With Berto-Ortiz Rematch Almost Certainly Off For Now, Ortiz Throws Hat Into Ring For Mayweather’s May 5th Date

By James Slater: As fans have surely read by now, February 11th’s scheduled and much anticipated return fight between Andre Berto and Victor Ortiz is set to be postponed due to a bicep injury suffered by Berto. Reportedly, Berto, who lost the first fight with Ortiz via 12-round decision, ruptured his left bicep muscle when throwing a punch in sparring. Ringtv.com reports that Berto will require arthroscopic surgery “as early as Tuesday.”

So, with Ortiz having trained so hard (and Berto too for that matter) for the return of the 2011 FOTY candidate, the former WBC welterweight king is in no mood to let his efforts go for nothing. And, with the ongoing (and extremely annoying) Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao saga having not yet produced a signed fight between the two (the latest word suggests Pac-Man will face unbeaten Tim Bradley next, leaving Floyd to find a foe for his scheduled May 5th bout in Las Vegas), Ortiz has thrown his hat into the ring as far as Mayweather’s May 5th fight goes.

“Vicious” Victor fought and was KO’d by “Money” back in September, and he has craved a second chance against the 34-year-old unbeaten master ever since being sucker-punched in the 4th-round after having deliberately butted Mayweather. Ortiz got into hot water over the admitted deliberate infringement, but he says he will “keep it clean” if he gets a second go at Floyd.

With Mayweather’s time running out as far as his getting a suitable May 5th opponent, maybe, just maybe, Floyd will look Ortiz’ way a second time. The Oxnard warrior is sure hoping so.

“I’m open to fighting Floyd,” Ortiz told Ring. “I’m definitely ready, bro. First fight was just one of those things where stuff happens, you know? But this time, I’ll keep it clean. No craziness. Other than that, let’s dance once again.”

The sequel to Ortiz W12 Berto will still happen at some point, but it could be that Ortiz winds up getting himself a much bigger rematch before that one. Would fans buy a Mayweather-Ortiz II? Maybe not as many as bought the September 2011 meeting between the young lion and the veteran master, but I’m sure enough intrigue would be felt to inspire yet another Mayweather sell-out in Vegas.

The first fight was controversial enough (was Ortiz “getting to” Mayweather before he went crazy? Would Floyd have had a tough distance fight, one he may have even lost, had the swift termination to the bout not occurred?) to make a rematch a sellable event. Sure, I’d rather see Mayweather face either Miguel Cotto or Saul Alvarez on May 5th, but I can see Floyd liking the idea of another go with Ortiz. And let’s face it: Mayweather, like Pacquiao, is so big now, we’d watch him fight whoever the opponent!