Mayweather vs. Ortiz: 10 Reasons You Need to Watch

This is not the fight boxing fans or the general public wanted to see.

For anyone who's been living under a rock for the last several years, I guess without 4G Internet, boxing spectators have become consumed, engrossed and any other synonym of the word "obsessed" by the potential matchup of pound-for-pound champs Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather "I'm not no" Jr.

And since Pacquiao retired Oscar De La Hoya in 2008, the demands of the boxing public have reached feverish pitches with seemingly neither Pacquiao or Mayweather going longer than 15 minutes without hearing the other's name.

So when Floyd Mayweather announced his first opponent following his year-long layoff would be Victor Ortiz, not Pacquiao, the reception was expectedly chilly at best.

For a sport which has seen its popularity amongst the masses dip dramatically since the mid-1980s, the importance of the super-fight has become the be all and end all, simply because it is the rare occasion when the casual to average sporting fan doesn't have to say, "Now who are these guys?"

Programs such as HBO's 24/7 and countless interviews may have helped ease that barrier between Ortiz and the average fan, but many may still be questioning whether they can find better things to do with their $59.99.

While I'm sure your surrounding downtowns are full of entertainment, on Saturday September 17th, there won't be a better buy than Floyd Mayweather vs. Victor Ortiz.

So, yes, maybe this isn't the fight that many wanted to see, but maybe this just might be the type of entertaining and exciting fight they need.     

10. The Undercard

In a move I've been advocating for years, a promotional group, this time Golden Boy, has managed to put together an all-around impressive pay-per-view show. 

In a similar fashion to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Golden Boy promotions has added an all-time great fighter and one of boxing's fastest rising stars to a card already featuring Mayweather-Ortiz. 

Future Hall of Famer Erik Morales will make his return to the ring after resurrecting his career against Marcos Maidana back in April.

Morales, who seemed to have little left following four straight defeats, fought Maidana to the finish in an exciting and close majority decision loss. He'll be facing undefeated Pablo Cesar Cano in what should be another exciting Mexican Independence Day brawl.

In addition to the action in Las Vegas, young superstar Saul "Canelo" Alaverz will face former "Contender" series fighter Alphonso Gomez at Staples Center in Los Angles.

"Canelo" is one of boxing's rising stars who looks to be on the cusp of greatness.

What Golden Boy has done is commendable as, far too often, boxing fans pay close to $60.00 for one entertaining fight. It shouldn't be that way and hopefully this will become a trend in the sport.      

9. The Post Fight Interview

As a longtime boxing fan, I've always found the post-fight interviews with fighters fascinating. 

With Floyd Mayweather, there is little to explain. As you could imagine, every time a microphone is placed in front of Mayweather, it's a win for humankind.

Mayweather is usually in rare form immediately following a fight, whether its getting into it with Larry Merchant, Max Kellerman or Shane Mosley (Mosley showed a heck of a lot more fight here, than in the actual fight). I could imagine a certain "shoutout" to Manny Pacquiao following a win over Ortiz.

Speaking of Ortiz, he's given some fairly interesting comments of his own in post-fight interviews. Most notably were his comments following his TKO to Marcos Maidana where Ortiz uttered, " I'm not sure I should be getting beat up like this."

For a fighter who generally seems pretty tight-lipped and likes to stick to the "Golden Boy" script, post-fight interviews seem to catch the most candor Ortiz has to offer.   

8. Knockout Power

Although there is no proven formula on how to beat the undefeated Mayweather, it seems the only means to get there may come from a knockout.

Possessed with a combination of speed, skill, ring generalship, defense and knowledge that is unparalleled, I find it hard to believe anyone, let alone Victor Ortiz, can outbox Mayweather over the course of 12 rounds and secure a decision victory.

Luckily for fans, whenever "Vicious" steps into the ring, the chances of a fight going the distance are slim.

Out of his 33 bouts, 29 of his opponents have touched the canvas—including Marcos Maidana who was knocked down three times before handing Ortiz his first true loss—and 22 have ended in a knockout.

Moving up to welterweight didn't drain any power from Ortiz as he knocked Andre Berto down three times in their April title fight.

If Floyd Mayweather stands in front of Ortiz, as promised, there is a good chance Mayweather may be seeing the canvas.        

7. Can Ring Rust Turn Mayweather Mortal?

Like him or hate him, when Floyd Mayweather fights, we watch. 

In what has amounted to cunning business acumen, the prolonged layoffs which Mayweather has begun to take since his 2007 victory over Ricky Hatton have, each time, eroded the sense of immortality Mayweather builds up with each performance, in turn making him a more dynamic and intriguing pre-fight topic.

So here we sit again, this time in what will amount to a 16-month layoff, asking the questions of ring rust, timing and age. Once again, we ponder if either the layoff or time have finally caught up to Mayweather, just enough, to give Victor Ortiz a chance at victory. 

