agREED on all accounts (Brad Goodman deserves a lot of credit @ Top Rank as well). Gomez is a nice guy, but a matchmaker he's not.
Ortiz is the future of 140 pounds...hopefully he will be ready in a year or so to take out whoever is the champion at the time....HATTON/PACQUIAO...
Ortiz talks alot of shit for a prospect that hasn't beaten anybody yet. He is good and will get better but hard to say how far he'll go.
Oh but of course! But seriously, Brad doesn't get enough credit. Whenever Top Rank is mentioned, it's always "Bruce Trampler, Bruce Trampler, Bruce Trampler..." You almost never hear Brad's name mentioned, yet he did almost all of the matchmaking for Kelly Pavlik on the way up, among many other current TR fighters.
And back on course... Curious to see what payday G is offering Viv for this fight. Once upon a time, he had the perfect formula to beat Ortiz, but sadly I don't have any confidence in that happening today and beyond.
Didnt Viv get dropped twice by a total nobody in his last fight? Damn he declined fast. It was only about 3 years ago when ppl were talking about him being a threat to Floyd(though I never believed that) and now he's nothing more than a stepping stone. Its a shame, cause if he was still in his prime today he coulda made for interesting fights with the likes of Bradley, and Holt. Why did he decline so fast IYO Jake?
dsimon writes: Good "step up" fight for Ortiz... say what one wants about Viv but he has seen the pate from the tray of celery.... so to speak! ::. I dont know if I think Viv's prime has anything to do with it.... Doesn't he drink the same water as Zab Judah? where is strange glove with a rant about NY fighters when you need him? Viv could put one together and maybe make another run and Ortiz is still quite a question mark.
I think it has everything to do with weight, to be honest. Dude is taller than me, wide frame - he has no business shrinkwrapping himself to 140, yet it's where he's remained for most of his career. The smarter move would've been to move up, take a welterweight tune-up or two, then get paid at the top level. Cashing out against a prospect/budding contender doesn't make much sense.
So was Vargas when Tito shattered his chin. Ortiz has the offensive goods, defense is going to be his problem. he and Berto are the same fighter...offensively blessed, yet KO victims in the future. Both guys punch well, neither guy has much head movement and carries their chin high.
