Ortiz had an award-winning amateur career, which led him to represent Puerto Rico in the 1984 Los Angeles summer Olympics.

As a consequence of that, since that moment and until the gold medal fight, he was placed in a strict, liquids-only diet by his training team.

However, he lost the fight by a knockout in round two to future multiple-time professional world champion Pernell Whitaker.

While José Torres, a Puerto Rican, won a silver medal in boxing at the 1956 Olympics, he did so representing the United States, as he was required to because he had resided there more than six months.

Nevertheless, Ortiz was the object of a hero's welcome by about 300 fans at Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan when he returned home.