Victor Ortiz: Ranking His 10 Greatest Knockouts

Victor Ortiz (29-2-2, 22 Knockouts) has knocked out most of his victims. On September 17, he plans to knock out his greatest opponent thus far in Floyd Mayweather (41-0, 25 knockouts), an opponent who has never lost, let alone been knocked out.

Ortiz has a tough task ahead of him, but his track record shows he has the necessary tools to get the job done. He just has to use them right, or it's going to be a long night.

Here's Ortiz's 10 greatest knockouts.

10. Ortiz KOs Yahir Aguiar in Round 2

Yahir Aguiar (7-7, four knockouts) goes down in Round 2 from a series of right hands that send him tap-dancing backwards before he falls flat on his tailbone.

The Mexican sits in shame with his head between his legs contemplating early retirement after experiencing the fury and power of Vicious Ortiz.

9. Ortiz Scores a TKO over Roberto Arrieta

Roberto David Arrieta (30-14-4, 13 knockouts) was Ortiz's first championship match, though it was a regional belt.

The WBO NABO light welterweight (140 pounds) belt was at stake, yet Ortiz (21-1-1, 16 knockouts) put on a world-title performance.

Arrieta had already been cut and was asked between Round 4 and 5 if he wanted to continue. He said yes, but he had no chance of lasting eight more rounds against Ortiz.

Ortiz made cut his first 12-round fight short with a series of right hands landing in Round 5 to put Arrieta down. Arrieta got up, but his mind was still in the center of the ring.

The referee spared the poor sacrificial lamb from the jaws of a hungry Ortiz.

8. Ortiz Finishes Emmanuel Clottey in the Final Seconds

Emmanuel Clottey (24-7, 14 knockouts) is the perpetually inactive older brother of Joshua Clottey (35-4, 20 knockouts). Though very inactive, he poses a real threat.

Clottey's elite defense and evasiveness gave Ortiz (18-1-1, 13 knockouts) fits throughout, but his relentlessness eventually broke Clottey down.

In the 10th and final round with only half a minute to go, Ortiz knocked Clottey down. Clottey beat the count only to get pummeled down with four seconds to go.

The referee waved Clottey off after he tumbled pretty hard to the canvas, and Ortiz had scored his first knockout victory of a notable opponent. 

7. Ortiz Scores a Second Round TKO over Mike Arnaoutis

Ortiz (23-1-1, 18 knockouts) catches Mike Arnaoutis (21-2-2, 10 knockouts) with a left that sends the contender stumbling into the corner.

The hurt Arnaoutis was trapped and could only watch as Ortiz fired thunderbolt after thunderbolt into his head, rocking him at least four times before the referee could step in during the second round to save the Greek fighter from a Herculean beating.

6. Ortiz Leaves Maximino Cuevas Motionless in Round 1

Ortiz (17-1-1, 12 knockouts) faced Maximino Cuevas (9-5-1, five knockouts) in his first 10-round fight, but the fight never made it past Round 1.

Cuevas came in the obviously bigger man. He was taller and held a seven-inch reach advantage. He jabbed and was decently aggressive yet cautious enough to not get caught.

Then came the final minute of Round 1, where Ortiz landed a big left that had Cuevas holding. The ref broke the hold, and Ortiz hit him with a two-piece.

Cuevas wasn't feeling that, so he held again. This pattern repeated until Ortiz knocked Cuevas up against the ropes.

Ortiz wailed on Cuevas with body shots and finally an uppercut followed by a vicious three-piece (hold the biscuits) that made Cuevas go limp and fall on his back.

Reminiscent of Pacquiao-Hatton, Cuevas laid motionless with a heavy chest breathing in and out as if struggling for the air that the punch of Ortiz stole from it.

5. Ortiz Puts Hector Alatorre Down in the 10th Round

Hector Alatorre (16-8, five knockouts) gave Ortiz (25-2-1, 20 knockouts) a decent challenge. He traded with him and stayed persistent but so did Ortiz.

Ortiz was the faster, stronger man with a better assortment of boxing skills to use in what turned out to be a thrilling, if one-sided, 10-round affair that ended with a left and two rights to the head.

Alatorre fell on his back, got up but never recovered. The referee may have saved him from further punishment from Ortiz, but the psychological damage was done.

Though Ortiz is Alatorre's only knockout loss, he would never go on to win another fight in his career, going 0-8 since he faced Ortiz on February 25, 2010.

4. Ortiz Retires Jeffrey Resto

Jeffrey Resto (22-2, 13 knockouts) was once a light welterweight contender with the world ahead of him. 

In his match with Ortiz (22-1-1, 17 knockouts), Resto showed he wasn't the man he used to be. Ortiz put him down twice with quick lefts in the first round.

The 31-year-old southpaw was able to come out for Round 2 only to get blasted to the ground for a third time. A slow rise to his feet caused the referee to wave off the fight as Resto didn't look too enthusiastic about fighting anymore.

One look into Resto's eyes spilled the reality that his taste for blood was no longer there.  

3. Ortiz Silences Maussa in Round 1

Carlos Maussa (20-4, 18 knockouts) is man known more for his antics and clowning around in the ring than anything else, but Ortiz (19-1-1, 14 knockouts) was not playing.

Maussa was landing here and there in Round 1, but occasionally Ortiz would catch Maussa with something that was noticeably harder than what Maussa could catch Ortiz with.

About midway through Round 1, Ortiz caught Maussa with a right and then a left that sent the former world titlist to his knees hard and fast.

The old joker was not laughing as he struggled to get up from his knees. But he couldn't, earning Ortiz the most significant first-round knockout of his career.

2. Ortiz Hushes Harris Up for Good

Vivian Harris (29-4-1, 19 knockouts) talked much trash about Victor Ortiz (27-2-1, 21 knockouts) with the memory of his Marcos Maidana fight still lingering in the public consciousness.

Harris proclaimed he hit harder than Maidana, and Ortiz had no heart. He also called himself the "vicious one," and said Ortiz stole his name.

The list of insults and insinuations goes on.

Ortiz aimed to close the mouth of Harris for good by putting him down three times in the second round. Near the end of Round 3, Ortiz finished Harris.

Harris has yet to win any of his fights since he was dethroned by Ortiz on September 18, 2010.

1. Antonio Diaz Suffers a Mean Cut from Victor Ortiz

Former world welterweight contender Antonio Diaz (46-5-1, 29 knockouts) was Ortiz's first comeback fight after having suffered the setback from his infamous fight with Marcos Maidana.

Maidana opened up a cut on Ortiz's eye in Round 6. Ortiz (24-2-1, 19 knockouts) went down, got up but waved at the referee as if he decided he shouldn't go on, and the fight was stopped.

Diaz, a man who's defeated the likes of Micky Ward, Ivan Robinson and Cory Spinks, was put in a similar situation.

Diaz's cut was noticed by the referee, who stopped the time to bring in a doctor to examine the cut. Diaz's corner shortly thereafter stops the fight for a reluctant Diaz, who wanted to go on.

This fight may not have been the fight that proved Ortiz had fully recovered from his 2009 loss to Maidana (the fight against Andre Berto did that), but this is the knockout victory that meant Ortiz was on the road toward rebuilding his career.

Now he stands at the edge of a possible boom for his career with nowhere to go but up—win or lose against his next opponent, Floyd Mayweather.

A knockout victory over Mayweather would not only cement his comeback but also forge his growing superstar status into stone.

Can Ortiz knock out Mayweather? The answer will present itself September 17 live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on HBO pay-per-view.