Victor Ortiz, the former WBC welterweight champion, recently expressed his disappointment over Floyd Mayweather's recent struggles with activity in the boxing world. Ortiz, who was controversially beaten by Mayweather in 2011, believes that Mayweather's reluctance to engage in high-profile fights is a missed opportunity for fans and himself.
In an interview with Bloody Elbow, Ortiz shared his thoughts on the ongoing discussions surrounding Mayweather's potential matchups, including the highly anticipated Mike Tyson vs. Floyd Mayweather fight. Ortiz believes that Mayweather's reluctance to fight is driven by a desire to avoid potential harm, as he was confident that he could have knocked out Mayweather in their previous encounter.
"It's a bummer, you know. It's a shame," Ortiz said. "People always wanted to see me versus Floyd, but realistically, something like that, he'll keep himself out of harm's way. He knows what was going to happen. We weren't going 12 rounds. I was going to knock him out, but that was twelve years ago."
Ortiz's frustration is understandable, given the controversial nature of their previous fight. He was hurt by a punch when he was looking the other way, following a break in the action, which led to his defeat. Despite the disappointment, Ortiz has been able to take positives from the experience, realizing that Mayweather's refusal to entertain the idea of a rematch was not easy to overcome.
"It was a pretty long process, yeah, because you really have to wake up to living with everyone just remembering that moment," he admitted. "It's one of those things where no matter what you have to say, everyone has their opinion and their expectations. I asked for the rematch countless times, even for free. We know that Floyd loves money. Keep all the money. I just want to knock you out."
Ortiz's upcoming bare-knuckle boxing debut against Dominic Salcido on July 18th provides a stark contrast to Mayweather's recent inactivity. While Ortiz is eager to showcase his skills in a new format, he remains disappointed that fans will not get to see him face off against Mayweather again.
In the meantime, the boxing world continues to speculate about Mayweather's future plans. The highly anticipated Mike Tyson vs. Floyd Mayweather fight has been a topic of discussion, but it remains uncertain whether it will ever come to fruition. Ortiz's disappointment highlights the impact that high-profile fights can have on both fighters and their fans, and the potential consequences of missed opportunities.
