Career

In 1996, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Ortiz, who was of Mexican American descent, started an amateur career in 1937. He also defeated Chief Lopez, who was an Olympic runner-up, and Bobby Hagar (father of former Van Halen frontman Sammy Hagar) twice.

In their first fight, Ortiz decked Hagar 17 times.

In their second match, Ortiz decked Hagar twenty times. He retired 5 years later in 1955.

Ortiz made a very brief appearance in a gym scene in the 1947 movie Killer McCoy. Ortiz served in the United States. Army.

Ortiz died from cirrhosis of the liver after a long illness in 1970.

Ortiz is the very first boxer in the prominent boxing online database on Boxrec.com, having the Global Idaho number of simply "1".

Achievements

• Within a year, Ortiz won the Southern California Amateur Flyweight Title, the Golden Gloves Title, and the National Amateur Athletic Union title in Boston. Ortiz turned pro in 1938 and in 1942 won the World Bantamweight Title by beating Lou Salica.

Views

He defended the title 15 times before losing to Harold Dade in 1947. He regained the title in a rematch later in the year, and defended the title five more times before losing the belt to Vic Toweel in 1950.