Mayweather – Ortiz to appear on HBO’s 24/7

By John F. McKenna (McJack): It was reported in USA Today that Floyd Mayweather Jr (41-0, 25 KO’s) and World Boxing Council (WBC) welterweight champion Victor Ortiz (29-2-2, 22 KO’s) will be spotlighted on HBO’s 24/7 series to help promote their upcoming fight at the MGM Grand on September 17.

The current series: 24/7 Mayweather vs Ortiz will debut Saturday night at 10 pm (ET).
It will be Mayweather’s 5th appearance on the series. Floyd’s first appearance was in 2007 to hype his fight with Oscar De La Hoya. That fight drew a record 2.4 million Pay-Per-View (PPV) buys.

Mark Taffet, HBO’s senior vice president of operations and PPV was quoted as saying:
“Floyd continues to be must see TV. He’s got that larger than life personality, but it’s amazing how generous he is to our camera people with the access and time he’s willing to give us in the weeks leading up to the fight. That’s what enables us to make the show so special. He brings the viewer into his life, his house and his training camp, and he is incredibly open and allows the viewer to get up close and personal. As a result a strong connection is created.”

Mayweather’s 24 year old opponent on September 17 will also be highlighted. His story is especially captivating. Victor along with his siblings was abandoned by his mother when he was 7 years old. Victor’s father, who was an alcoholic, was instrumental in getting him into boxing. His father frequently beat the children and also left after a few years. The children then went into foster care. His older sister adopted them when she was of legal age in 2002 at a time when the 15 year old Ortiz was dealing drugs.
The 24/7 series highlights the special relationship Ortiz has with his brother Temo.

Victor says that airing his struggles as a youth has helped him and demonstrates that you can bounce back from adversity. He views his fight with Mayweather as the opportunity of a lifetime and wants to make the most of it.

Time-Warner the parent company of HBO will give maximum exposure to the four 24/7 episodes and will air them two hours later on CNN. HBO executives are convinced that the Mayweather – Ortiz fight will be a Mega TV event.