Floyd Mayweather Jr. was in a talkative mood earlier today inside of his personal boxing gym in Las Vegas, Nevada. Hosting the media for an open workout ahead of his September 17th date against Victor Ortiz, the six-time champion spent roughly an hour addressing questions before making his way into the ring for his media drills.
Mayweather?s fight with Ortiz is one of the biggest in 2011 and he surprised many by selecting a young, strong, and determined champion in his prime. But when asked what makes his 24-year old foe dangerous, Mayweather was at first at a loss for words.
?I can?t really say what Ortiz brings to the table,? stated Floyd, as seen on an exclusive ESNewsReporting.com video. ?If I knew, I would have fought him a long time ago, but he was too young then. But he brings power. Of course he?s ten years younger than I am so of course he feels like age is on his side. But I never took no abuse in the sport of boxing; I don?t think it?s a good thing, it?s a great thing.?
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<--- Slideshow: A closer look at Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s open media workout
The name ?Manny Pacquiao? was then mentioned by a reporter and Mayweather?s attention was certainly drawn. Pacquiao, the reigning WBO welterweight champion of the world, has been linked to Mayweather for a possible fight for a few years but the two initially failed to see eye to eye on a proposed Olympic style drug testing scenario presented by Floyd.
With each man now heading into respective bouts of their own, Mayweather insisted that he is open to facing Pacquiao in 2012, granted that the Filipino stalwart concedes to his rigorous testing demands.
?I?m an American citizen and I want the American citizens to stand behind me. If you are the best, step up and take the test. That?s all I?m saying. If you don?t have nothing to hide, take the test. I represent this country and I want this country to get behind me. There?s no country like America, so whoever?s facing Floyd Mayweather, tell them they have to step up and take the test.?
