By Bill "Two Scoops" Emes
Former welterweight champion Luis Collazo (34-5, 17KOs) has been waiting for a long time to secure the opportunity of a big fight. On January 30th at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, Collazo will face another former champion in Victor Ortiz (29-4-2, 22KOs), who returns for the first time since the TKO defeat to Josesito Lopez in June 2012.
"I've been trying to get a fight like this, this caliber of a fight for many years and now it's here. There is nothing like fighting at home. Nothing is better than fighting in front of your home crowd," Collazo said to BoxingScene.com.
Experts have been very critical of Ortiz since the fight with Marcos Maidana, where Ortiz quit during the sixth round. Ortiz also packed things up in the fight with Lopez, after suffering a broken jaw.
Collazo says Ortiz could very well have another mental meltdown, once he gets frustrated in their fight.
"[Quitting], that's his past. I have to deal with my present. A lot of people counted him out plenty of times, but he's a fighter. When you're in that ring, it doesn't matter what you do - you have to have heart just to get in it. But, he quit and that's on him. He better not come quit January 30th. But it could probably end something like that if he gets frustrated," Collazo said.