Mayweather v. Ortiz Fight Preview: Floyd's Big Comeback or Demise?

The fight that months ago seemed like a big letdown after what was supposed to be the year of Mayweather v. Pacquiao, has suddenly become the most anticipated fight of 2011 thus far. Victor Ortiz—who was virtually unknown before winning the WBC welterweight championship last spring—has quickly risen to stardom as the boxer that could potentially end Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s undefeated streak of 41-0.

However, Mayweather has all intentions of proving that his 16-month hiatus from boxing hasn't had any effect, and that he's still the best pound-for-pound boxer in the game (Pacman and Mayweather fans feel free to start going at it in the comments below). So, is this the super fight we've all been waiting for? Nope. But do you pass up on a solid eight just because the dimepiece you tried to get at earlier wasn't feeling it? We thought so. To get an idea of each boxer's advantages and all the ramifications of tonight's championship fight in Las Vegas, check out our Mayweather v. Ortiz Preview...

Age: 34
Hometown: Grand Rapids, Mich.
Record and Titles: 41-0-0 (25 KOs) Five-Division World Champion
Wanna Get to Know Ya (II): Floyd Mayweather is boxing's "bad guy." The bravado, endless trash-talking and flaunt of wealth, and legal troubles make sports fans either love him or hate him. But regardless of their preference, they tune into his fights. Over the last decade no boxer has averaged higher revenue for his fights than Mayweather. It isn't all about his showmanship, though. Behind the cocky persona is arguably boxing's most dominant fighter of this era. He was born into a boxing family with his father Floyd, Sr., and his uncles Jeff and Roger Mayweather, all having careers as pro fighters. Ever since he won his first title at the age of 21 (WBC Super Featherweight belt), Floyd has been dominating the sport with his trademark elusive fighting style. And when we say "elusive" we're not talking about him ducking Pacquiao. We see you, Pacman fans.

Age: 24
Hometown: Garden City, Kan.
Record and Titles: 29-2-2 (22 KOs) Current WBC Welterweight Champion
Wanna Get to Know Ya (II): Victor Ortiz has a hard knocks story tailor-made for boxing. Abandoned by both parents at the age of 13, Ortiz credits boxing with keeping him out of trouble while he and his siblings raised themselves. After winning the Kansas Golden Gloves championship, the southpaw turned pro at the age of 17 in 2004. Since then, the only hiccups for the boxer came in the form of a disqualification (illegal punch after the break) against Corey Alarcon and a TKO loss to Marcos Maidana in 2009. He bounced back with four victories before winning his championship bout with Andre Berto by unanimous decision in April.

Speed? Mayweather. There really isn't any other fighter out there with reflexes quite like Mayweather. His quickness—especially on the defensive end—leaves opponents looking foolish. Word to Juan Manuel Marquez.

Power? Ortiz. He's knocked down every opponent that he's ever faced. Though Mayweather has never been laid out on the canvas, he also hasn't faced a southpaw since Zab Judah in 2006, so he may be caught off guard.

Defense? Mayweather. He's the best defensive boxer of his era and arguably one of the greatest of all time. Watching a Mayweather fight may be painful for the average sports fan, but boxing enthusiasts recognize just how rare his skills are. On Saturday, you can expect Mayweather to stick to his typical routine of waiting for his opponent's aggression to leave opportunities for him to counter punch and score points with the judges.

Stamina? Draw. Mayweather is 10 years Ortiz' senior, and no matter how you look at it the numbers don't lie. Boxing isn't one of those sports where you can evade Father Time for very long, much less when you're coming off a 16-month hiatus. However, Ortiz' reputation has one big blemish; the time he quit in the sixth round of his bout with Marcos Maidana in 2009. Ortiz says that he doesn't remember the fight and has chosen to leave that experience in the past, but only time will tell whether or not Mayweather will push him to that point again on Saturday.

Hotter Wifey? Mayweather. You already know much we love wifeys, so we had to add this as a key factor. Floyd's fiance, Shantel Jackson, has been featured on HBO's 24/7 a few times and does some modeling. The only woman we found linked to Victor Ortiz was the young lady featured in this video from 2009. Miss Jackson's a knockout and wins this battle easily.

WBC Welterweight Title: Greats like Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran, and Oscar De La Hoya have all held this title at some time and their legacies add to its mystique. Mayweather held the belt from 2006 to 2008 before his first retirement. Ortiz took over as champ in April of this year after defeating Andre Berto. His bout with Floyd will be his first title defense.

Reps and Future Bouts: A win for Mayweather would add to his legend status and hype the build-up for a potential 2012 super fight with Manny Pacquiao. If Ortiz loses, he'll most likely slip back into irrelevancy for average sports fans, forced to build his rep and status back up with victories over the next couple years. But a Mayweather loss will have the biggest impact, that endless trash-talking of being undefeated would have to cease and it also would have an interesting effect on his negotiations for a bout with Pacquiao. Maybe Mayweather will feel more pressure to fight Manny in an effort to re-establish his claim as the top boxer of his era? Or maybe those negotiations with Pacman will be put on hold until a rematch with Ortiz can be had?

Prediction: Mayweather by split decision. As much as people despise Money May, the numbers don't lie. Dude is 41-0 for a reason and we believe his defense, speed, and experience will lead him to a victory over Ortiz on Saturday. Victor will no doubt give the biggest challenge he's seen in a number of years but a combination of the aforementioned will be too much for the young champ.