ESPN Boxing

Some have described it as a mismatch. One manager who spoke on the condition of anonymity called it an embarrassment.

Another high-ranking executive shook his head and exhaled slowly. "The bout between Victor Ortiz and Jeffrey Resto on Dec. 6 on the undercard of Oscar De La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao won't last three rounds," he said.

But others, who know the Bronx-born Resto and have followed his career closely from his dominance in the amateurs to his current reincarnation, are more open-minded. They know that if Resto (22-2, 13 knockouts) is anywhere near the boxer he was at the height of his career, the outcome might not be so inevitable.

After all, Resto was supposed to be the next Oscar De La Hoya, according to Joe Quiambao, a matchmaker for Lou DiBella. Quiambao, a former amateur boxer, saw Resto once spin Zab Judah around with a right hand (in an amateur match that Resto would lose) and overheard referee Dennis Legall say Resto was the best he'd ever seen.

Moreover, Larry Merchant called Resto the next big thing during an HBO telecast in 2003.

So why is Resto, now 31, being dismissed by the pundits as in over his head?

Part of it has to do with the southpaw Ortiz, who is being groomed as Golden Boy Promotions' next big thing.

Ortiz wouldn't admit it at first, but in so many words he eventually confessed to handling De La Hoya in a recent sparring session.

The other part has to do with Resto, who at this point, is an unknown quantity after so many interruptions to his career because of promotional issues.

"It's a strange situation," said DiBella, who once promoted Resto. "If you had asked me five years ago, I would have said that Resto definitely belongs in the ring with Ortiz. But I don't know where Resto's head is right now, and I don't know if he still has the desire."

In his prime, Resto was perhaps the most-talked-about young pro in New York, a potent blend of power and athleticism.

"He had tremendous ability," said Johnny Bos, who worked as Resto's agent in the pros from 1998 through 2005. "He was as good a prospect as there was in boxing. He could do everything. He could box, he could punch. He could take a shot."

But Resto could also be his own worst enemy, and he admitted to going through the motions against opponents whom he deemed inferior.

Then, there was the time he quit against Carlos Maussa in 2003 because of problems with his vision -- just plain quit in the middle of the sixth round because both eyes were scraped by punches and he couldn't see. It cost him a fight on HBO and left his record with its first blemish after 17 straight wins.

Resto said he saw little flashes in the corner of his eyes that kept swirling around after the Maussa fight and didn't go away until six months later. After that, he lost a comeback bout to the dangerous Michael Warrick in 2004, and promotional issues forced him to leave the sport for a combined three years after that.

"I was scared," he said. "I kept seeing dots in the side of my eye. I thought about retiring, but eventually they went away. Sometimes I thought that this boxing thing wasn't meant to be and I should just move on and do something else."

And yet suddenly, he's in the fight of his life. Manager Ernie Pedroza hooked Resto up with Golden Boy, which he said is paying Resto $30,000 for the bout with Ortiz.

"Isn't it crazy how things happen?" Resto said. "I've been waiting my whole life for this and now here it is. If they're underestimating me then they're in for a surprise. I'm an underdog, but I'm a live underdog."

Although he has admitted to struggling in his past two fights -- not with his opponents but with his own motivation -- he is eager to face Ortiz (22-1-1, 17 knockouts) in a junior welterweight bout. Resto won a split decision against Humberto Tapia in February and a majority decision against Hector Alatorre in May.

"Right now I'm motivated," Resto said. "I just felt that I shouldn't be fighting those guys. I felt like they couldn't hurt me and it was like I wasn't taking them seriously. For Ortiz, believe me, I'll have no problem because I know he's going to be coming after me."

Ortiz, 21, has stopped six straight opponents, including Maussa, a former world champion, in one round and the always-durable Emmanuel Clottey in 10. (Resto dominated Clottey six years ago.)

Ortiz, who was raised by a 16-year-old sister after his parents abandoned his family, is ranked in the top 10 of two major sanctioning bodies.

For his part, Ortiz also had disputes with a former promoter and manager and was sidelined for six months, during which time he contemplated joining the Army.

"That was the toughest time of my career," said Ortiz, who currently lives in Oxnard, Calif., with a younger brother whom he has custody over. "I was depressed and I thought about just leaving the sport. But I stuck with it, and now I see myself as one of the top fighters in the world."

As for Resto, Ortiz is not underestimating his opponent, although others may be.

"I don't know too much about Resto," Ortiz said. "I know that he had his time and he's a good fighter. I know I'm going to see the best of what he has. From what I hear, he's been waiting for a fight like this for a long time."

Mitch Abramson covers sports for the New York Daily News.