By Robert Jackson: The 1st and 2nd members of this group can be seen as metaphors for the different faces of the ‘Sweet Science’. The 3rd – Floyd Mayweather Jr., hailing from Grand Rapids, Michigan, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nevada needing no introduction returns to the ring this fall to face WBC Welterweight Champion Vicious Victor Ortiz for his title. Specifics of this proposed bout currently amount to 2-things, the date:
September 17, 2011 and…Olympic Style Drug testing which Ortiz has reportedly agreed to, to help clean up boxing. Alleged conditions of this bout have Mayweather guaranteed a $40M purse up front. Also, the venue hasn’t been decided upon, and for all it’s worth Cowboys Stadium is vacant on Sunday September 18th, with the Cowboys facing the 49ers in San Francisco, so it will be available for a September 17th fight. Mayweather, we know, likes to fight in Vegas!
The announcement has created a buzz throughout the boxing world and many have chimed in on Mayweather’s return. Boxrec.com, who had penciled in this fight many weeks ago, prior to this announcement, never removed it, even though both parties denied everything regarding it. How prophetic boxrec.com was and is?
Mayweather, with his pal 50¢, present at the Berto/Ortiz fight 8 weeks ago, couldn’t have believed their eyes at what was happening as Ortiz rose like the Phoenix from the ashes that was his career up to that point to give Berto his first loss in dramatic style. Mayweather was there scouting Berto as his next opponent, when lady luck fell into his lap, only to get a tuneup against a southpaw for his eventual fight against another southpaw?
That other southpaw now says if Mayweather beats Ortiz he WILL fight him. What does that mean? Well anyway what’s at stake here are 2-things, 1) ‘Money May’ winning dominantly, and, 2) PPV buys, which should surpass the 1.3M PPV buys generated by the Pacquiao/Mosley fight. A 3rd thing to be considered is the fact that Mayweather is facing a younger, bigger, in his prime-but relatively inexperienced game Champion, while his Chief rival is facing another one of ‘Money’s’ past conquests.
Does the Pacquiao’s language amount to a binding verbal contract or guarantee that fight will be made? No! Is either man guaranteed victory in their next fight? No! But, both men winning brings boxing fans 1-step closer the fight that must be fought, the fight that all are expecting, which after these 2 preliminaries, MUST be made.