Ortiz gets a shot at Canelo!

During a conference call on Tuesday, Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer and president Oscar De La Hoya officially announced their plan C for Saul “Canelo” Alvarez.

Alvarez will defend his WBC light middleweight title against former welterweight champ Victor Ortiz in the main event of a Showtime Pay-Per-View card from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on September 15, 2012.

The card billed as “Knock Out Kings” will include WBC featherweight Johnny Gonzalez defending his title against Daniel Ponce de Leon. Two other bouts that have yet to be announced will round out the quadruple-header.

“You have Victor (Ortiz) who is a knockout artist. I believe he has knocked down his opponent at least one time in every single fight he’s been (in) except when he fought Floyd Mayweather. He has a tremendous ability to knock anybody out and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez is a heavy puncher that loves to fight. So this title is perfect for the main event and all the fights that will be on this card.” Said De La Hoya “Johnny Gonzalez is a knockout artist and Ponce De Leon, that’s all he knows how to do.Go out there and rely on his punching power. The other two fights which we will announce shortly are tremendous fights that will end in knockouts.”

The fans in attendance will be able to vote on the KO of the night and that fighter will be awarded a $100,000 bonus.

“The live audience at the MGM Grand Garden Casino will be able to participate in the event by voting who will be crowned “Knock out King Of The Night”. The fighter that is crowned will be presented with $100,000 check. So, it’s an extra incentive for the fighters to really go for it and take it out of the judges hands and put it in their own fists.” Schaefer said.

“One thing that I preach to every single fighter is you can not leave it up to the judges. Especially when there is $100,000 on the line.” added De La Hoya

All this, of course hinges on the notion that Ortiz comes out with the win and unscathed on June 23rd when he takes on Riverside’s Josesito Lopez at the Staples Center.

“Josesito lopez is no walk in the park.” said De La Hoya “Lopez is coming to fight. He knows this is a huge opportunity and does it add more pressure on Victor Ortiz, to prove that he does belong in a ring with Canelo Alvarez? Absolutely.”

“We obviously have contingency plans in place (if Ortiz losses) because you never know.” added Schaefer

Despite the attempt to take the judges out of the equation on fight night, Schaefer clarified that the card was not a shot (well not directly) at the highly controversial decision between Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley.

“On September 15th you can leave your scorecards at home,” said Schaefer.  “The knockout theme is a theme which we had focused on before. It’s no reference to what happened this weekend.”

An interesting note is that competing with the KO Kings card will be promotional rival Top Rank who is said to have saved the date for a possible match-up between their Mexican star Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and middleweight star Sergio Martinez.

“We’re not concerned with what other promoters do. We’re concerned with our own events, our own business and that has served us very well.” Said Schaefer

Of course that fight could only be made if Chavez Jr. comes out on top this weekend against Andy Lee.