The boxer, facing two legal cases and having not fought in 15 months, is training for Sept. 17 bout against welterweight champ Victor Ortiz, his record (41-0) unblemished, his confidence undiminished.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. is back. Again.
He took 22 months off before fighting Juan Manuel Marquez in 2009. And when Mayweather steps into the boxing ring Sept. 17 against WBC welterweight champion Victor Ortiz, he will have gone 16 months since his last fight, a lopsided win over Shane Mosley.
This downtime could take a deeper toll because Mayweather, 34, has more than just boxing to worry about. He faces a three-felony count domestic violence criminal case, with an October court date, and he is overdue to give a deposition in a defamation case filed by Manny Pacquiao after he claimed the Filipino star used performance-enhancing drugs.
As for Ortiz, the 24-year-old can be relentless, throws flurries of heavy punches from a southpaw stance and could be a problem for Mayweather ? or give him a preview of Pacquiao.
But Mayweather, 41-0 as a pro, has looked good in camp and his trainers are happy with his progress.
Recently, at his Las Vegas gym, Mayweather went through a rugged workout, throwing thousands of punches at the heavy bag, doing one-armed medicine-ball lifts, straining through push-ups, then strengthening his neck by lifting a 25-pound weight. Afterward, he talked about Ortiz, Pacquiao and his plans.
