By Cliff Rold
No, it’s not a joke. It’s real.
Yeah, they mean it. For those wishing to see this weekend’s Floyd Mayweather-Victor Ortiz bout in HD, the pay-per-view is running a nickel short of 70 bucks. Thinking back no all the classics, the memorable wars, the bloody brawls, delivered by one Floyd Mayweather Jr., it’s a steal right.
$69.95
And Erik Morales-Lucas Matthysse is off the undercard.
But Erik Morales is still on? Isn’t he always worth that much?
These are the picks of the week.
Pick It: World Champion Floyd Mayweather vs. #2 Victor Ortiz (Saturday, HBO PPV, 9 PM EST/6 PM PST)
This scribe, who won’t be traveling to Vegas, already has his order in. Even if I didn’t work for the website you, dear reader, are perusing, I’d pony up. Sure, if the budget is tight, purchasing the standard definition play for less coin might be the ticket but, no matter what, this fight is worth seeing and worth paying for. Why? Despite his lack of savage classics, Mayweather (41-0, 25 KO) has been in more than his share of fan pleasing bouts and this may well be his toughest yet. He’s facing a naturally taller, bigger, and much younger man with power and some deceiving speed. Will Mayweather win? Probably. He’s Floyd. We tune in because Ortiz (29-2-2, 22 KO), flush with confidence off his big time win over Andre Berto earlier this year, has at least a chance and not just a puncher’s prayer. Morales and Mexico’s Saul Alvarez also being on the broadcast mean there will be violence before the main event. That Mayweather’s bout appears to promise some as well makes this worth every penny.
Pick Thursday? Yes, Thursday: #6 Jhonny Gonzalez vs. Rogers Mtagwa (Thursday, ESPN Deportes, 8:30 PM EST/5:30 PM PST)
Keep an eye on ESPN3.com; this might play there as well. One should hope so anyways because everyone doesn’t have ESPN Deportes (like the author of this piece). That stinks because, if this fight lasts one minute or all scheduled 36, it will be nasty and worth the time investment. Gonzalez (49-7, 43 KO) makes the second defense of his WBC Featherweight against the same rugged journeyman, Mtagwa (27-14-2, 19 KO) absolute thrillers with Tomas Villa and Juan Manuel Lopez in recent vintage. Mtagwa is live here and if this steals the lead for Fight of the Year by the end of Thursday night, it would be less than shocking.
Pick Pinoy: Mercito Gesta vs. Manuel Perez (Saturday, Fox Sports, Check Local Listings)
Fox Deportes is usually reliable and this fight starts there, Saturday night, at 10 PM EST. Clearly, given what else is on Saturday, this is a DVR special but it’s this or Heavyweights. Some folks are high on the long-term prospects of American Seth Mitchell (22-0-1, 16 KO) and he’ll be on Telefutura Friday night at 11:30. A lightweight Filipino from San Diego with star potential, Gesta (22-0-1, 12 KO) might be the wiser use of time, even if he figures to go through Manuel Perez (16-6-1, 4 KO).
Or watch both. If one is reading this short weekly offering, that’s probably already the plan anyways.
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Cliff Rold is a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Advisory Panel and the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com