Believe it or not, Victor Ortiz has every tool necessary to beat five-division champ, Floyd Mayweather Jr. on Saturday, September 17 at the Star Power pay-per-view.
Ortiz will obviously be a major underdog stepping into the ring, but that doesn’t mean that he can’t win and it surely doesn’t mean that a one-sided decision or late-round knockout loss is a foregone conclusion.
Here’s what Ortiz has to keep in mind on Saturday night if he wants to pull off the major upset and take one huge step forward on the path to legendary status:
Play the Numbers
Mayweather is 34-years-old and has been away from the ring for 16 months. Overall, the native of Grand Rapids, Michigan has only fought five times since November of 2006. On the other hand, Ortiz is 24 and has been kept busy over the course of his entire seven year career. While there may be a huge disparity in skill and boxing IQ, there’s no way around the fact that Ortiz will be the physically stronger and, possibly sharper fighter, especially early on. A turbo-charged, energetic work rate will be the first key to victory. Mayweather should be kept busy and working at all times so that “Money” will feel spent by the later rounds.
Keep the Mistakes to a Minimum
The beginning of the end for all Mayweather opponents is the temptation to force the fight and over-pursue, more so as the fight goes on and they begin to fall behind on points. Mayweather, as the sport’s best counter-puncher, feasts on mistakes. The more an opponent slips up, the easier Mayweather’s job becomes. Ortiz has to resist the youthful urge to flex his muscles and force the issue. If the southpaw world titlist can stay calm, keep his technique tight, and not let Mayweather build an early lead, he should do well? or at least well enough to stay competitive. A Mayweather who has to create his own scoring opportunities is infinitely more vulnerable than one who just sits back and takes advantage of his opponent’s errors.
