By Rick Reeno
Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer has advised BoxingScene.com that he finalized a battle of former welterweight champions for January 30th, as Victor Ortiz (29-4-2, 22KOs) will make his return to the ring against Luis Collazo (34-5, 17KOs) at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The fight will be televised by FOX Sports 1.
Ortiz will enter the ring for the first time since the June 2012 TKO loss to Josesito Lopez. During the fight, which led to a ninth round stoppage, Ortiz suffered a badly broken jaw. The surgery and post-rehab placed Ortiz on the shelf for several months.
Collazo has put together a three fight streak after dropping an upset decision to Freddy Hernandez in October of 2011.
Ortiz was originally set to return on December 14th, as part of the Adrien Broner-Marcos Maidana undercard. Golden Boy was trying to match him against IBF 154-pound champion Carlos Molina, but the sanctioning refused to approve the fight. Then a fight with Alfonso Gomez was set, but Gomez withdrew after suffering an injury in training camp.
Schaefer indicates that the new opportunity for Ortiz will be huge - as FOX will include Golden Boy's event as part of their massive promotion for Super Bowl XLVIII, taking place on February 2.
"As you know FOX is doing the Super Bowl this year, and they are going to be doing a big UFC fight and they are going to be doing a big boxing fight with Golden Boy. We are going to be hosting the boxing event for the Super Bowl from the Barclays Center, on January 30th, with Ortiz facing Luis Collazo. We are going to do a big show that night and Ortiz-Collazo will be the main event," Schaefer told BoxingScene.com.