Undefeated Floyd Mayweather will end a 16-month hiatus from boxing to fight WBC welterweight champion Victor Ortiz on Sept. 17, the Las Vegas-based fighter announced on Twitter Tuesday.
A site for the fight has not yet been announced.
Mayweather (41-0, 25 KOs), who has been criticized for not accepting a mega-fight with eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao, said Ortiz was the best opponent for him right now.
"I am ready to return to the ring and give my fans a fantastic night of boxing by fighting the best out there and for me, that is Victor Ortiz," said Mayweather, 34. "He is the current champion and an extremely talented fighter who showed amazing skills, and heart, in his last performance against Andre Berto.
"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. Like the rest of my opponents, he is going to try to prove that he can beat me. I commend him for accepting the fight, but on Sept. 17, Ortiz is just going to be another casualty, the 42nd one who tried and failed. Trust me, I will be ready."
Mayweather's last fight was a lopsided unanimous decision victory against Shane Mosley on May 1, 2010. Mosley appeared to hurt Mayweather in the second round, but Mayweather weathered the storm and put a beating on Mosley, whose career may be over after losing badly to Pacquiao on May 7.
Ortiz (29-2-2, 22 KOs) is unbeaten in his last six fights, including a unanimous decision victory against previously unbeaten Berto on April 16 in a fight of the year candidate. It was Ortiz's first fight at welterweight (147 pounds) after spending most of his career at junior welterweight (140 pounds).
"I respect Mayweather because he has been a champion for many years and I know he will be ready, but so will I," said Ortiz, a decade younger than Mayweather at 24. "I'm a strong fighter and I have worked really hard to silence my critics. I'm a world champion for a reason and I am not going to let go of my title any time soon. This is going to be a great fight, but I will remain a world champion for many years to come."
Leonard Ellerbe, Mayweather's manager and CEO of Mayweather Promotions, said it was exciting to see his fighter get back in the ring.
"There is no better showman than Floyd and he backs up his legacy with amazing, one-of-a-kind skills," Ellerbe said. "Victor Ortiz has shown us that he is a great fighter, too, and for the two of them to meet makes for a gigantic night for fans all over the world."
Ortiz's promoter, Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, said Mayweather sets the bar for pay-per-view buys — his 2007 victory against Oscar De La Hoya set the record with 2.4 million buys.
"In Victor Ortiz, he is facing a young, strong and highly motivated world champion who knows that a win over the pound for pound champion will catapult him into superstardom." Schaefer said. "The stage is set and I can't wait for the showdown of the year."
Mayweather still has two criminal cases hanging over his head: a misdemeanor charge for allegedly attacking a security guard at his Las Vegas gated community, and a multiple felony misdemeanor case involving an alleged domestic violence incident brought by the mother of his two children last September.
His next court appearance is not scheduled until Oct. 20.
Source: usatoday.com
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