Ranking Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Victor Ortiz and the Four HBO PPVs Left in 2011

With a major boxing PPV scheduled for each remaining month of 2011, boxing fans will have more than enough to choose from.

First up will be Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Victor Ortiz, which goes down on Sept. 17. The 24/7 series has already started, and the anticipation is building for the return of boxing's favorite bad-boy fighter against one of the most exciting up-and-comers in Ortiz.

On Nov. 12, pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao will fight Juan Manuel Marquez for the third time. The first two fights were closely contested with Pacquiao winning one and earning a draw in the other. This one should determine a definitive winner and be another memorable fight.

The remaining PPV fights will be Bernard Hopkins vs. Jean Pascal on Oct. 19 and Antonio Margarito vs. Miguel Cotto on Dec. 3.

No. 4: Bernard Hopkins vs. Chad Dawson: Oct. 19

At 46, Bernard Hopkins (52-5-2, 32 KO) brings a lot of interest in any remaining fights he has left in his career as fans don't know when it will be the last time they get to see him in the ring.

He became the oldest champion in the sport when he defeated Jean Pascal earlier this year. After the fight, he promised to put on the most entertaining fights in his career until it's over.

He puts his WBC light heavyweight title on the line against Chad Dawson (31-1, 17 KO), a 29-year-old whose only loss is to Pascal.

Dawson holds victories over Antonio Tarver, Glen Johnson and Tomasz Adamek and looked flawless in beating them. His natural boxing ability accounts for much of his success as his passion and energy in the ring can sometimes appear to be absent.

This may turn out to be a very close and competitive match so it's one you will want to watch and discuss afterwards.

The undercard will include Danny Garcia vs. Kendall Holt, Paulie Malignaggi vs. Orlando Lora and Antonio Demarco vs. Jorge Linares. 

No. 3: Antonio Margarito vs. Miguel Cotto: Dec. 3

It's going to be nearly three-and-a-half years since they last fought when Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cotto enter the ring on Dec. 3rd.

Since their brutal fight in 2008, which resulted in Cotto losing by knockout in Round 11, both boxers have had career-defining moments that have positively and negatively affected their careers forever.

Cotto (36-2, 29 KO) most recently moved into the junior middleweight division to challenge Ricardo Mayorga and Yuri Foreman, defeating both by TKO.

Before that, the Puerto Rican boxer suffered losses inside and outside the ring, including the loss of his father, Miguel Cotto Sr., as well as a 2009 bout versus pound-for-pound star Manny Pacquiao.

Margarito (38-7, 27 KO) has become the villain of boxing since being caught with loaded hand wraps before his 2009 loss to Shane Mosley. Mentally defeated before even entering the ring and knowing the circumstances that were to come, he got pounded for eight rounds before being stopped in the ninth.

After a year-long suspension, Margarito returned to beat an overmatched opponent and was destroyed by Pacquiao over 12 rounds at the end of 2010.

The fight will be previewed in a 24/7 series before the conclusion to another rivalry between Mexico and Puerto Rico.

No. 2: Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez: Nov. 12

Filipino superstar and pound-for-pound leader Manny Pacquiao (53-3-2, 38KO) will make his return to the ring on Nov. 12th versus a familiar foe in Juan Manuel Marquez (52-5-1, 38KO), who is jumping up 10 pounds in weight to face an opponent he has come close to defeating on two different occasions.

Their first two meetings were memorable bouts with two very different results. What will the third bring us?

In 2004, the first bout saw Pacquiao making a statement early, dropping the Mexican fighter three times in the first round. Marquez showcased the heart of a champion and fought back to earn himself a draw over 12 rounds.

The rematch took place in 2008, and had it not been for a single knockdown suffered by Marquez in round three, he may have come away with the victory. Marquez out-landed Pacquiao in the bout, but it was not enough to earn the win, losing a split-decision many had thought he won.

With the third fight scheduled and a super-fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Victor Ortiz on order for September, there are going to be some shifts in who the biggest star of the welterweight division really is.

To make things better, Brandon Rios is scheduled to fight on the undercard.

No. 1: Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Victor Ortiz: Sept. 17

WBC welterweight champion Victor Ortiz (29-2-2, 22 KO) will look to defend his title for the first time on Sept. 17 against the most challenging opponent of his career in Floyd Mayweather Jr. (41-0, 25 KO).

The 24/7 series has given fans a good look into just what both fighters are about, and it should equal a very exciting fight where the risk is worth the award for Ortiz.

No opponent has made it by Ortiz without being dropped, and it could happen to Mayweather if he isn't at his best after an extensive layoff since his victory over Shane Mosley in May, 2010.

Out of the four PPV fights, this one brings the most excitement and the best undercard available on a boxing PPV in recent memory. It features Saul Alvarez going up against Alfonso Gomez, Erik Morales vs. Lucas Martin Matthysse and Josesito Lopez vs. Jessie Vargas.