By Francisco Salazar
It is hard to believe Victor Ortiz is only 30 years old.
With the number of fights under his belt in his pro career, Ortiz is not slowing down. Despite the setback in the Andre Berto fight, Ortiz still believes he is still amongst the best fighters at 147 pounds.
The path towards another attempt to fight for a world title belt begins Sunday, as Ortiz faces veteran Saul Corral at the Rabobank Theatre in Bakersfield, California.
The 10 round bout will headline a three-bout telecast that will air live on FS1, beginning at 7 p.m. ET/ 4 p.m. PT.
It was Apr. 30 of last year when Ortiz was stopped in the fourth round by Berto. It was a rematch to their thrilling 12 round bout back in 2011.
After taking some time off to regroup from the Berto fight, Ortiz returned to the gym in December. For Ortiz, he is just glad to get back in the ring.
"I don't mind where the venue is as long as there's a ring and an opponent," Ortiz told Boxingscene.com at an open workout at Knuckleheadz Gym in Ventura, where he resides. "I know (Corral) is ready and I'm ready. That's all that really matters. To be back in the mix of things."
Just as much as Ortiz has made headlines and turned heads in the boxing ring, he has received equal attention for what he has done outside of it.
Ortiz was a contestant on the popular ABC series, "Dancing with the Stars" in 2013. He also had roles in feature films 'Southpaw' and 'Expendables 3.'
Ortiz has been criticized for not dedicating himself to boxing, splitting time between training camps and on set of films. Ortiz came to realize dedicating 100 percent to boxing was the only solution at this point in his career.
"I walked from acting away to pursue my (boxing) career," said Ortiz, who is trained by Joseph 'Hoss' Janik. "It was taking too much of 'me' to be in both. I pulled myself out and I apologized to my management. They understood. I think we found an understanding which is awesome."
"I definitely learned that I have more than just boxing. At the end of the day, I took a step back and realized this (boxing) is what I like. This is what I love. It's my passion. I'm going to go out with a bang like I'm supposed to. I shouldn't walk away from something I'm so gifted at, even though I was presented with the opportunity of acting. People dream of being an actor and I have actor friends tell me, 'Victor, you're so lucky.' But I'm not passionate about acting like they are. Yet. Maybe I'll get there
one day, but I'm still boxing. I'm still 30."
One reason Ortiz is more motivated to boxing is the birth of his child, who was born six months ago.
"His name is Victor Royal Ortiz. He's part of the reason why i grew this hunger to re-direct and chase my goals. He's my motivation to have that hunger."
Boxing fans and media have questioned that hunger over the last couple of years. That included Ortiz being accused on not accepting a fight with rival Brandon Rios, both of whom reside in Ventura County, west of Los Angeles.
While it is unclear which of the two fighters turned down the fight, do not bet on a fight between the two to happen anytime soon.
"At this point in time, we had the fight set up three different times. I was ready every time. I don't know what happened. I don't really care. At this point, I'm listening to Al Haymon and Sam Watson. Whatever they say, goes. They found this fight (against Corral) was more convenient for me."
Ortiz is favored to defeat Corral on Sunday, but an impressive knockout victory will be the only way Ortiz can convince boxing fans this journey towards a world title or big money fights is legit.
Ortiz is not phased whether boxing fans have faith in him or not. He is convinced he can not only compete, but defeat some of the best fighters in the welterweight division.
"I feel I could still be one of the best at 147 pounds. It's there for the taking. There's some gifted fighters in there. My respects to them. I think I have enough of what it takes to be in there with them. I'm a complete fighter. I carry power. I'm southpaw.
"I feel the hunger is still there. When I became a world champion, that was a short-lived experience for me. We all saw the Mayweather fight. People had their good things to say and they had their bad things to say. 50-50. At the end of the day, what was left in my heart after reaching that pinnacle of having a world title, and having it taken away from me that way, I'm not satisfied."
Francisco A. Salazar has written for Boxingscene.com since September of 2012 and has covered boxing in Southern California and abroad since 2000. Francisco also covers boxing for the Ventura County (Calif.) Star newspaper, RingTV.com, and Knockout Nation. He can be reached by email at santio89@yahoo.com or on Twitter at FSalazarBoxing
