Gaspar Ortega
(October 31, 1935 – December 13, 2021)
By Henry Hascup
Gaspar Ortega passed away In Naples, Florida, on December 13, 2021, at the age of 86. Ortega turned pro on New Year’s Day 1953 at 17, scoring a first-round knockout over Miguel Ocana in Mexico City. Half Indian, half-Mexican, Ortega was a top-rated welterweight contender from 1956-1964. He was also famous for wearing a headdress into the ring.
Gaspar was a great crowd pleaser and TV idol when he was a boxer-puncher during his fighting days. As a longtime ranked contender in the welterweight division, Ortega was very popular with television executives who could always count on him to entertain the fans and go plenty of rounds. On average, he fought fourteen times a year.
Gaspar fought all the best in his era, including many World Champions: Carmen Basilio, Don Jordan, Tony DeMarco, Nino Benvenuti, Kid Gavilan, Denny Moyer, Emile Griffith, Sandro Mazzinghi, Ralph Dupas, and Benny “Kid” Paret. In the 1950s, Ortega and Ralph “Tiger” Jones were about the best-exposed fighters on television.
Ortega followed a rigid boxing schedule and his ring success made him a household name. His durability, refusal to quit, and endurance were in big demand with his fans. Gaspar holds the record of fighting the most main events in a month. In May 1964, he fought eleven times, winning all eleven, eight by kayo. He beat Paret on points in 1959, and he did it again in 1961 when Paret held the world welterweight title. During his New Jersey Boxing Hall induction, Ortega said: “Benny Paret was a tough fighter, but he could never beat me.” He lost in his lone title shot against Hall of Famer Emile Griffith in 1961. Ortega fought the best in his day, as many boxing historians consider Griffith an all-time great in the welterweight division. His two significant victories over rugged former world welterweight champion Tony DeMarco opened many doors for Ortega.
His career spanned twelve years with a professional record of 131-39-6, with 69 KOs. Ortega retired in 1965, several months short of 30. However, when one studies Ortega’s ring record and the great fighters he fought, it becomes apparent that he was one of the finest warriors of his generation.
In retirement, Ortega worked with troubled youths in a program called Project More in New Haven, CT. In 1995, Ortega was diagnosed with life-threatening throat cancer. He made a full recovery.
Gaspar Ortega remains one of the all-time greats in the welterweight division. Because of his outstanding record as a fighter in the ring and his exemplary conduct as a gentleman out of it, Ortega was inducted into The World Boxing Hall of Fame, the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame, the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame, and the New York State Boxing Hall of Fame. Gaspar Ortega never wore a crown, but he is a champion!
May He Rest in Peace!