LAS VEGAS // Victor Ortiz will enter the ring against Floyd Mayweather Jr on Saturday as the WBC welterweight champion but he will also be a heavy underdog — a tag with which he is entirely comfortable.
The Mexican-American will defend his title against the undefeated five-division world champion and, hardly surprisingly, his challenger has been installed as favourite.
"I have nothing to lose, man," Ortiz said at the MGM Grand last night while preparing for the 12-round bout. "He has everything I want. I don't see myself as champion. I'm still hungry."
Ortiz, 29-2-2 (22 KOs), took the WBC welterweight title from Andre Berto in April, the climax of a career that had long been tipped to scale great heights but hit a roadblock when he quit in the sixth round against Marcos Maidana in June 2009.
In contrast, the career path of Mayweather (41-0, 25 KOs) has been almost free of obstacles and he has steadily established himself as one of contemporary boxing's two biggest names — along with the Filipino pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao.
Mayweather is widely regarded as one of the best defensive fighters of all time, yet Ortiz said he had never been especially impressed by the American's credentials.
"I don't really see a whole lot," the 24 year old Ortiz added. "He's fought some decent guys, but guys who were on their way up or on their way out.
"You can say whatever you want about me, but I've fought some very good guys, in their prime. I've banged with the best."
The left-handed Ortiz is renowned for his punching power and, whether he won or lost, he has knocked down every one of his 33 opponents.
Mayweather is best known for his slick defensive skills but he insisted yesterday that he would stand toe-to-toe with his younger opponent.
"I'm going to go in there, I'm going to execute the game plan, I'm going to go in there with class and leave with class," the 34-year-old said.
"You guys don't have to worry about me back-pedaling. I'm coming straight ahead, so hopefully he's coming straight ahead."
The flamboyant Mayweather, who is renowned for his trash-talking, predicted an early knockout on Saturday.
"He [Ortiz] says the fight won't go the distance, I say the fight won't go the distance and so hopefully it won't go the distance," Mayweather said. "I get hit with a good shot, no problem, I shake it right off.
"I'm still coming at you. I'm a good finisher, too. So, when I hurt you, don't grab me, don't hold on at all. I'm going to finish you off."
Unmoved, Ortiz merely smiled in response.
"Mayweather's had his time," he said. "He did his thing for many years. Forty-one [fighters] have tried, 41 have failed. Forty-one of those were not me."
It's up to you to go green
Nils El Accad, chief executive and owner of Organic Foods and Café, says going green is about “lifestyle and attitude” rather than a “money change”; people need to plan ahead to fill water bottles in advance and take their own bags to the supermarket, he says.
“People always want someone else to do the work; it doesn’t work like that,” he adds. “The first step: you have to consciously make that decision and change.”
When he gets a takeaway, says Mr El Accad, he takes his own glass jars instead of accepting disposable aluminium containers, paper napkins and plastic tubs, cutlery and bags from restaurants.
He also plants his own crops and herbs at home and at the Sheikh Zayed store, from basil and rosemary to beans, squashes and papayas. “If you’re going to water anything, better it be tomatoes and cucumbers, something edible, than grass,” he says.
“All this throwaway plastic - cups, bottles, forks - has to go first,” says Mr El Accad, who has banned all disposable straws, whether plastic or even paper, from the café chain.
One of the latest changes he has implemented at his stores is to offer refills of liquid laundry detergent, to save plastic. The two brands Organic Foods stocks, Organic Larder and Sonnett, are both “triple-certified - you could eat the product”.
The Organic Larder detergent will soon be delivered in 200-litre metal oil drums before being decanted into 20-litre containers in-store.
Customers can refill their bottles at least 30 times before they start to degrade, he says. Organic Larder costs Dh35.75 for one litre and Dh62 for 2.75 litres and refills will cost 15 to 20 per cent less, Mr El Accad says.
But while there are savings to be had, going green tends to come with upfront costs and extra work and planning. Are we ready to refill bottles rather than throw them away? “You have to change,” says Mr El Accad. “I can only make it available.”
Rashid & Rajab
Director: Mohammed Saeed Harib
Stars: Shadi Alfons, Marwan Abdullah, Doaa Mostafa Ragab
Two stars out of five
Under 19 Cricket World Cup, Asia Qualifier
Fixtures
Friday, April 12, Malaysia v UAE
Saturday, April 13, UAE v Nepal
Monday, April 15, UAE v Kuwait
Tuesday, April 16, UAE v Singapore
Thursday, April 18, UAE v Oman
UAE squad
Aryan Lakra (captain), Aaron Benjamin, Akasha Mohammed, Alishan Sharafu, Anand Kumar, Ansh Tandon, Ashwanth Valthapa, Karthik Meiyappan, Mohammed Faraazuddin, Rishab Mukherjee, Niel Lobo, Osama Hassan, Vritya Aravind, Wasi Shah
MO
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The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
