On 17th September 2011 Floyd “money’ Mayweather finally steps back into the ring at the MGM Garden Arena in Las Vegas after a 16 month absence.
In a fight being called a ‘tune up fight’ by many boxing critics for an eventual super fight against Manny Pacquiao, Mayweather (41-0) will take on 24 year old WBC Welterweight champion Victor Ortiz (22-2-2). Some believe that Ortiz being a Southpaw is not just a coincidence and could be a major factor in Mayweathers preparation to meet the most dangerous Southpaw in boxing…Pacquiao.
Ortiz, who is coming off an impressive win over Andre Berto, will be trying to make a name for himself with a win over Mayweather, although the young Hispanic couldn’t have picked a harder challenge at this young stage of his career. Mayweather will undoubtedly be hungry to impress the boxing world and silence his many, vocal critics who believe he is running scared of Pacquiao in potentially the biggest fight in boxing history.
Plagued with court cases for domestic battery and lawsuits for defamation outside of the ring, Mayweather needs to defeat Ortiz in devastating fashion and agree to fight Pacquiao (provided Pacquiao defeats Marquez in their scheduled November bout) to regain his spot as the best pound for pound fighter on the planet, but with the Olympic style drug testing that prevented the Mayweather Pacquiao camps from inking a deal still not solved, that fight may never happen.
Recent news has also surfaced that Mayweather wants to fight British boxing sensation and WBA and IBF Light Welterweight champion Amir Khan at Wembley Stadium early next year. Khan, who coincidently is Manny Pacquiaos training partner, is coming off a 5th round demolition job of Zab Judah.
Firstly though, Mayweather will have to get past Ortiz. That fight goes down on the 17th September and you can follow all the lead up action on HBOs 24/7 boxing program beginning August 27th.
By Mickey Maguire
