Victor Ortiz’ personal triumph in his dramatic upset of Andre Berto re-affirms an increasingly forgotten fundamental. Defeat is important. It’s an opportunity, one that now confronts Juan Manuel Lopez.
Lopez finds himself where Ortiz was nearly two years ago. With his stunning loss to Orlando Salido Saturday, Lopez has fallen from the undefeated ranks, an insulated niche, and into the harsh, unforgiving light that forces a fighter to question himself and endure further questions from everybody else. It’s a final chapter for many, the first in a newborn stardom for a few and perhaps one that Floyd Mayweather Jr. just wants to sidestep.
Unbeaten only means untested. Rocky Marciano retired at 49-0, but it’s hard to find him among history’s top 10 in any all-time ranking.
From this corner’s perspective, defeat is an inescapable rite of passage for fighters with the highest aspirations. It’s also what keeps the public interested. It’s no coincidence that the reported audience of 1.5 million for Ortiz’ welterweight decision over Berto in a unanimous counter to doubts about his courage was HBO’s biggest of the year. The irresistible drama attracted a crowd that gathered for a glimpse at whether there was enough within Ortiz to overcome. There was. He did.
Your turn, JuanMa.
The guess here is that the likable Lopez can and will. It won’t be easy. The Ortiz experience is the freshest example of that. Anguish and anger stood in the way of Ortiz after the 2009 surrender to Marcos Maidana.
Unlike Ortiz, few doubt Lopez’ will. But there are plenty of questions about the featherweight’s commitment. He got too comfortable, perhaps softened and deluded about an illusion of invincibility that comes with an unbeaten record. By now, his marital problems and inattention to training, including a trip to the Philippines for Manny Pacquiao’s birthday party, are well-documented. There also was some arrogance. In a conference call before the Salido loss, Lopez called himself the favorite of Puerto Rican fans.
“With all due respect to Miguel Cotto and Ivan Calderon, both great champions, I feel I am the most popular boxer in Puerto Rico,’’ Lopez said a days before Salido’s eighth-round stoppage forced a reassessment of that claim.
Lopez first step would appear to be a rematch with Salido. There had been plenty of talk with boxing circles about a Lopez showdown with Yuriorkis Gamboa. But promoter Bob Arum pushed aside that possibility until, he said, somebody showed him the money. If Lopez can mature into the committed fighter he is expected to be, that money and perhaps more will be there.
A key to Lopez’ predicted stardom is his personality. Fan-friendly, Arum said. Some, probably many, of those fans might not be as friendly as they had been. But that’s a good thing if Lopez forges himself into the fighter they have always expected.
Those fans will renew that friendship, strengthen it as never before, if Lopez answers their criticism the way Ortiz did.
Ex-Phoenix fighter killed in police shooting
In a sad story, a onetime promising light-heavyweight was killed by Phoenix police early Monday. Robert Charlez, 40, was shot to death while sitting outside of a fence on a freeway overpass. According to police, officers asked Charlez to come down from a bridge across I-10.
Officers shot when Charlez advanced on them with what police said was an article of clothing wrapped around his right hand. According to police, Charlez said he had a gun. A police spokesman told Phoenix media that Charlez “had a simulated weapon in his hand at the time of the shooting.” But it wasn’t clear whether there was a gun or a knife in Charlez’ right hand. According to The Arizona Republic, the police spokesman did not say what the object was.
Charlez’ right hand was powerful. In 1992-93, Charlez scored six knockouts, winning seven fights and losing one, before getting into trouble with the law.
“A good fighter and a nice guy,’’ said Phoenix cornerman Dominic DiGuiseppe, who worked with Charlez at former trainer Willy Borchert’s old gym in west Phoenix.
Notes, quotes, anecdotes
• A NABF title will be at stake and perhaps represent another step toward a shot at a major title for Phoenix super-middleweight Jesus Gonzales (26-1, 14 KOs) on June 4 in front of a hometown crowd at Celebrity Theatre against Henry Buchanan (20-2, 13 KOs).
• And Shane Mosley talks as if he will be facing a much smaller task in Manny Pacquiao on May 7 at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand. “Lately, I’ve been dealing with bigger guys, monsters,’’ Mosley told Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times during a media day at his training camp. “To have a guy with a smaller frame in front of me this time, he doesn’t intimidate me at all.” Mosley might want to take a second look at Pacquiao. Pacquiao has the legs of a much bigger man. Those legs look like a couple of tree trunks. They are the source of his speed, balance and power.
