right hook, but soon found himself on the canvas seconds later after being hit with a straight right by Maidana. But Ortiz took control by dropping Maidana twice in the second round, both with right hooks while the two were exchanging.
“I thought it might be a short night,” Ortiz said, “but he’s an experienced veteran.”
Maidana (26-1, 25 KOs) began to turn the fight in the fifth round, consistently landing hard right hand. But it was clean left that opened a nasty cut on the eyebrow of Ortiz’s right eye. Treatment in the corner didn’t help and when Maidana went on the attack to start the sixth Ortiz began to get rocked. He fell to his knees after a vicious flurry by Maidana.
When he got to his feet, Ortiz was looked at closely by a ringside physician who recommended stopping the fight. “I fought really dumb,” Ortiz said. “I don’t know why but in training camp and everything, I said, I have the power to knock this guy out.”
“It was just one of those nights. Congratulations to him.”
JUANMA WINS IN ATLANTIC CITY
Juan Manuel Lopez (26-0, 24 KOs) had a tougher fight than expected with Olivier Lontchi (18-1, 8 KOs) at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City and seen on pay-per-view.
Lopez, who was defending his WBO junior featherweight title, dropped Lontchi in the second round. But the native of Cameroon, Africa, fought gamely over the next five rounds, enduring rugged exchanges with the sharp-punching Puerto Rican. Lopez’s persistent body attack began to take its toll on Lontchi in the eighth round. The challenger’s legs became unsteady as Lontchi found himself backing up, trying to defend himself. A left cross knocked down Lontchi with a minute left in the ninth. Lopez smelled blood but couldn’t end the fight there.
As the bell sounded, Lontchi went to his corner. He didn’t come back out for the 10th.
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