Floyd Mayweather Jr vs Victor Ortiz: Character Inside the Ring and a Fight Town's Legacy

By Randy De La O

There is an age old adage in boxing that goes something like this, "You are never so naked as when you are standing in the ring". It's not the physical nakedness they are referring to, it's the character of a man (or a women) that's exposed. Your courage and heart and sense of fair play, and your ability or inability to handle pressure, or the propensity to cheat when frustrated, or a lack of character when it's time to face your actions when caught. You are never so naked a when you are standing in the ring. Ask Victor Ortiz, he got caught completely naked last night.

125486843 LAS VEGAS, NV - SEPTEMBER 17: Victor Ortiz reaches his head out as Floyd Mayweather Jr. is against the rope in the fourth round during their WBC welterweight title fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on September 17, 2011 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Referee Joe Cortez called Ortiz for an illegal headbutt. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) 2011 Getty Images

 I'm no fan of Floyd Mayweather Jr, never have been and most likely, never will be. What I am is a fan of the sport of boxing. As difficult as that can be at times, especially when someone like Mayweather is involved, I do try my absolute best to put aside my own personal bias and dislikes and focus just on the fighter and the fights. It's not always easy. Saturday night's fight between Mayweather and Victor Ortiz is a good example. Coming into this fight I wanted Ortiz to put the trash talking Mayweather in his place. I wasn't 100% sure he could but I was rooting for him to pull it off. The other reason I was rooting for Ortiz was that I wanted to see the guy redeem himself. I was hoping he would prove once and for all, that his blatant quitting in the Marcos Maidana fight was an anomaly, just something that happened, a one time quirky act. I thought that Ortiz understood what true character was, and that he was going to work like hell to prove himself. Maybe position himself along side some of the great fighters of the past.

 Us guys from the West Coast and the L.A. fight scene are a proud bunch. We love our fighters and their exploits passionately. We have as rich a history in the sport as any town in the country, or the world too for that matter. We cherish and defend that history. The fighters that were either born here or came here to live and fight, range from the completely mediocre to the legendary. They trained at the Main Street Gym, the Teamsters Gym, the Hoover Street Gym and Canto Robledo's backyard gym. The names of these fighters stand with the best from anywhere in the world when it comes to courage, heart and fair play and they include fighters such as Manny Ortiz, Gil Cadilli, Kenny Teran, Art Aragon, Enrique Bolanos,Lauro Salas, Denny Moyer, Mando Ramos, Hedgeman Lewis, Randy Shields, Mando Muniz, Bobby Chacon, Danny "Little Red" Lopez, Rick Farris, , the Fighting Irish Brothers Jerry and Mike Quarry, Frankie Baltazar, Tony Baltazar, and more recently, Sugar Shane Mosley and Oscar De La Hoya. I couldn't begin to list them all.

Guys like Ruben Olivares, Chucho Castillo, Jesus Pimental came north from Mexico to lay it on the line at the Olympic Auditorium and the Forum because they knew L.A. was a fight town like no other and appreciated a fighter worth his salt. Art Hafey headed south from Canada to Southern California, to jump into the midst of what has come to be known as the "West Coast Featherweight Wars". The West Coast has been a hot bed of boxing for decades and L.A. has been the epicenter of it all. We don't care what nationality you are, what color you are or what your religion is. If you can fight and are willing, and can take it as good as you can give, than you are our kind of fighter. it's as simple as that. We'll be with you all the way.

 Then along comes Victor Ortiz, wanting to stand tall with all the rest. Quit against Maidana and was given a second chance at a career. Positioned himself with one of the two pound for pound best fighters in the world, and was making a fight of it. Mayweather began picking up some steam and the fighter who has ironically come to be known as "Vicious" began to crumble. Ortiz had Mayweather against the ropes and was actually landing some good shots, when for reasons known only to him, he decided to take the low road with a headbutt so obviously intentionally a blind man would have had no trouble seeing it. Anomaly? No, lack of character, lack of true courage, a complete lack of fair play.

 Am I being too harsh here? I don't think so. Given that Ortiz had a shot at redemption and spit in our eyes in the process, I think he's getting off easy. The crowd at the Staples Center, judging by the boos for Mayweather seem to be excusing Ortiz' behavior. Mayweather did what any sane fighter would and should do when facing a man who has already shown himself to be a cheater. I would lay some pretty good money that many of the same people that think Floyd sucker punched Ortiz, were jumping for joy a few years back when, Marco Antonio Barrera, like Mayweather, took matters into his own hands and grabbed Nassem Hamed in a half nelson and rammed him face first into the ring post. I don't recall ever hearing of one fan that thought Barrera was in the wrong. Neither was Floyd Mayweather in the wrong. But for the headbutt there would have been no controversy or knockout, at least not that particular knockout.

