HBO color analyst Larry Merchant has arrived in Las Vegas for this Saturday's anticipated Floyd Mayweather-Victor Ortiz pay-per-view melee at the MGM Grand. Having been with the network for over thirty years and countless Mayweather showcases, Merchant was still quick to show his enthusiasm towards the fight and the drama that is expected to emerge from it.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. lashed out at the suggestion that he ducked a fight with Miguel Cotto in 2005, when both of them were rising junior welterweights under Top Rank's promotional banner. According to Mayweather, he requested a fight with Cotto in 2005, and then Top Rank responded by matched him with a "test opponent" to get a better idea on how a Cotto fight would potentially play out in the ring. The opponent, Henry Bruseles, was dominated and stopped in eight rounds.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. is confident that Victor Ortiz is not going the twelve round distance on Saturday night, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Ortiz, making the first defense of his WBC welterweight title, has promised to make it a war. When Mayweather fought more seasoned opponents in the past, they had the experience to survive. Mayweather doesn't believe Ortiz has the ability to survive once he gets in trouble. He says the young champion, because of his inexperience, responds by fighting.
WBC welterweight champion Victor Ortiz (29-2-2, 22KOs) is not intimidated by the accomplishments, or the boxing skills, of Floyd Mayweather Jr. (41-0, 25KOs). Ortiz will make the first defense of his title against Mayweather on Saturday night at the MGM Grand. While Ortiz has attacked Mayweather's record, he admits the boxer has everything that he wants - including the fame, the money and the recognition from the boxing public.
Ryan Burton catches up with trainer Roger Mayweather to discuss Floyd Mayweather Jr's upcoming fight with WBC welterweight champion Victor Ortiz, fight strategy, Manny Pacquiao and more.
Ryan Burton catches up with trainer Danny Garcia to discuss Victor Ortiz's title defense against Floyd Mayweather Jr., strategy, some of Mayweather's tactics and more
MGM Grand, Las Vegas - At 2:30PM PT/5:30 EST, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and WBC welterweight champion Victor Ortiz will step on the scale to make weight for Saturday's big pay-per-view headliner at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. A few weeks ago Mayweather was already two pounds away from the welterweight limit, while Ortiz was closer to middleweight. Mayweather claims Ortiz is having weight issue, and the champion wants to prove him wrong.
As the ‘Star Power’ Pay-Per-View draws closer, we sat down with Primetime favourite and studio team member for Floyd Mayweather vs. Victor Ortiz, WBA/IBF junior welterweight champion Amir Khan.
Ryan Burton catches the final press conference to the Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs Victor Ortiz showdown. Hear from Mayweather, Ortiz, and more.
By Robert Morales - Promoter Bob Arum certainly has not given up on a fight between his Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. But that fight would lose a lot of luster off its shine if Mayweather were to lose to Victor Ortiz on Saturday or Pacquiao were to lose to Juan Manuel Marquez on Nov. 12. It was therefore no surprise to hear Arum handicap Saturday's fight minutes before he played host to a news conference last week in Beverly Hills promoting Pacquiao-Marquez III slated for MGM Grand in Las Vegas. "I think Ortiz is a good, young fighter," Arum said. "But he's really inexperienced and in fighting Floyd he's fighting a guy who really knows boxing. So I don't give Ortiz much of a chance to beat Mayweather. "I mean, he's going to try. But I just don't give him a chance." Arum makes sense. And that's exactly what he wants if and when he sits down again to try and successfully negotiate a fight between Pacquiao and Mayweather - common sense.