Floyd Mayweather Opponent Victor Ortiz Has Back Trouble, Takes off Training

Victor Ortiz (29-2-2, 22 KOs) missed training on Thursday because of back trouble. According to Ring Magazine, Ortiz is just experiencing soreness and not an injury as some have feared.

Ortiz and his manager Rolando Arrellano spoke about the day off and the reality of the situation to diffuse the stories of a possible back injury. Arrellano said the following:

"

It was just that we're working extremely hard and we've been in camp for about six weeks.So Victor's sore because of the intense training, and he gets massages and that's it. Yet all of a sudden it turns into a back injury to create a sense of panic? It's just B.S."

"

Ortiz received a massage "just above the butt" on Thursday according to Arrellano. Arrellano even reports that Ortiz was back in the gym on Friday sparring.

Arrellano also gave the boxing public an interesting education on why Ortiz took off from training as well as the role of coaches in sports and the physicality of intense training:

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What happens is that every once in a while, muscles inflame.  And that's going to come with the sport, whether it is baseball, football or whatever, from doing the same s-- over and over again.  We're working really hard and the young man gets sore every once in a while because of the intensity of the physical training and the running and the sparring.  So they're monitoring his performances so that the coaches know how hard to push him.

"

Ortiz is scheduled to square off with undefeated boxing icon Floyd Mayweather (41-0, 25 KOs) on September 17 at the MGM in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Ortiz seemed confident in his comments on what will happen to Mayweather in their scheduled fight September 17 at the MGM in Las Vegas.

"

I've been in training camp for the past two months already because I realize that fighting Floyd Mayweather is a big fight.  But he don't scare me at all. Not for a second.  So, yeah, I took my day off and today is another day of training. So as far as that goes, nothing's changed.  Nothing's going on and Mayweather's going down.

"

My Two Scents

This is just the wear and tear of boxing being properly treated by a dedicated team of professionals that includes the fabulous trainer, Danny Garcia.

Ortiz seems pretty confident in his words, but also fully aware of the challenge he faces.  One has to wonder if there is a perfect gameplan is being developed as I write.

Boxing can be shocking at times, especially with this being the "year of the upset."  If the Mayweather clan takes Ortiz lightly in any regard, they may be next to suffer a setback in 2011.

On that note, I leave you with this:

"Families are always rising and falling in America." -Nathaniel Hawthorne