 To borrow quote from Dorothy and "The Wizard of Oz", "Victor, you're not in Kansas anymore!"

Star Power: Mayweather vs Ortiz

Floyd Mayweather Jr vs Victor Ortiz

Photo courtesy of HBO Boxing and Will Hart

By Randy De La O

Victor Ortiz. will be defending his WBC Welterweight title this Saturday, September 17, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, against Floyd Mayweather Jr..The fight will be shown on HBO PPV.

I would like to see Ortiz win this one but I'm not entirely sure he can. He looked good against Andre Berto in his last fight, and while Berto is a decent enough fighter and was/is considered one of the up and coming stars of this generation, he is not Floyd Mayweather Jr, not by a long shot. Logic and Common sense says that if he couldn't handle Marcos Maidana he won't be able to handle Mayweather. Still, there has to be a part of Ortiz that has vowed to himself, regardless of circumstances or opponent, that he will never again quit. That's just speculation on my part but it's one that makes sense. Hoever he did it, Ortiz has positioned himself for a fight with one of the two best pound for pound fighters in the world. He has a huge mountain to climb. The time for talk is over.

 Mayweather on the other hand, regardless of what you or I might think of him, has yet to be beaten and has yet to show signs of aging. I don't think Ortiz will have anything new to show him. Mayweather has seen it all before. However, he has not been without some close calls. His first win against Jose Luis Castillo was considered somewhat of a robbery but he did removed all doubt in the second fight. He earned a split decision in his 2007 fight against a tired and aging Ocar De La Hoya. During that fight Oscar had some great moments but just could not sustain it. When Oscar used his jab he had his way with Mayweather. That may just be the blueprint for beating him, that and a truckload of intestinal fortitude.

 My hope for tomorrow night? That Victor Ortiz reaches deep inside of himself and finds it within himself, win, lose or draw, to produce the fight of his life. I'd like to see the kid redeem himself.

HBO PPV: Mayweather vs. Ortiz - Fight Preview

Face Off: Floyd Mayweather Jr vs Victor Ortiz Promo

Is Manny Pacquiao Ducking African American Fighters?

By Randy De La O

"Maybe I'm biased because I'm black, but I think that this is what is said at people's homes and around the dinner table among black boxing fans and fighters. Most of them won't say it [in public] because they're not being real and they don't have the balls to say it, "But I do think that a fighter like the Ray Leonards or anyone like that would beat a guy [like Pacquiao] if they come with their game,


Listen, this ain't a racial thing, but then again, maybe it is, but the style that is embedded in most of us black fighters, that style could be a problem to any other style of fighting." - Bernard Hopkins

-----

Look, Man, I don't want to get in a racial beef with anyone but that statements really does call for some type of rebuttal, even a brief one. I mean, how do you respond to a statement like that?  Bullshit is the first word that comes to mind

With one inane statement Bernard Hopkins has just relegated every nonblack fighter to a secondary status. There are in fact three possible reasons that Manny Pacquiao has not faced any black fighters.

First, early in his career Manny Pacquiao fought all his early fights excluslivly in Asia, most of them being in the Philippines.

Secondly, in the championship stage of his career Manny Pacquiao fought the best fighters of his division, period. Is it his fault that the best at that time weren't black or that the best happened to be mostly Hispanic fighters? The guys he fought were champions in their respective division; Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Juan Manuel Marquez and Ricky Hatton. The only black fighter with a Leonard like style of fighting is Floyd Mayweather Jr. and if anyone can get him to sign the dotted line (good luck) Manny will fight him. To the best of my knowledge, Manny had already agreed to take the test. That the fight has yet to take place is squarely on Mayweather's shoulders.

Thirdly, maybe Bernard should consider the possibility that some of the black fighters in the lower weight division are ducking Manny Pacquiao. Who should he have fought? Nate Campbell? Too spotty a record and can't really be considered a serious threat. Zab Judah? Hold on, let me stop laughing,... okay, by the time Manny got to the higher weight classes, Judah, all on his own became a Persona Non Grata. He was a non issue by the time Pacquiao got to the Junior Welters. Tim Bradley, Devon Alexander and Andre Berto are all good fighters but all three are just now starting to make their mark. No one can seriously make the case that Manny Pacquiao is ducking them. So who exactly is he ducking? Why can't he or anyone else ask "Why is Floyd Mayweather Jr. avoiding Filipino fighters?". Now that's a fair question. If you can find one on his record I'll eat my hat.

