VICTOR ORTIZ

updated July 06, 2009

The top junior welterweight prospect in boxing today, 'Vicious' Victor Ortiz has overcome a difficult upbringing to become a fighter most see as a future world champion. On June 27th, he gets a chance to fulfill those predictions when he fights Marcos Maidana for the interim WBA 140-pound world championship.

Introduced to boxing by his father at the age of seven, Ortiz and his siblings soon had to deal with life on their own after they were left by both parents. Resilient and determined to make something of his life, the 12-year old Ortiz worked in the cornfields to make ends meet. By 13, he was taken in by the Ford family and after two years, he was reunited with his older sister, who took custody of him.

At this point, Ortiz was making a lot of noise in the amateur boxing world, and he eventually made it to the 2004 Olympic trials. And though he fell short of making the Olympic team, later that year he was in the ring making his pro debut, stopping Raul Montes in a single round.

Six more wins followed before he suffered the only loss of his pro career on June 3, 2005. He was disqualified in the first round against Corey Alarcon for what was controversially ruled an illegal blow when the two broke from a clinch.

Undeterred, Ortiz lived up to his nickname 'Vicious' in the ring over the next two years as he piled up win after win. By 2007, he was ready to make his move on the big guns at 140 pounds, and after a dominant 10th round TKO of Emmanul Clottey and a spectacular first round knockout of former world champion Carlos Maussa in front of a packed house at New York's Madison Square Garden, it was clear that Ortiz had arrived.

The Oxnard native kicked off 2008 with a bang, as he knocked out Dairo Esalas in five rounds on the Oscar De La Hoya-Steve Forbes undercard on May 3, 2008. On September 13th, the Golden Boy Promotions signee returned to the ring and blasted out 47-fight vet Roberto Arrieta in just five rounds.

Ortiz finished off highly-regarded Jeffrey Resto in just two rounds on December 6, 2008 to cap off a spectacular year. He repeated the feat in his first bout of 2009 as he halted former world title challenger Mike Arnaoutis in two on March 7th.

Now it's on to his first world title shot.