• Boxing

Ortiz injury scare ahead of Mayweather bout

Dan Rafael, ESPN.com and ESPN staff
August 19, 2011
Victor Ortiz missed training as a 'precautionary measure' © Getty Images
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WBC welterweight champion Victor Ortiz, getting ready for the biggest fight of his career, could not train on Thursday because of a bad back. But manager Rolando Arellano said it was nothing serious.

Ortiz is training in Southern California for a showdown with Floyd Mayweather Jnr (41-0, 25 KOs), who is returning from a 16-month layoff, on September 17 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Ortiz (29-2-2, 22 KOs) has been in camp for weeks, but could not train because of what Arellano called a "small strain in his back."

"We figured we'd give him a day off and give him a massage and try to reduce the inflammation," Arellano told ESPN.com. "It was just a flare-up in his back. That's the kind of thing that happens when you are in a hard, intense training camp getting ready for a big fight. He just strained his back a little and we gave him the day off. But it was just a precautionary measure. Everything is good. Camp has been great."

Ortiz will be making the first defense of the 147-pound title he won via a decision against Andre Berto in their April shootout in which they both were knocked down twice.

Meanwhile, Robert Guerrero's chances of fighting Amir Khan in December look to be over after he pulled out of his WBA light-welterweight title clash against Marcos Maidana on August 27. Khan holds the WBA Super light-welterweight strap, while Maidana is looking for a new opponent.

This article originally appeared on ESPN.com

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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