Junior welterweight contender “Vicious” Victor Ortiz is ready to take out veteran Vivian Harris next week (September 18), and is looking forward to securing a title shot in 2011.
Ortiz has been rebuilding his career since losing an exciting, 2009 Fight of the Year candidate with Marcos Maidana. Harris has pointed to that contest and Ortiz’s last fight with Nate Campbell as examples that show his opponent’s questionable heart. When asked to comment, Ortiz brushed the criticism off but maintained Harris is still dangerous despite fighting only four times in three years, going 1-2 with one No Contest.
“You gotta realize something. He may be an older guy but he’s still a threat,” Ortiz told Beats, Boxing and Mayhem. “I know what I’m up against. I’m not going to take him lightly and just say he’s an old man, not at all. That guy’s hungry to get what I have. September 18 we’ll definitely find out what’s going on.”
What Ortiz has is a #1 ranking for Timothy Bradley’s WBO title. Right now, Bradley and WBC/IBF titlist Devon Alexander are very close to finalizing a unification match for January 2011. The division is littered with other young talent like his Golden Boy stablemate Amir Khan. But Ortiz cares little of who the championship opportunity comes against as long as he gets one soon.
“Yeah, I’m ready now,” he declared. “It doesn’t really matter [who] right now. But I am the #1 contender for the WBO so [it’s whatever].”
Victor Ortiz will fight on the undercard of the Shane Mosley vs. Sergio Mora PPV live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Check out the full interview with Victor Ortiz tomorrow here and on AllHipHop.com.
Beats, Boxing and Mayhem 