by David P. Greisman
Online gambling site Bovada has former welterweight titleholder Victor Ortiz firmly in the middle of the pack in its odds for who will win the 16th season of ABC’s popular reality competition, “Dancing with the Stars.”
Ortiz and comedian D.L. Hughley are tied for fifth with 13:2 odds. Ahead of them are gymnast Aly Raisman (4:1), actress Zendaya Coleman (9:2), actor Ingo Rademacher (11:2) and singer Kellie (6:1).
Rounding out the rest, below Ortiz and Hughley, are football player Jacoby Jones (7:1), singer Wynonna Judd (10:1), former figure skater Dorothy Hamill (10:1), realty television personality Lisa Vanderpump (15:1), and comedian/actor Andy Dick (30:1).
Ortiz last fought in June 2012, suffering a ninth-round technical knockout loss to Josesito Lopez and suffering a broken jaw in the process, both of which kept him from a clash this past September against Canelo Alvarez. He is 29-4-2 with 22 knockouts.
Ortiz is the fifth pro boxer to be on the show. The others were Evander Holyfield (season 1), Laila Ali (season 4), Floyd Mayweather (season 5) and Sugar Ray Leonard (season 12). Holyfield was the second contestant eliminated in his season, Leonard was the third to be eliminated in his season, and Mayweather was the fourth to be eliminated in his season.
Ali did the best of all the boxers, making it all the way to the season finale and finishing in the third place. (Mixed martial artist Chuck Liddell appeared in season 9 and was the fifth contest to be eliminated.)
David P. Greisman is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Follow David on Twitter @fightingwords2 or send questions/comments via email at fightingwords1@gmail.com