Flash Elorde foe to be honored
March 27, 2005 | 12:00am
The man who thwarted legendary fighter Gabriel Elorde’s two attempts to annex the world lightweight championship arrived Friday to receive an award from Da Flash’s family.
Carlos Ortiz, 68, will be honored during the Elorde Awards Night at the Mandarin Hotel in Makati on March 30. He is the third recipient of the prestigious Flash Elorde Memorial Award after Shigeji Kaneko and Harold Gomes. The award is given by the family to recognize the boxing career of an Elorde opponent.
Kaneko fought Elorde in 1953, 1954 and 1957. The Japanese stylist beat Elorde thrice on points. Gomes lost the world junior lightweight crown to Elorde here in March 1960 and was knocked out in a rematch in San Francisco five months later.
Ortiz flew in from New York with third wife Mary Canals. It is his third visit to Manila after trips in 1962 to fight Arthur Persley and 1964 to face Elorde.
The fourth of eight children and one of two boys, Ortiz was born in Puerto Rico. His father was a nightclub waiter. When Ortiz was eight years old, he and a younger sister were sent by their parents to live with relatives in New York’s East Side. Eventually, his entire family moved to the US.
Ortiz was a troubled kid in a rough neighborhood. He grew up fighting bullies in back alleys and learned how to survive in the streets. When he was 11, Ortiz began boxing under the Police Athletic League banner at the Madison Square Boys Club. At 12, his face was plastered on billboards all over the Big Apple, cradling his dying dog after she had been run over by a car. The picture was snapped by a New York Post photographer. At 14, he was a delivery boy with his own patch. Ortiz carried coal, oil and other things for tenants in community buildings, sometimes lugging 100-pound loads up six flights of stairs. At 17, he joined a New York amateur boxing team that saw action in London. At 18, he turned pro after registering a 33-1 amateur record and worked in a Bronx warehouse. At 21, he quit his job as a machinist in a tool shop to concentrate on boxing.
It wasn’t long before Ortiz became a household name in fistic circles. He was a skilled boxer-puncher who fought intelligently. There was little he couldn’t do in the ring. He won his first 20 pro bouts and was on the road to glory.
In 1959, Ortiz stopped Kenny Lane to claim the vacant world junior welterweight crown in New York. He lost the title in his third defense to Duilio Loi in Milan. In 1962, Ortiz outpointed Joe Brown to capture the world lightweight diadem in Las Vegas. He was dethroned by Ismael Laguna in his fifth title defense but regained it in a rematch. Ortiz went on to make five more successful defenses before yielding the throne to Carlos Teo Cruz in 1968. He retired after losing to Ken Buchanan in 1972 with a record of 61-7-1 with 30 KOs and a no-contest.
Ortiz staked his world lightweight title twice against Elorde. He halted Elorde in the 14th round at the Rizal Baseball Stadium in 1964 and two years later, repeated at Madison Square Garden in New York.
In his heyday, Ortiz lived lavishly. He owned a South Bronx nightclub called Club Tropicoro, an eight-room mansion in the Bronx, a liquor store, an expensive Cadillac car, high-value stocks and a chain of one-hour dry cleaners in metropolitan San Juan. He ran for a Senate seat in New York and was asked by Mayor Lindsay to assist in restoring order in the city during a 1967 riot.
Money poured in as his career took off. He was paid $30,000 to fight Loi in Milan in 1960, $40,000 to take on Doug Vaillant in Miami in 1961, $60,000 to face Elorde in Manila in 1964, $75,000 to battle Sugar Ramos in San Juan in 1967, and $95,000 to meet Laguna in a rubber match in New York in 1967.
Ortiz fell in love with golf in 1961 and a year later, played the Wack Wack greens in Mandaluyong before defeating Persley at the Araneta Coliseum. In 1964, he was back in Manila to fight Elorde. Ortiz showed up in the ring wearing a green robe with the inscription "The Fighting 69th" on the back. He was a part-time sergeant in the Rainbow Division of the National Guard’s 69th Regiment.
