Manuel Ortiz (boxer)

Manuel Ortiz ( born July 2, 1916 in El Centro, California, † May 31, 1970 in San Diego ) was an American boxer who was world champion bantamweight in the 40s. He is not related to Carlos Ortiz.

Career

At the age of 19 years, Ortiz attended an amateur fight event, sprang spontaneously, as an opponent and won turned out. He began training seriously for an amateur career and had a flyweight respectable success. He won, among others, the Golden Gloves of California.

The hard- hitting half-distance specialist Ortiz gave his professional debut in 1938 in the bantamweight and lost on points. After a year, his record stood at 17 wins and nine defeats (all on points, he had a world class chin). Later in his career, but he beat then -ranked opponent as strong Tony Olivera, Little Pancho and Jackie Jurich.

On 7 August 1942, he won the world bantamweight title with a points victory against Lou salica. He defended the belt in the next five years, fifteen times, even if he lost a 1944 non-title fight against the larger ( featherweight ) Willie Pep. Alone in 1943, he made eight successful title defenses. He had to give to Harold Dade in January 1947 the championship belt eventually.

However, he won the direct rematch just two months later and played four more defenses against Kui Kong Young, Tirso Del Rosario, Memo Valero and Dado Marino. In this period, however, was also the only premature loss of his career, as a non- title fight against Manny Ortega was aborted due to eye injury.

In 1950, he lost the final to crown the South African Vic Toweel. Only in 1955 he ended a 42- year his career in which he posted 98 wins, three draws and 29 defeats.

It applies to the Ring Magazine as one of the best Bantamgewichtler of all time, is called Eder Jofre with, Ruben Olivares, Carlos Zarate and Panama Al Brown in one breath.