While I agree with Bernard Hopkins that some black fighters do posses, albeit, to a lesser degree, a Leonard like style that is unique to African American fighters, I don't think they are, across the board, automatically better. If that's the case, why are two brothers from Ukraine holding the heavyweight belts hostage?

It's the man and his ability and nothing else.

What sickens me most is not what Hopkins said but this statement by Bob Arum "A fight with Shane Mosley would answer that situation,". If Pacquiao takes that fight I'll take back every good thing I ever said about him. Mosley, one of the best fighters of his era has seen his better days and though it pains me to say it, at this stage of his career it would sending him to the wolves for a big payday. Bob Arum should be made to go one round with Pacquiao just for thinking it.

Related articles

• Bernard Hopkins: African-American fighters would give Manny Pacquiao tougher challenge (sports.espn.go.com)
• It Ain't My Fault: 10 Obstacles To a Pacquiao/Mayweather Fight (bleacherreport.com)

MAYWEATHER VS. MOSLEY POST FIGHT PRESS CONFERENCE

"Well, you know, I tried, but it was a good fight and I was that close; that close to getting him, but he's a hell of a fighter."..Sugar Shane Mosley

Floyd "Money" Mayweather Beats Sugar Shane Mosley

By Randy De La O

It’s an God awful thing to see a great fighter age in the ring, especially if it’s a fighter whose career has been based on speed, boxing ability, power and a huge heart. That was the case Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas as Sugar Shane Mosley was reduced to a mere sparring partner by the faster, quicker thinking and (surprise-surprise) much more aggressive and perhaps, most importantly, a younger Floyd Mayweather Jr. You first began to get a hint of what was to come when Mosley’s trainer, Nazim Richardson began to wrap Mosley’s hand just minutes before he was to enter the ring. Mosley entered the ring dry. Not a good way to begin a fight.

The first round saw both fighters circling tentatively but Mayweather seemed much calmer much more relaxed. Mosley, on the other hand was fighting in an uncharacteristic manner; jerky, moving his hands needlessly, and with absolutely no fluidity . I had a bad feeling. When the second round came it looked like Mosley was going to take charge of the fight, he landed several crisp, hard right hands that seemed to hurt Mayweather. That second round proved to be his “Last Hurrah” at least as far as this fight was concerned. From the 3rd round on it was "Money" Mayweather taking the fight to Mosley. Each round became a carbon copy of the last , with Mayweather doing pretty much as he pleased with mosley.

At times Mosley appeared completely clueless, vague and befuddled, stopping at one point after a break, with his hands down and talking to either referee Kenny Bayless or Mayweather, just asking to be hit. That’s exactly what Mayweather did. It’s what he was supposed to do. Mosley never did get into the fight, physically he seemed weak and his punches lacked any real conviction. Mosley never committed his punches. Mentally,, as the fight wore on Mosley began to break down and round by round he went further into survival mode, something I thought I would never see. Mayweather had an answer and then some for everything Mosley did. It was tough for me to watch.

Maybe Frank Sinatra said it best in his song “That’s Life”

“You’re riding high in April
and Shot down in May”

Truer words were never sung.

While I’m not quite ready to agree with Mayweather that he is the best fighter of all time; better than Ali, better than Robinson, better than Duran or better than Leonard I will concede that he is one of two of the best fighters of his generation and I’m swallowing awful hard just saying that. Still, I have to give credit to Mayweather, I didn’t think he had it in him to stand up to Mosley but he did what he said he was to do. He out boxed and out fought Mosley and he made it look easy. I give him credit for his behavior outside of the ring. It would have been easy for Mayweather to continue to torment Mosley with well placed words but he chose not to. He showed some class last night. He also showed that he has more going on inside of him than I previously gave him credit for.

After Mayweather’s fight with Juan Manuel Marquez, Mosley jumped into the ring to challenge Mayweather and Max Kellerman, more or less, never really allowed Mayweather to enjoy his victory. It didn’t bother me so much then, in fact for that fight, and for that moment it seemed almost appropriate but last night it did bother me. Larry Merchant hammered him incessantly on the drug testing and Manny Pacquiao. Merchant should have just let Floyd revel in his victory. He deserved that much. Sometimes the Larry Merchants of the world need to know when to shut up.

The fight didn’t turn out the way I had hoped. My reasons for picking Mosley over Mayweather were sound and valid but as the afore mentioned Larry Merchant has said ad nauseam “Boxing is the theater of the unexpected” and last night proved just that.

So now we sit back and wait for Manny and Floyd to hammer out their agreement and make their fight happen. Hopefully before the end of the year. I’m figuring that after Saturday the odds may just favor Mayweather. I don’t expect Mosley to relent on the Olympic style drug testing or anything else for that matter. Like Ray Leonard and Oscar De La Hoya before him, he is a shrewd and tough negotiator. Let’s see how this plays out.

