What A Loss to Ortiz will do to Mayweather’s Legacy
August 16th, 2011Come September 17, Victor Ortiz will take away the one thing Mayweather values the most and will crown himself in glory.
There ought to be no shame in losing to Ortiz. Unless you're Mayweather. In which case, it won't only be a matter of losing face but the end of the world as you know it. Welcome to humanity, Floyd.
Some good things never last and all that jazz.
No matter the betting odds, the possibility of Ortiz winning is just as high as the fight ending with Floyd's hands raised for the umpteenth times. Ortiz has the youth, stamina, southpaw stance and the tools to make Mayweather's nightmare a reality. If Ortiz comes to the fight with the same mental toughness he showed in the fight against Berto, he'll be one complete menacing package perfect to do the job.
Self belief is essential, though, for Ortiz to actually pull it off. In a way, he has to be like Floyd come fight night. Be his mirror, his spitting image - spitting in his face. Floyd will be his usual elusive self so Ortiz has to bang the body, bang the head, bang whatever he could take.
Maidana prevailed over Ortiz because he kept coming back, Mayweather if hit with the same force and frequency will go down and stay down. Old Mosley had it right before he gassed out in the Mayweather fight. Ortiz could learn from that and take it to another level.
So a loss to Ortiz will mean what to Mayweather's legacy?
Well, his best scalp belongs to an old and faded champion. Weighed against the scale of the All-Time-Greats, Floyd is surely found wanting. And that "0" really amounts to nothing. Finally, there's the affirmation that Mayweather is not the best boxer of his generation.
So much for the bragging rights.
As for Ortiz, the world is his oyster - the very reason he'll do everything to win. And he will.
http://www.boxingnews24.com/2011/08/what-a-loss-to-ortiz-will-do-to-mayweather%E2%80%99s-legacy/
