Lowe had never been in the bottom two before. Ortiz had been in it every week but one.
In the end, after six competitive weeks, Ortiz and partner Lindsay Arnold got knocked out of the game.
"In the first week, I was like, 'Oh my goodness, what am I doing?' It was tough," Ortiz said.
But he never gave up. He first learned the Foxtrot, then the Jive. His contemporary routine was his best by far, but Ortiz also tackled the Paso Doble, the Viennese Waltz and finally, the Rumba.
"I don't think anybody would have guessed that we'd be here tonight and it's just so cool that we pushed through so many challenges and make it to this point in the competition, and I'm so happy," Arnold said.
Ortiz has another reason to be happy about his experience outside the ring.
"I made great friends that will forever be in my heart, so at the end of the day, I didn't lose," he said.
Ortiz is now looking to return to the boxing ring in a world championship bout.
Stevie Wonder, who's music was celebrated on "Dancing With The Stars" this week, is looking to return to the show. But next time, he revealed, not as a singer.
"I'm a major fan of 'Dancing With The Stars,'" the legendary singer said. "I look forward to coming back and being one of the dancers as well. We've been talking about it for a long time, but I'm going to make it a reality."
Wonder already has dancing pros excited about that possibility.
"His music is beautiful. He is so musical, has so much rhythm, I think he would be incredible. I will take you, Stevie!" said Andy Dick's partner Sharna Burgess.
"One of my good friends in Australia had the first blind person on 'Dancing With The Stars' in Australia," said Lowe's partner, Peta Murgatroyd. "She works with blind people all the time teaching them how to dance and she said it was the most amazing experience ever, so I would be thrilled to have that."
"I would absolutely love to dance with him. That would be the most incredible experience," said Ingo Rademacher's partner, Kym Johnson.
It would be a ways off. In the immediate future, the remaining couples must get ready for Latin week.