When Champions Meet….

By Randy De La O

There is something about two great fighters, at any weight, stepping into the ring to face each other that no other sport can capture. The weeks leading up to fight with two greats are filled with rumors and controversy but most fighters will just shrug it off and keep on training. The anticipation to a real fight fan becomes almost unbearable. You have your favorite, maybe you’ll place a bet or two, you’re convinced that your guy will win. Yet in your heart of heart, you really don’t know, at best you can only hope. You can’t step in the ring and fight their fight for them. It’s something a fighter must do on his own.

Sitting ringside or in front of your television, watching the fighters enter the ring, the excitement starts to build to a crescendo . The crowd begins to roar and as the fighters meet in the middle of the ring for the instructions from the referee electricity fills the air. If you’re sitting next to someone, you look at each other, hopefully, rubbing your fist together nervously in anticipation. It’s only a few seconds now and the bell sounds and the fighters leave their corner and meet in the ring. Those few seconds before they reach each other are what fight fans live for. Two great fighters meeting, two worthy champions squaring off and suddenly the fight begins.

This is the way it was when Alexis Arguello faced Aaron Pryor or when Muhammad Ali faced Joe Frazier for their first fight, aptly called the Fight of the Century. I was in a room full of people watching the Duran-Leonard fight in 1980 with my father. At times there was screaming, at others, you could have heard a pin drop. Some fights actually live up to the hype.

Tonight Sugar Shane Mosley and Floyd Mayweather Jr. will meet at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in what has the potential to be a great fight. I have my favorite to be sure but above and beyond that I want to see a great fight. Maybe “Money” Mayweather will finally live up to all the hype and bravado and produce a great fight or maybe Sugar will, once and for all, prove to be as sweet as Robinson and Leonard. Is that too much to hope for?

Mosley Ready To Take On Mayweather

HBO Boxing: Mayweather vs. Mosley - Fight Preview

Sugar Shane Mosley vs Floyd "Money" Mayweather

Photo Courtesy of HBO Boxing

Mayweather vs Mosley Poster
Originally uploaded by randyman

By Randy De La O

Floyd Mayweather Jr. has been pretty vocal and critical about Shane Mosley’s comment ”It’s not about the money”. I look at it this way, when Mosley and Mayweather are in the trenches late in the fight and have to reach down deep inside to find the right stuff to keep going, one fighter may say “The hell with it, I got my money” and the other fighter will just keep reaching. One man is fighting for money the other for his place in boxing history, his legacy. There is no such thing as a sure thing but all things being equal I would bank on the pure fighter with a big heart. In this case that would be Mosley.

I think Mayweather will be in for a shock on Saturday. He’s banking on Mosley’s age being a factor. In fact he’s counting on it or he wouldn‘t have taken the fight. Mosley, who could have been a champ in any era, still has a couple of great fights left in him. When it comes to speed, Mosley is right there with Mayweather. The same with boxing ability. When it comes to power Mosley has a big edge. However, the difference between the two is not what you can see on the outside, it’s what’s inside of them that will separate the two when they step into the ring at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas this weekend.

To be fair, Mayweather has a lot of talent and has beaten some pretty good guys. He stopped the late Diego Corrales in ten after knocking him down five times. He beat Jose Luis Castillo twice, though most fans and expert alike thought Castillo should have been given the nod in the first fight. He beat him convincingly in the second fight. He stopped crafty Genaro Hernandez in eight rounds, and Arturo Gotti in six. He has wins over Ricky Hatton, Oscar De La Hoya and Juan Manuel Marquez. Hatton was stopped in the second round. Mayweather has yet to lose a fight. Still, unless your name is Rocky Marciano, there comes a time in every fighter’s career when he is ripe for a loss. I think this is the time. When Mayweather steps into the ring at the Grand he will be facing his Waterloo.

Mosley is not undefeated, he has lost to both the late Vernon Forrest and Winky Wright, twice by decision to each fighter in very hard fights but the fact that he fought a rematch with both says a lot about what Mosley has inside. He also lost to Miguel Cotto in a grueling fight in 2007. However he beat the man that beat Cotto, Antonio Margarito, in devastating fashion to win the WBA Super Welterweight title, as well as a spot in the pound for pound rankings. Because he has lost, he knows what it feels like and won’t let it happen again. Sometimes a man, a fighter, has something to prove. Not just to the world but to himself. It’s not about the money.

