By Mark Vester
Boxing legend and former champion Carlos Ortiz of Puerto Rico has a lot of respect for Manny Pacquiao and the Filipino boxing fans. Ortiz fought and won two legendary battles against the fighter who Pacquiao and many Filipino boxers idolize, Flash Elorde. Ortiz stopped Elorde in round 14 at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Metro Manila, Philippines in 1964. A rematch took place in 1966 at New York's Madison Square Garden and this time Ortiz would once again get a knockout win in round 14.
The biggest Puerto Rico vs. Philippines bout, since the Ortiz-Elorde classics, is taking place on Saturday at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Pacquiao challenges Miguel Cotto for the WBO welterweight crown. Ortiz says Pacquiao is very similar to the great Elorde.
"Elorde was strong and hit hard. Pacquiao is the same kind of fighter. They are equals in that respect. But Pacquiao is very aggressive and a southpaw. One has to really know how to fight southpaws and Cotto is going to have a problem there," Ortiz told El Nuevo Dia. "Elorde was a good fighter and so is Pacquiao but I can't really say which is better."
Ortiz says Cotto has ths necessary skills to win the fight. He doesn't know which fighter is better, Pacquiao or Elorde, but he views them both as great fighters.
"Cotto has the experience and knows to fight. But he has to be very cautious," Ortiz said.
When Ortiz stopped Elorde in the Philippines, he says the people treated him like a king when he was out there. He would love to live in the country.
"If I were to be born again and became a boxer, I would move to the Philippines. In the Philippines they treated me as if I was one of them. I fell in love with Philippines with how well they treated me. There are very good people there. You do not have any idea of how well I was treated," Ortiz said.
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