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Ornelas: Good things will happen if I continue to do my thing

Fighters Network
21
Apr

Enrique Ornelas wants the same financial rewards as the next guy. He wants to be recognized as a good fighter. And, of course, he wants to win every time he steps into the ring. At the same time, he seems to put unusual emphasis on the process.

The man simply loves to fight and connect with the fans regardless of the rewards.

Ornelas, who headlines the Fight Night Club card against Julius Fogle on Thursday night at Club Nokia in downtown Los Angeles, lost a one-sided decision to Bernard Hopkins in a light heavyweight fight in December and a chance to make a big statement.

Was he disappointed? Nah. Ornelas, a super middleweight, said the size difference was a significant factor – “I was thinking during the fight, ‘Oh man, this is crazy'” – but he expressed admiration for Hopkins' skills and said he did the best he could.



“No regrets,” he said.

Ornelas (29-6, 19 knockouts) hasn’t had a big victory since he stopped Bronco McKart in 2007 – if you consider that a big victory — and is now coming off the one-sided defeat. Is he concerned about how he’s perceived? Nah.

“I don’t really know about that stuff,” he said. “I love to do the job that I do. This is boxing. I can’t really say who’s a big name and who’s not. You always have critics no matter what you do – fight somebody older, somebody with no experience, somebody in the middle. People find something bad to say.

“I just take it day to day. Boxing is what I love to do. I just want to keep winning, train hard, take what I learn and try to build on it, to become a better fighter and person.”

Ornelas has come close to winning important fights. He lost a majority decision to Sam Soliman in 2006 and split decisions to McKart in 2007 and Marco Antonio Rubio in a title eliminator in 2008.

Fogle (15-3, 10 KOs) was a one-time amateur standout, now 38, who won his first 15 fights but has lost his last three. He certainly isn’t a big-name opponent.

However, Ornelas is only 29 and has plenty of fight left in him. He expects the opportunities to come.

“It’s how your job is,” he said. “You interview a lot of people. And then one day you have a really good interview and people notice that. It’s the same with me. I just keep doing what I love doing and people will appreciate you because you do a great job.”

Particularly if he fights as he usually does, in an exciting fashion that pleases the fans.

“I think my style does attract people,” he said. “I try to be exciting whether I’m going down, getting up, or going down again. I pride myself on that, I really do.”

The card will be streamed live on RingTV.com beginning at 7 p.m PT and televised on Fox Sports Net or one of its affiliates.

Tickets, ranging from $19.75 to $250 (on stage), are available by calling TicketMaster at 1-800-745-3000, online at www.ticketmaster.com and at the Staples Center box office.

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