For an entire year, boxing fans and bettors have faced frustration due to Floyd Mayweather lack of willingness to fight anyone. The sport of boxing needed another bright spot and finally, one of boxing’s biggest names, Money May is heading back to the ring after a year-long layoff.
The 34 year old Mayweather, announced via Twitter that he would challenge current title holder Victor Ortiz on September 17 for the WBC championship.
“My fans have been waiting long enough,” Mayweather tweeted. “Floyd Mayweather vs Victor Ortiz. Sept-17 2011 for the WBC World Championship.”
The truth is, Mayweather’s fans have waited long enough, but a fight against Victor Ortiz wasn’t exactly what they had in mind. At this point, boxing fans have to accept Mayweather getting back into the ring against anyone, surely Mayweather’s fans would rather watch him win in ring than hear about his winning bets.
But let’s face the facts, at a perfect 41-0 with 25 knockouts, Mayweather’s fans want to see him fight the best pound-for-pound boxer on the planet, Manny Pacquiao. It’s interesting that Mayweather references his fans, when obviously, Mayweather doesn’t fight for his fans, he fights for himself. There’s nothing wrong with that, it’s not his fans that pays his bills, well not directly, but it’s his fans and his following that allows him to be able to take a year off boxing and be able to return for a big pay day.
The obvious question is, just how long will Mayweather’s fans stand behind him if he doesn’t fight Manny?
Given the fact that Mayweather has not fought since a unanimous decision over Shane Mosley on May 1, 2010, his fans will settle for a warm-up fight against Ortiz, if it means that Pac-Man is next on his list.
“At this stage of my career, these are the challenges I look for, a young, strong, rising star looking to make his mark in boxing by beating me,” the unbeaten Mayweather said in a statement reported by Reuters. “Ortiz is just going to be another casualty, the 42nd one who tried and failed.”
Mayweather has never lacked confidence. But if Mayweather can’t beat Ortiz, who sports a 29-2-2 with 22 knockouts, he can bet that his fans won’t care about his next fight. Surely by now, many of his fans have already forgotten just how good Mayweather is, or was.
