IBF World Featherweight Champion Jennifer Han is in the final week of preparations for her title defense set against Lizbeth Crespo Saturday nigh in the Don Haskins Center doors open at 3 pm. RUBEN R. RAMIREZ/EL PASO TIMES
Redemption is as vital to boxing as handwraps and mouthguards. It’s often the secret ingredient that transforms it from sport to spectacle. It’s what motivated Louis to destroy Schmeling, Ali to rope Foreman and Leonard to embarrass Duran.
Victor Ortiz and Devon Alexander are on redemptive paths. At one time, both were considered the future of pugilism, young guns with winning smiles and a load of natural talent. But things changed quickly. And now, they are at the crossroads. Two faded, former world champions meeting up in battle for survival.
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The winner advances. The loser goes home. It’s boxing at its most basic as southpaws Ortiz and Alexander try to resurrect their waning careers at the Don Haskins Center in El Paso (6 p.m., Saturday, FOX).
WINNER SURVIVES; LOSER CALLS IT A CAREER
Whatever “it” was, Ortiz, 32-6-2 (25 knockouts) had it. The kid from Kansas, who eventually relocated to Ventura, California, was a fan favorite in the mold of his one-time promoter, Oscar De La Hoya. He looked good, fought good, grinned big and spoke well. He had a knockout punch, and when he got a guy hurt, he went after him. He fought on De La Hoya’s undercards. His future looked bright.
Hard-punching Argentine Marcos Maidana was Ortiz’s first true test in 2009, but really wasn’t expected to be more than a tough, willing opponent. Things started off well enough, as Ortiz dropped Maidana early. But then Maidana returned the favor in a wild fight, and suddenly Ortiz’s arrival as a big star was in serious question. A life-or-death brawl erupted, and “Vicious Victor’s” coming out party was ruined when he was stopped in the sixth.
All was forgiven in April 2011, when Ortiz outwilled the previously undefeated Andre Berto in a thrilling war that gave Ortiz the WBC welterweight crown. It catapulted him into the biggest fight of his life, a showdown against Floyd Mayweather, Jr. in September 2011. In a bizarre ending reminiscent of Andrew Golota’s meltdowns against Riddick Bowe, Ortiz headbutted Mayweather in frustration in the fourth round. After a point deduction, Ortiz was clocked by Mayweather and KO’d as Ortiz was attempting to offer his apologies. He forgot boxing’s cardinal rule: “Protect yourself at all times.”
The crushing loss initiated a three-fight losing streak, including a mid-fight surrender against Josesito Lopez in 2012, and a second-round knockout defeat to Berto in a 2016 rematch. He is 3-4 in his last seven and in desperate need of a significant win.
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Alexander “The Great, 27-4 (14 KO’s), of St. Louis, has some huge names on his resume. He beat Junior Witter for the vacant WBC super lightweight title in 2009, then unified the titles with a highlight-reel knockout of IBF champ Juan Urango in 2010 (TKO 8). And he beat both Lucas Matthysse and Maidana by decision in 2011 and 2012.
In 2011, he lost a technical decision to Timothy Bradley in one of the biggest fights of that year. It was a fight that could’ve catapulted Alexander to bigger and better things, but the loss had the opposite effect. He went from one of the hottest fighters in boxing to being virtually forgotten, even after moving up to welterweight and winning the IBF crown there in 2012.
Alexander is 2-3 in his last five, including losses to Shawn Porter, Amir Khan and Aaron Martinez in an upset. He took a two-year layoff and returned in November, beating Walter Castillo by decision.
Both Ortiz and Alexander are 31 years old and obviously past their prime years. The question is, who has faded more? Neither has had a big win in more than six years, and neither has looked impressive in comeback fights. For Ortiz, the issue appears to be desire. He’s surrendered against Maidana and Lopez and many question some of his subsequent efforts. As for Alexander, he still appears to be effective, but doesn’t have the pop he had at 140 pounds. Seven of his eight fights at 147 pounds have gone the distance.
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Battles between faded fighters can be entertaining. And this won’t be any different. In fact, it’ll probably be pretty good. You just never know what you’re gonna get in a Victor Ortiz fight.
But the loser needs to call it a career. Go with the guy who wants it more.
Alexander by split decision.
In the main support, super middleweight Caleb “Sweethands” Plant, 16-0 (10 KO’s), Ashland City, Tenn.; battles veteran Rogelio “Porky” Medina, 38-8 (32 KO’s), Hermosillo, Mexico.
In the non-televised portion, El Paso’s Jennifer Han, 16-3-1 (1 KO), defends her IBF featherweight title against Lizbeth Crespo, 12-3 (3 KO’s), of Argentina. And former junior middleweight king Austin “No Doubt” Trout, 30-4 (17 KO’s), of Las Cruces, hits the comeback trail against Juan De Angel, 20-7-1 (18 KO’s), of Colombia.
A DUD IN VEGAS
In a fight that really had no business being made, former two-division champ Danny Garcia, 33-1 (19 KO’s), Philadelphia, in his first fight since suffering his first loss to Keith Thurman last March 4, takes on long-gone former lightweight champ Brandon “Bam Bam” Rios, 34-3-1 (25 KO’s), Oxnard, Calif., in what the WBC calls a title eliminator at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas (8 p.m., Saturday, Showtime).
Last time we saw Rios, he looked awful against Timothy Bradley in November 2015. Simply, he shouldn’t be fighting.
Garcia by easy, and probably brutal, 5th-round KO.
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On the undercard, David Benavidez, 19-0 (17 KO’s), Phoenix, defends his WBC super middleweight title against Ronald Gavril, 18-2 (14 KO’s), Romania, in a rematch of their close, controversial battle last year. In that fight last Sept. 8, Judge Adalaide Byrd scored for Benavides (the eventual winner) by a ridiculously wide score of 116-111. A week later, she gained infamy in the Canelo Alvarez-Gennady Golovkin fight, scoring for Canelo by an equally appalling 118-110.
The Nevada State Athletic Commission has mindlessly appointed Byrd as a judge in the Benavides-Gavril rematch.
Matthew Aguilar may be reached at [email protected]; @MatthewAguilar5 on Twitter.