Two great Puerto Rican fighters at light welterweight. How does a young Benitez who dethroned Cervantes handle a fighter as skilled and well rounded as a prime Carlos Ortiz?
I'd make Benitez a narrow favourite. Ortiz wasn't quite as brilliant at LWW as he was at LW. He'd be conceding height, reach and natural weight, even against a teenage Benitez.
Ortiz did look pretty damn brilliant when he stopped Battling Torres. He’s also managed to beat guys that were quicker than him and elusive (Laguna, Elorde, Locche even though that was declared a “draw”). Talented as Benitez is Ortiz has the edge in ring IQ IMO. All comes down to if Ortiz can make it close and competitive like Cervantes and Palomino did.
I certainly would not rule Ortiz out. Carlos was a smallish LWW and Benitez a big LWW. You're correct Ortiz had some impressive performances at LWW, but he didn't beat anyone with the combination of height, reach, speed and distance control of Benitez. Splitting a pair of very close fights with Loi doesn't bode well for his chances vs the Benitez who beat Cervantes. Good fantasy fight, I'll stick with my Benitez narrow favourite position.
Benitez's size advantage and superior speed and reflexes definitely gives him the advantage over Ortiz. Ismael Laguna was able to outbox Ortiz clearly the first time so whose to say that Benitez wouldn't be able to do the same as well? Benitez would be like a mixture of both Laguna and Locche for Ortiz. Saying that though Ortiz does do well in rematches so it's not out of the realm of possibility that he can find a way to edge Benitez on points, especially seeing how Benitez has had his share of close calls that could have gone the other fighters way such as Bruce Curry. I can see both of them beating the other. The question is who would win in a trilogy bout.
I'm gonna take the devil's advocate stance here and say Ortiz for a close decision. He's a better ring general than Benitez, imo, at any point in their respective careers. His performance vs Torres is more than enough for me to see that he would work the same jab and bodywork he does so excellently at 135 - which would really be a non-combination puncher's best hope at defeating a defensive maestro - and he would command the fight to a close decision. I also think Ortiz's performances vs Locche and Laguna are getting overlooked here. Sure, he dropped the first Laguna fight and supposedly tied with Ortiz (although I've never read a report that didn't have it for Ortiz). Imo, he's dealt with quicker hands and a better defence, and I think he'd do the same again - exploiting Benitez lack of expertise in there with an atg jab, great footwork and dominant ring generalship.
In a one off, I like Benitez to nick a close one. Over a three-fight series, I think Ortiz will take it.
Ortiz because while he was surprised by one of the fastest boxers ever- Ismael Laguna - he ended up figuring him out and dominated him. Ortiz is very technical and very strong and while not flashy I think he gets overlooked quite a bit.
