Victor Ortiz

One of the brightest stars in boxing today, 24-year old "Vicious" Victor Ortiz has risen above difficult upbringing and many obstacles to become a World Champion, inspiring thousands along the way.

Victor Ortiz is a living, breathing example of The American Dream. From a broken home in a small town in Kansas to the bright lights of the boxing ring, Victor has used every obstacle he has encountered along his journey to fuel his strength and attain his dreams.

As former Welterweight Boxing Champion, Victor finally found his life's calling as a world class athlete. The nickname "Vicious" describes Victor when he's in the ring, but his million dollar smile is a preview to his heart of gold. At only 18, Victor fought for legal custody of his brother and flew him to Los Angeles to raise him. This has translated into his ability to connect with fans on a human level, which has kept the spotlight from blinding him to the importance of hard work, dedication, and family.

During the past two years, Victor has proved that he not only throws a mean punch, but looks and smells great while doing it, with the launch of his signature scent VO by Victor Ortiz and his skincare line VO by FaceLube. In addition to showing the world his entrepreneurial drive, Victor is also the new brand ambassador for Curacao. From having almost nothing to obtaining nearly everything, Victor Ortiz is ready to take the stage and shine in a new spotlight.

Introduced to boxing by his father at the age of seven, Ortiz and his siblings soon had to deal with life on their own after both their parents left. Resilient and determined to make something of his life, the 12-year old Ortiz worked in the cornfields of Kansas to make ends meet. By 13, he was in foster care without his siblings, with it taking five years for him to be reunited with his older sister, who took custody of him.

During those tumultuous times, Ortiz turned to boxing for salvation and made a name for himself in the amateur world, eventually making it to the 2004 Olympic trials. Though he fell short of making the Olympic team, later that year he was in the ring making his pro debut stopping Raul Montes in a single round.

Ortiz reeled off six wins before he suffered the first lost of his pro career on June 3, 2005 when he was disqualified in the first round of his fight against Corey Alarcon for what was controversially ruled an illegal blow when the two broke from a clinch.

Undetered, Ortiz lived up to his nickname "vicious" in the ring over the next two years as he piled up win after win. By 2007, he was ready to make his move on the big guns at 140 pounds. With a dominating 10th round technical knockout win over Emmanual Clottey in August of that year and a spectacular first round knockout of former World Champion Carlos Maussa in front of a packed house at New York's Madison Square Garden a few months later in November, Ortiz had arrived.

2008 kicked off with a bang for Ortiz when he knocked out Dairo Esalas in five rounds on the Oscar de la Hoya-Steve Forbes undercard on May 3, 2008. On September 13, Golden Boy promotions' newest signee returned to the ring and blasted out 47-fight vet Robert Arrieta in just rounds.

Two seconds round knockout victorious over Jeffery Resto in defensive of his NABO 140-pound title in December of 2008 and Mike Arnaoutis for the USBA crown in March of 2007 changed everything for Ortiz, who had graduated from prospect to contender in impressive fashion.

Ortiz is competing in season 16 of "Dancing With the Stars" alongside professional partner Lindsay Arnold.