Victor Ortiz gets jaw reset; ‘Canelo’ Alvarez opponent is mulled

Doctors found two breaks in boxer Victor Ortiz’s jaw, and reset the injuries with a plate and screws in surgery, the fighter’s manager, Rolando Arellano, announced early Monday.

Former world welterweight champion Ortiz suffered the injury during the ninth round of his main-event fight against Riverside’s Josesito Lopez on Saturday night at Staples Center.

Despite leading on all three scorecards, Ortiz and his corner decided the injury was too severe to continue and stopped, giving the game Lopez a stunning technical-knockout victory.

By losing, Ortiz lost his opportunity to earn millions of dollars by fighting Mexico’s star Saul “Canelo” Alvarez on Sept. 15 in a pay-per-view fight at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Alvarez promoter Richard Schaefer said Monday morning that he is planning to meet with Alvarez, his manager and trainer by Tuesday in an effort to finalize which opponent will be selected for Sept. 15.

Schaefer said he has at least three possible foes in mind, and has every intention to keep the fight on Sept. 15 – Mexican Independence Day – despite rival promoter Bob Arum’s plan to place a super-fight on the same night between middleweight champions Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Sergio Martinez at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas.

Schaefer declined to name the possible opponents for Alvarez, but said one is a “pay-per-view-worthy” fighter. Another would make a fight televised on Showtime. A third would create a bout that would likely be aired on CBS, Schaefer said.

The “pay-per-view” opponent is believed to be Miguel Cotto, although Schaefer would not confirm that.

James Kirkland, a hard-hitting Texan who originally agreed to fight Alvarez on Sept. 15, but then withdrew over money and his reluctance to accept the fight as he continues to recover from right shoulder surgery, might be in the mix, as well.

“I will fight him if the money is right,” Kirkland said of Alvarez in a text message to The Times. “I got” manager “Cameron Dunkin working on the deal and money. … I been training just in case this happens. So I know I’ll be ready.”

Lopez, meanwhile, has been deemed by his promoter and trainer as too small to fight Alvarez, and he could even return to the stacked 140-pound division that includes Juan Manuel Marquez, Amir Khan, Danny Garcia and Lucas Matthysse.

Lopez trainer Henry Ramirez said his fighter’s inspired performance put his stock “through the roof.”

“It was my ‘Rocky’ moment, and I wasn’t going to let it slip away,” Lopez said.

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Lance.pugmire@latimes.com

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