Ortiz and first wife Norman had three children, Cynthia, Noreen and Carlos, Jr. Second wife Millie bore two daughters Michelle and Monique.
After losing to Buchanan in 1972, Ortiz was diagnosed to be suffering from a thyroid condition. His retirement led to fits of depression and Ortiz became an alcoholic. He squandered his ring earnings on booze and party girls and went broke.
Ortiz picked up the pieces of his shattered life and enrolled in Alcoholics Anonymous. He drove a taxi cab for 10 years in New York to get his feet back on the ground. Ortiz eventually went dry and straightened his life with third wife Mary.
In 1991, Ortiz was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
About six years ago, he underwent surgery for a subdural hematoma. Today, he lives in a cozy apartment in the Bronx with his wife and is involved in distributing sports equipment.
Boxing remains a fascination for Ortiz who often visits gyms to check out fighters in training.
"It hypnotized me," said Ortiz, quoted by Brian Doogan in The Ring Magazine. "It was instant attraction and the magic of it, to this day, has not worn off. I fell in love with the smell, the sound, everything I could see in boxing. It was true love. Boxing has meant so much to me. It’s difficult to get it out of your system, not that I’d ever want to do that. Nothing is like winning the championship. It was my epic moment."
Ortiz scored seven wins in title fights over co-Hall of Famers. He is considered among the greatest Puerto Rican fighters ever alongside Wilfredo Gomez, Wilfred Benitez, Sixto Escobar, Hector Camacho, Jose Torres and Felix Trinidad.
Flash Elorde’s son Johnny said Ortiz will be awarded a huge glass trophy and an 18-karat gold ring at the ceremonies.
"It wasn’t easy tracking down Carlos," said Johnny’s wife Liza. "Our niece, Tinker Bell Ponciano, daughter of Johnny’s sister Teresa, surfed the internet for a contact phone number and we confirmed it with Hall of Fame director Ed Brophy. Carlos answered the phone when Johnny called."
Ortiz faxed a letter to the Elorde family last Jan. 29 accepting the invitation.
"Being awarded the memorial trophy is indeed a great honor for me," said Ortiz. "I’m looking forward to visiting again with the people of the Philippines."
Ortiz will be in town up to April 5.
Carlos Ortiz, 68, will be honored during the Elorde Awards Night at the Mandarin Hotel in Makati on March 30. He is the third recipient of the prestigious Flash Elorde Memorial Award after Shigeji Kaneko and Harold Gomes. The award is given by the family to recognize the boxing career of an Elorde opponent.
Kaneko fought Elorde in 1953, 1954 and 1957. The Japanese stylist beat Elorde thrice on points. Gomes lost the world junior lightweight crown to Elorde here in March 1960 and was knocked out in a rematch in San Francisco five months later.
Ortiz flew in from New York with third wife Mary Canals. It is his third visit to Manila after trips in 1962 to fight Arthur Persley and 1964 to face Elorde.
The fourth of eight children and one of two boys, Ortiz was born in Puerto Rico. His father was a nightclub waiter. When Ortiz was eight years old, he and a younger sister were sent by their parents to live with relatives in New York’s East Side. Eventually, his entire family moved to the US.
Ortiz was a troubled kid in a rough neighborhood. He grew up fighting bullies in back alleys and learned how to survive in the streets. When he was 11, Ortiz began boxing under the Police Athletic League banner at the Madison Square Boys Club. At 12, his face was plastered on billboards all over the Big Apple, cradling his dying dog after she had been run over by a car. The picture was snapped by a New York Post photographer. At 14, he was a delivery boy with his own patch. Ortiz carried coal, oil and other things for tenants in community buildings, sometimes lugging 100-pound loads up six flights of stairs. At 17, he joined a New York amateur boxing team that saw action in London. At 18, he turned pro after registering a 33-1 amateur record and worked in a Bronx warehouse. At 21, he quit his job as a machinist in a tool shop to concentrate on boxing.
It wasn’t long before Ortiz became a household name in fistic circles. He was a skilled boxer-puncher who fought intelligently. There was little he couldn’t do in the ring. He won his first 20 pro bouts and was on the road to glory.
