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Ortiz operating in Pacquiao's shadow

Floyd Mayweather fights for the first time in 16 months © Getty Images

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Floyd Mayweather Jnr faces Victor Ortiz for the WBC welterweight title on Saturday in Las Vegas, and we've got the lowdown on the clash...

Floyd Mayweather Jnr's flirtation with Manny Pacquiao continues this weekend when he takes on Victor Ortiz, a fast southpaw who loves to crank the pressure up on his opponents, hammering them into submission.

Perhaps it's a simplistic comparison, but the stylistic parallels between Ortiz and Pacquiao are obvious and, given the wider context of Mayweather's career, it's difficult to not think he had Pacquiao on his mind when he agreed to this bout.

And that's the latest reason to believe the super-fight may actually happen next year, following Pacquiao saying there are now "no problems" preventing the clash, which suggests he is willing to meet Mayweather's demands for Olympic-style drug testing.

The defamation lawsuit Pacquiao launched against Mayweather is also set to reach a conclusion, with the Filpino asking a judge to make a decision, removing another crucial obstacle to progress. But don't get your hopes up, despite those conciliatory gestures from the Flipino, because Mayweather still claims - without too much justification - that Pacquiao "obviously" doesn't want the fight.

And so the drama rumbles on, casting a paralysing cloud over everything either man does, laughing in the face of Ortiz's attempts to veer the narrative in another direction, as he bids to portray himself as something other than a sharpening exercise for Mayweather, who will be returning to the ring for the first time in 16 months.

The verbal jousting between Mayweather and Ortiz has focused on the harrowing upbringings that both have been forced to endure: Ortiz was abandoned by both parents at ten years old, pushing him into care, before using boxing to turn his life around, becoming a world champion at the age of 24.

But Mayweather has suffered through his fair share of turbulent days too - as a one-year old, he was used as a human shield by his father when his uncle drew a gun - and isn't willing to dole out any sympathy. "I'm tired of hearing about that motherf***** storyline," he said. "Well, you know my dad left me, my mom left me, man s*** black parents leave all the time, every black you know raised theyself s***. Man, get the f*** outta here, you punk."

Mayweather's hardships are alluded to, but rarely recounted in the detail Ortiz has gone into, portraying a classic rags-to-riches story which has captured the hearts of the American public.

Which is just as well because, when judged on boxing ability, the fight looks imbalanced, as Ortiz is not in the same league as his unbeaten opponent.

Ortiz stunned everyone in his most recent bout by beating Andre Berto, twice picking himself up off the floor to triumph on points, an improbable success that fits perfectly into the against-all-odds persona he has cultivated.

Victor Ortiz put down Lamont Peterson twice - but couldn't beat him © Getty Images

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But there are a couple of black marks on his record. In December 2010, he had Lamont Peterson - who is expected to fight Amir Khan later this year - down twice in the third, but was unable to finish the job, eventually settling for a split-decision draw.

Eighteen months prior to that, he was accused of quitting during the sixth round against Marcos Maidana, slowly clambering back to his feet after getting knocked down, shaking his head as he got up - and then opting not to complain when the doctor said a cut above his eye rendered him unable to carry on.

Of course, none of the above makes Ortiz a bad fighter - but neither does it suggest he's going to give any problems to Mayweather, a flawless tactician, an elusive master of defence who has always proved so hard to catch cleanly.

Ortiz will hope that Mayweather shows signs of rust and vulnerability in the early rounds of the contest. That's hard to envisage - in 2009 Mayweather fought Juan Manuel Marquez following a break of almost two years, knocked him down in the second and proceeded to walk off with a wide decision. And if Ortiz does come out all guns blazing, it plays perfectly into the hands of Mayweather, a razor-sharp counter-puncher who is guaranteed to keep his composure even if fistic fireworks are exploding in his face.

Mayweather isn't the sort of guy who lets himself drift when out of the ring either, always remaining around his fighting weight and in prime condition.

So there isn't much to suggest this is anything other than a mismatch - and, while Mayweather will be forgiven if it does prove to be preparation for Pacquiao, he should beware an immediate backlash if the contest is one-sided. Khan is the latest to accuse Mayweather of hand-picking opponents and prioritising his unbeaten record above all else, a theory that will gather weight for as long as he rebuffs Khan's approaches.

If he retires as a never-defeated fighter, will it mean as much if he never tests himself against Pacquiao? And if Ortiz is a tune-up, what does that tell us about his psyche? Does he need to convince himself of something before really getting serious on the Pacquiao idea?

As Ortiz said, "he's got that beautiful mouth that never stops", and yet Mayweather remains an enigma, defensive both inside and out of the ring, on the brink of a victory that threatens to ring hollow.

Prediction
Mayweather on a wide points decision, with Ortiz visiting the floor on a couple of occasions.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.