PASSING THE TORCH

Gervonta Davis vs. Vasiliy Lomachenko – if it happens – will be the quintessential crossroads bout between the two best fighters in the lightweight division. Lomachenko is the wily old veteran. Davis, like his fighting moniker, is the unstoppable tank at the peak of his athletic prowess. 

More than 60 years ago, a similar scenario took place when 25-year-old Puerto Rican standout Carlos Ortiz outpointed long-reigning lightweight champ Joe Brown on April 21, 1962, at the Convention Center in Las Vegas. 

Ortiz, a former 140-pound champ who entered the showdown with a 35-4 record, was a punishing aggressor for 15 rounds. Brown, a veteran of 136 pro bouts (including 102 wins and 12 draws) who had turned pro in 1941, needed all of his experience and ring savvy to make it to the final bell. 

Brown, who was 10 years older than Ortiz, would never again contend for a world title, but the New Orleans native affectionately known as “Old Bones” remained active, fighting around the globe, occasionally testing top-10 contenders, until 1970.

A steadfast late-bloomer who didn’t come into his own until the mid-1950s, Brown left his mark on the 135-pound weight class with 11 successful defenses of the Ring Magazine and NBA (later the WBA) world titles (a division record at the time). 

Ortiz would also go on to have a long and distinguished reign, defending the Ring Magazine and WBA belts nine times over two reigns (including six defenses of the WBC strap), often venturing to other countries for championships and non-title bouts as his predecessor did.