Carlos Ortiz interview

Carlos was a New York City icon for years,I am told.I have seen him on many occasions at MSG attending the fights.A good guy and a great former champ!:good

 

Thank you!

Wonderful interview.

Carlos was a big hero in my household when I was in my youth in Brooklyn. Like Carlos, my parents, my brother, and I were all born in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. We followed his great career and we idolized him.

Not only was he a great athlete (as were all four of us in my family), he also had a great sense of humor as you can readily see from the interview. My dad was a funny guy and I try to be that way as well. I guess it must be the "Aguas Puras" ("pure waters" - the city is known as the City of Pure Waters and also known as "La Sultana del Oeste" or the Sultaness of the West) of Mayaguez that inspires such frivolity.

Thanks for bringing back some great memories.

 

First,thanks to the OP. HI,Spinner.Happy New Year,mate.Very nice interview.Although only very young,I remember the Charnley fight although we didn't have a TV at the time,didn't see it.Saw Ortiz later on,he was a great fighter.Came to GB and beat one of our best ever,who won more than he lost against the worlds best.He would have beat Carlos in todays day and age over here,as Carlos didn't knock him out!!!Seriously Ortiz an ATG.Glad he's still around,sadly Dave no longer is.

 

Back in '68 the fight took place in the Dominican Republic and, if I recall correctly, it was a home town decision or said to be so. Don't remember why Ortiz's management did not demand that it take place in NYC or in San Juan or in Mayaguez (Cruz had fought in all three venues previously). After all, Ortiz was Champion and should have the last word on all the stipulations in the match. Was some money possibly slipped the under the table? Sure enough, there was no rematch. But why?? Sadly, Cruz was killed in a plane crash a couple of years later along with his family (which was half Puerto Rican) and I think it was the Puerto Rican Pan Am volleyball or basketball team.

I wonder if he didn't change management after after that since he went into a two year retirement. Wish I knew more details but can't recall any more.

 

Hey Friend ~ Happy New Year to you as well.

I only remember one Dave Charnley bout and that was against Emile Griffiths. But he had been a LW fighting in a higher weight class. I guess there weren't too many LW's in the UK who were eager to step into the ring with him. Would have been nice to see him cross the pond to take on Ortiz a second time and others in the early 60s to prove his mettle against the likes of those greats.

 

There's a lot of the older fella's in the UK swore by Charnley. My dad loved him and I can just about remember a couple of his later fights.
Beat and lost to a lot of top men and was very unlucky to lose to Joe Brown in what was Ring Magazines fight of the year.
Carlos Ortiz was one of the best and it's great to see him still in good health.