It’s no secret to anyone that knows me that Mosley is my kind of fighter. He’s a throwback fighter with a huge heart and would have fit in nicely in boxing’s last great era, the 1980’s, or any of boxing’s great eras where even contenders were great. Mosley is a West Coast fighter and will always get my support. My hope for Saturday night is that Mosley reaches back in time and stops Mayweather in the late rounds. Then it’s Mosley vs. Manny Pacquiao.

All that being said, let the best man win. That’s what boxing is all about.


Sugar Shane Mosley and Floyd Mayweather Jr. will fight Saturday night, May 1st, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The fight will be shown on HBO PPV.


Sugar Shane Mosley's career record.

Floyd "Money" Mayweather's career Record

Juan Manuel Marquez vs Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Photos courtesy of HBO Boxing

By Randy De La O

Floyd Mayweather did what almost everyone knew he would do last night, he beat the great Mexican fighter, Juan Manuel Marquez. And he did it spectacularly. It would have been hard to do otherwise considering he had every advantage. He made sure of that fact. The weight was a big factor in this fight. Mayweather chose to pay a penalty rather than meet his contractual weight obligation. There’s more to it than that but that is the gist of it. Mayweather refused to be weighed just prior the fight. The reason should be obvious to anyone who saw the fight. He was probably fighting near 160 lbs. A huge advantage. Mayweather might have won the fight anyway but he ensured his victory by coming in over the weight.

Mayweather won just about every round and with the exception of the second round when Marquez was knocked down, each round was the same. Mayweather was too fast and to slick for the overmatched Marquez. Juan Manuel Marquez is 36 years old and last night he was showing his age, still, a lesser fighter would have given up or been knocked out. Marquez’ chin did not fail him last and  neither did his heart.

My friend, writer and boxing historian Rick Farris had this to say after the fight “Floyd Mayweather looked sharp tonight. Of course he did. He wasn't in the ring with Shane Mosely. That's who he should have fought. The problem with Shane Mosely is obvious. He's too much man for a guy who calls himself "Money"."

That brings me to my next point: Sugar Shane Mosley. Kudos to Mosley for challenging Mayweather to a fight. He did more than challenge Mayweather last night. He shut him up. The usually unflappable Mayweather was left speechless by Mosley's challenge. Mayweather was like a deer in the headlights, looking for someone, anyone to come to his rescue but no one did. Mosley also exposed Mayweather: Visibly shaken up and with quivering lips he gave his best Ralph Kramden imitation "homina, homina, homina". Unable to speak coherently he took out his anger on Max Kellerman and left. His greatest moment ambushed by Mosley, a la Kanye West. Unlike Kanye West, Mosley wasn't picking on a 19 year old girl. Kudos to Max Kellerman for asking the questions and to Sugar Shane Mosley for stepping up! It's my guess Mayweather will never have the stones to fight Sugar Shane Mosley.

To my way of thinking a fight with Manny Pacquiao is not as attractive as it once was. There is no doubt Manny would fight Mayweather, just as there is no doubt Manny would ask for all the concessions in weight as he does in every fight. Both of these guys do their best to ensure they have every advantage in a fight. Why would I want to spend ten cents to see Mayweather fight another little guy?

What Does Sugar Ray Leonard Think Of Pacquiao

Sugar Ray Leonard speaks out about Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Views on Marquez vs Mayweather

Members of the World Boxing Hall of Fame Board of Directors give their views and predictions on the upcoming Juan Manuel Marquez vs Floyd Mayweather fight.

Dream Fight: Mosley vs Mayweather Jr.?

By Randy De La O

With Sugar Shane Mosley once again the Welterweight  (WBA version) Champion of the world, the sky is the limit. The fight that I have wanted to see for years has now become a possibility (if only to me). More than a rematch with Miguel Cotto or  Antonio Margarito, or a fight with Paul Williams, Andre Berto or Manny Pacquiao, I would love to see Mosley fight Floyd Mayweather Jr. From a purely physical standpoint they match up well, both are exceptionally fast and both are highly skilled and both hold wins over Oscar De La Hoya. It's a natural matchup.  I really don't see Mayweather having the stones to take on Mosley, especially after last nights beating and stoppage of Antonio Margarito, but the fight has so many possibilties and should have happened years ago. This would be a fight worth coming out of retirement for. This would be the premier fight of 2009 if it happened.

Mayweather-Pacquiao Rumors Continue To Swirl

Floyd Mayweather Jr. Photo

Click on the photo for a larger view

My daughter Meranda (right) and her friend Jesse were in Las Vegas recently and ran into Floyd Mayweather Jr. According to her he was a pretty nice guy and a perfect gentleman. Score one for Mayweather for being nice to my daughter.