What we saw in Mayweather's return from his first prolonged absence, his 2009 bout with Juan Manuel Marquez, was some admitted ring rust, but not much to encourage Ortiz or anyone that these sabbaticals have any negative impact.

Instead, as Mayweather has recently stated, these layoffs only help heal his body, making him more deadly than ever.

For the sake of a competitive fight, let's hope that's not true.     

6. A Chance to See If Victor Ortiz Is for Real

Regardless of the outcome of Saturday's showdown, Victor Ortiz has a chance to prove himself as one of the elite in the sport with a strong showing against arguably the game's best fighter. 

To date, Ortiz's biggest victory has been his slugfest with then undefeated champion Andre Berto. The gutty performance went a long way towards removing any doubt about Ortiz's heart and desire, but really was a tailor-made fight. Berto is a stand-still fighter who is easier to hit than miss, just ask Jan Zaveck, who still has a ways to go before he can be considered elite.

What Mayweather represents is a win-win situation for Ortiz who, in a victory, would score a historic win, placing him amongst the brightest stars in boxing. A competitive loss would still keep Ortiz in line for big fights with Amir Khan, Brandon Rios as well as rematches with Marcos Maidana and Andre Berto.

There couldn't be more incentive on the line for Ortiz to come out and represent himself well, as the future of his boxing career and where he lies in the boxing hierarchy will be decided Saturday night. 

Should be interesting to watch.        

5. The Return of the Southpaw

The last time Floyd Mayweather fought a southpaw was the last time things didn't go according to the Mayweather plan.  

When Mayweather and Zab Judah met in 2006, Judah was able to give Mayweather problems, keeping him off balance and landing the occasional straight left hand to win a handful of the opening rounds. Eventually, Mayweather regrouped and secured a fairly one-sided victory, but the seed was planted that night that lefties give Mayweather problems. 

The notion that Mayweather struggles against southpaws is not entirely fair, as the sample size is too small and Mayweather has in fact never lost to one, but the fact that Ortiz is left-handed is just another in a growing list of positives in the Ortiz corner.  

4. Another Chance to See Greatness in Action

The past 16 months, there's been a big giant, green hole in the sport of boxing. You know, green for "Money".

Behind all the antics and performances that Mayweather gives in front of the cameras to promote fights and please his ego is a defensive genius and one of the greatest fighters of all time.

During this most recent layoff from the sport, I found myself drawn to YouTube videos of Floyd performing at his greatest, each time finding myself in pure awe of his true boxing genius. Floyd is a boxer's boxer. To truly understand his greatness is to truly appreciate boxing. 

It seems that this fight and possibly a Manny Pacquiao fight may be the final two performances that Mayweather gives.

Let's enjoy it while we still have it.  

3. Will Height and Weight Advantages Play a Role ?

One of the most interesting aspects of this fight is the opportunity for Victor Ortiz to come into the ring at a much heavier weight than Floyd Mayweather. 

Weighing in at as much as 160 pounds on the night of the Andre Berto fight, Ortiz's size and strength could give Floyd, who generally fights at or near the required weigh-in weight, problems if Ortiz is able to make this an inside, tough fight.

Many have criticized Floyd for fighting older and smaller fighters in the past. Saturday, he is facing a 24-year-old bigger and possibly stronger opponent. 

How Mayweather responds will be telling.    

2. The Promise of Toe-to-Toe Action

Victor Ortiz has done it time after time and Floyd Mayweather promises to come forward and fight in the center of the ring. 

Abandoning the stick-and-move formula which has carried him throughout the majority of his career, Mayweather's recent fights have seen a move towards a more fan-friendly "come forward" style, that emphasizes a high guard and tight-quarters fighting.

In one of his more impressive offensive performances Mayweather used this style to perfection, dominating Shane Mosley in an entertaining 12-round decision.

Throughout his career, Victor Ortiz has been known for excitement and a reckless abandonment, which, while not always ending in a victory, have always been wins for boxing fans. 

With recent pay-per-views lacking in action, Mayweather-Ortiz seems likely to buck that trend   

1. The Implications on the World of Boxing

More than any fight in recent boxing memory, Mayweather-Ortiz can change the course of boxing history and set the tone for the next five years. 

There is so much on the line for both fighters as Floyd Mayweather is risking his legacy and a shot a Manny Pacquiao with a tougher-than-expected return fight. A loss would call into question all Mayweather has accomplished and dash any "The Best Ever" hopes he has talked about.

A win sets up a battle for fighter of the decade with Manny Pacquiao. 

For Ortiz, a victory would secure his place amongst the elite in the sport, while giving him the figurative head of one of boxing's biggest names. A loss for Ortiz, especially an impressive one, wouldn't harm Ortiz nearly as much as Mayweather. However, it still would place him on the outside looking in for a chance with Pacquiao and possibly Sergio Martinez.

When you fail in your first big pay-per-view challenge, it's hard to get back. 

Not only will fans be watching this one, but history as well.