Floyd Mayweather vs. Victor Oritz: 3 Things Vicious Must Do To Win the Fight

The Floyd Mayweather vs. Victor Ortiz welterweight battle is going to be more than a Mayweather tune-up fight for Pacquiao, there are a few key things Ortiz can do in order to pull the upset.

All the hype surrounding this fight seems to be around how easy a time that Mayweather will have being that Ortiz is just a stepping stone, and not a real contender. But the reality is Ortiz is a dangerous fighter who posses the right skills to win the fight.

Here are three key things Ortiz must do in order to give Mayweather his first loss on his perfect record.

1. Keep Floyd Mayweather on the Ropes

With Floyd Mayweather having the advantage in the speed category—as he does is almost every fight—one way for Victor Ortiz to cut into that advantage is to try and keep Mayweather on the ropes as much as possible.

Keeping Mayweather on the ropes is easier said than done, but if Ortiz can accomplish this at a fairly successful rate then his chances of being on even par with Mayweather greatly increases. This will give Ortiz more of a chance to land more meaningful blows without taking as many in return.

Mayweather is one of the smartest, most skilled boxers in history which will make enforcing this strategy all the more difficult. If it is not working early on, Ortiz must not become frustrated, and he must keep trying to force Mayweather against the ropes throughout the fight.

2. Establish His Jab Early and Often

Being that Victor Ortiz is a southpaw fighter, establishing his right jab early, and utilizing it throughout the fight will help keep Mayweather at bay, making the fight more of a balanced affair.

Establishing his jab will help Ortiz keep Mayweather moving back—something that has bothered Mayweather in past fights—not allowing him to real off effective punches, creating a bigger window of opportunity for Ortiz to land a big power shot that could hurt Mayweather.

Ortiz needs to be relentless with his jab throughout the fight, which could make Mayweather frustrated at times, knocking him off his game plan, and help Ortiz gain an edge in the fight.

3. Victor Ortiz Must Stay Active

Victor Ortiz must stay active throughout the fight not only with his hands, but with his feet as well to keep Floyd Mayweather from getting too comfortable in the fight.

If Ortiz becomes stagnant at any point in the fight, Mayweather has a better chance at dictating the pace of the fight, utilizing his superior counter-punching style of fighting.

Ortiz keeping his feet moving will help keep the action out of the center of the ring, where Mayweather posses the biggest risk to Ortiz.

Cutting off the ring as much as possible will be a major key to Ortiz having any chance at winning this fight.