Maidana has the upper hand in this brawl

Marcos Maidana, right, lands a left to the stomach of Victor Ortiz during their WBA interim super welterweight title bout. Maidana won on a sixth-round TKO. (Photo by Ross Rivera)

By ROSS RIVERA, Special to the Wave

Story Created: Jul 1, 2009 at 1:53 PM PST

Story Updated: Jul 1, 2009 at 1:53 PM PST

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Plans fell through for a double main event Saturday at Staples Center when Chris John of Indonesia pulled out of his scheduled bout with Rocky Juarez, but the in-house crowd of 8,600 and HBO audience was probably not too disappointed.

That’s because an action-packed brawl in the other co-main turned that postponement into a footnote.

Oxnard’s Victor Ortiz and Argentinean strong man Marcos Maidana made up for things in the other feature attraction by battering each other for nearly 18 minutes before Maidana emerged with a sixth-round knockout victory in the WBA interim super welterweight title bout.

Maidana survived three early knockdowns to floor the 22-year-old Ortiz a second time, leaving his swollen left eye shut.

The ringside physician halted the fight with 46 seconds remaining in round six, hampering Ortiz’ first bid at a world title.

Ortiz took the fight to Maidana early and was ahead on all three judges’ scorecards at the end.

Rather than use his superior boxing skills, Ortiz resorted to a slugfest, which ultimately cost him.

Maidana returns to his hometown of Santa Fe (also the home of the legendary Carlos Monzon).

Ortiz, boxing’s top young prospect and a protégé of Oscar De La Hoya, has one vision and that’s an immediate return.

“I will become a world champion,” he said. “I am only 22 years old. Mark my words.”

Ortiz, a once-abandoned child and product of the foster care system, added,

“I’ve come from nothing and now I’m back to nothing.”

De La Hoya looks for Ortiz to bounce back.

“He was clearly winning the fight,” he said. “He’ll return an even stronger, better fighter as a result.”

Ross Rivera can be contacted at Rossrivera600@hotmail.com.

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