On January 30th Victor Ortiz will step into the ring for the first time since June of 2012, when an underdog named Josesito Lopez ruined a future matchup with Canelo Alvarez and broke Ortiz's jaw in the process.
More than a year later, Ortiz is going to make his comeback against Luis Collazo and is warning the rest of the welterweight division to stay out of his way. In recent interviews he dismissed Lopez and Marcos Maidana, who knocked him out and just defeated Adrien Broner, as not in his league.
"I would like to go back and destroy them, just for the sake of it," Ortiz said. "They're not on my level and never have been, not Lopez, not Maidana. None of those guys man. Mayweather is the only one where I could probably say 'we're going to be in for a war.' Those other guys, they don't belong. They got me on a bad night, but nine times out of 10 I beat them."
It is boastful talk from Ortiz, who may jump back into major contention in the loaded welterweight division if he looks impressive enough against Collazo. Don't expect Collazo to lie down for him, however.
"My main thing is to go in there and to frustrate him and to touch that jaw. I haven't taken any time off," said Collazo, "He's taken some time off, and I hope that he's able to go to work. This fight is going to define my future, especially here in Brooklyn in my home town. I'm not going to lose in Brooklyn. Not at home."
That jaw hasn't been significantly tested since Lopez mangled it, and Ortiz realized it when he disobeyed doctor's orders right after sustaining the injury. "I was in the gym hitting the bags with mettle plates in my mouth and my mouth wired shut four days after the injuries," said Ortiz.
"The doctor said, 'Don't make your heart pump when you're like this.' He said, 'Just trust me.' I ignored him of course. I went into the ring. Eight, nine, 10 rounds later, I'm like, I was gushing blood in my mouth, and I was like, 'Oh, I get it.'"
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