Tamara Latta
Sports Writer
Floyd Mayweather is one of the greatest boxers of all time. Period. Seven world titles in five weight classes is a statement within itself, and he has proved to the world that he deserves the title “the undisputed champion of the world.”
Mayweather threw several haymakers in the first, second, and third round, but the fourth seemed to be owned by Victor Ortiz. After landing several punches, it turned out that Ortiz’s punches weren’t fair. He head-butted Mayweather several times before he was finally warned by referee Joe Cortez for intentional head-butting. Ortiz’s style of fighting is known as “dirty fighting.” After the call by the referee, he attempted to apologize to Mayweather with a sincere hug. Unfortunately, his apology wasn’t accepted. This was a day to remember.
On Sept. 17, 2011, Mayweather silenced all his critics, and it only took him one hour to do it. Ortiz’s stint was so short in the ring with the Champ that he was unable to complete the plan that he and his team spent months putting together. The plan was to get more physical with Mayweather in the fifth round, but Ortiz didn’t last past the fourth round, after being hand-delivered two right punches that resulted in a knockout.
Talks in the air remain on whether or not Mayweather “sucker punched” his way to a victory. However, many still agree that in the sport of boxing that you have to protect yourself at all times. We can question Ortiz’s boxing skills. Why wasn’t he paying attention or focused? Did he take the fight as seriously as his opponent? There will always be questions and concerns that will never be answered. If Mayweather’s punches were illegal or the fight wasn’t officially commenced, further actions would have taken place. Boxing is one of the most belligerent sports in the world, and it takes a man with mental and physical strength to compete in that profession. After watching Mayweather live for the second time, I have to say he masters the science of boxing.
You can like, dislike, or despise Mayweather, but you have to accept and respect his work ethic. Sure, he’s a little cocky, arrogant, flashy and most of all confident that no other boxer alive can challenge him for his belt. Mayweather’s public personality is very sporadic; however, everyone is entitled to live life the way they want to, and most of the hatred towards him comes from the way he presents himself in the public eye. If championships erased intense animosity, then Mayweather would be the world’s favorite athlete-yet he’s not. The more he wins, the more hate mail he receives. Fame doesn’t always entail a happy life; being a successful athlete is like battling in a war— you have to keep your bullet proof vest on to survive. We can hate it or love it, but Mayweather is still the champ with a 42-0 record.