In 1959, Ortiz stopped Kenny Lane to claim the vacant world junior welterweight crown in New York. He lost the title in his third defense to Duilio Loi in Milan. In 1962, Ortiz outpointed Joe Brown to capture the world lightweight diadem in Las Vegas. He was dethroned by Ismael Laguna in his fifth title defense but regained it in a rematch. Ortiz went on to make five more successful defenses before yielding the throne to Carlos Teo Cruz in 1968. He retired after losing to Ken Buchanan in 1972 with a record of 61-7-1 with 30 KOs and a no-contest.
Ortiz staked his world lightweight title twice against Elorde. He halted Elorde in the 14th round at the Rizal Baseball Stadium in 1964 and two years later, repeated at Madison Square Garden in New York.
In his heyday, Ortiz lived lavishly. He owned a South Bronx nightclub called Club Tropicoro, an eight-room mansion in the Bronx, a liquor store, an expensive Cadillac car, high-value stocks and a chain of one-hour dry cleaners in metropolitan San Juan. He ran for a Senate seat in New York and was asked by Mayor Lindsay to assist in restoring order in the city during a 1967 riot.
Money poured in as his career took off. He was paid $30,000 to fight Loi in Milan in 1960, $40,000 to take on Doug Vaillant in Miami in 1961, $60,000 to face Elorde in Manila in 1964, $75,000 to battle Sugar Ramos in San Juan in 1967, and $95,000 to meet Laguna in a rubber match in New York in 1967.
Ortiz fell in love with golf in 1961 and a year later, played the Wack Wack greens in Mandaluyong before defeating Persley at the Araneta Coliseum. In 1964, he was back in Manila to fight Elorde. Ortiz showed up in the ring wearing a green robe with the inscription "The Fighting 69th" on the back. He was a part-time sergeant in the Rainbow Division of the National Guard’s 69th Regiment.
Ortiz and first wife Norman had three children, Cynthia, Noreen and Carlos, Jr. Second wife Millie bore two daughters Michelle and Monique.
After losing to Buchanan in 1972, Ortiz was diagnosed to be suffering from a thyroid condition. His retirement led to fits of depression and Ortiz became an alcoholic. He squandered his ring earnings on booze and party girls and went broke.
Ortiz picked up the pieces of his shattered life and enrolled in Alcoholics Anonymous. He drove a taxi cab for 10 years in New York to get his feet back on the ground. Ortiz eventually went dry and straightened his life with third wife Mary.
In 1991, Ortiz was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
About six years ago, he underwent surgery for a subdural hematoma. Today, he lives in a cozy apartment in the Bronx with his wife and is involved in distributing sports equipment.
Boxing remains a fascination for Ortiz who often visits gyms to check out fighters in training.
"It hypnotized me," said Ortiz, quoted by Brian Doogan in The Ring Magazine. "It was instant attraction and the magic of it, to this day, has not worn off. I fell in love with the smell, the sound, everything I could see in boxing. It was true love. Boxing has meant so much to me. It’s difficult to get it out of your system, not that I’d ever want to do that. Nothing is like winning the championship. It was my epic moment."
Ortiz scored seven wins in title fights over co-Hall of Famers. He is considered among the greatest Puerto Rican fighters ever alongside Wilfredo Gomez, Wilfred Benitez, Sixto Escobar, Hector Camacho, Jose Torres and Felix Trinidad.
Flash Elorde’s son Johnny said Ortiz will be awarded a huge glass trophy and an 18-karat gold ring at the ceremonies.
"It wasn’t easy tracking down Carlos," said Johnny’s wife Liza. "Our niece, Tinker Bell Ponciano, daughter of Johnny’s sister Teresa, surfed the internet for a contact phone number and we confirmed it with Hall of Fame director Ed Brophy. Carlos answered the phone when Johnny called."
Ortiz faxed a letter to the Elorde family last Jan. 29 accepting the invitation.
"Being awarded the memorial trophy is indeed a great honor for me," said Ortiz. "I’m looking forward to visiting again with the people of the Philippines."
Ortiz will be in town up to April 5.
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