Home > News & Advice > News Obituaries > Carlos Ortiz (1936–2022), Hall of Fame boxing champion

Carlos Ortiz (1936–2022), Hall of Fame boxing champion

by Linnea Crowther

Carlos Ortiz was a boxer who won world titles in the 1950s and ‘60s as a lightweight and a light welterweight.

Boxing champ

A native of Puerto Rico, Ortiz moved to New York with his family and began boxing professionally at age 18. After a successful early career, he captured the world championship as we light welterweight in 1959, fighting Kenny Lane for a title that had been vacant for years. After successfully defending his title twice, Ortiz took the unusual step of going down a weight division to lightweight. He fought Joe Brown to win the lightweight championship in 1962. Ortiz lost his title to Ismael Laguna in 1965 but regained it in a rematch, holding the world championship until 1968. He retired upon that defeat, ending his career with 61 wins and seven losses. Ortiz was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1991, the first Puerto Rican boxer to be honored there.

Tributes to Carlos Ortiz

Full obituary: Boxing Scene

View More Legacy Videos

More Stories