THEY say attrition brings out one?s character. Faced with a crisis, a person?s reaction to it speaks volumes about his true ilk.
In the sixth round against Rena Maidana, in a fight he was winning early on–having knocked down his opponent three times, a badly battered Victor Ortiz, sporting a swollen left eye, quit.
Though officially it would go down as a referee-ordered stoppage on the advise of the ring physician, Ortiz raised nary a whimper and his body language told the whole world that he just had the s*!t beaten out of him and he wanted no more.
This from a guy known as ?Vicious.?
In contrast, ?Pretty Boy? Floyd Mayweather Jr. as reviled as he is, took Shane Mosley?s best right hands in the second round, the same ones that chopped down the menacing Antonio Margarito like a tree.
Hurt and wobbly, he fought back, and by the end of the round was beating the snot out of the Sugar man.
FACTORS. Remember those images as you assess and determine today?s victor. There?s no doubt that both men will have their moments in this fight. But for Ortiz, will he be able to dig deep and avoid getting discouraged when he is unable to land cleanly and is tagged by sharp, crisp counters?
For Floyd, the challenge will be to withstand Ortiz?s furious assault and hopefully still have enough left in that tank to stave off a young, hungry fighter eager to ascend to the apogee of the sport. Here?s how they stack up:
MAYWEATHER JR. (41-0, 25KOs)
Style: Smooth boxer-counterpuncher who loves to make opponents miss and punish them with accurate counters. Tucks chin behind shoulder to lure foes to open up.
Strengths: Speed; Skill; Strategy; Defensive tactics. Stamina. Accurate counter-puncher.
