The go-home episode begins with yet another contrast of the two fighters. Cotto is shown at home celebrated by his fanbase. Maywather is shown under the covers joking that it’s not a guy with him (it’s Miss Jackson), taking a small shot at Cotto and his buddy Bryan Perez.

We finally see Oscar De La Hoya who says that he can finally pass the torch in boxing to Saul “Canello” Alvarez. How? Alvarez doesn’t even speak English and his fanbase is hugely Mexicans, not Mexican-Americans. Oscar appealed to everyone, but mostly Americans. His fanbase isn’t much different than Manny Pacquiao’s US fanbase. That was a weird comment. Alvarez and Shane Mosley is the semi-main.

Floyd says that he tries to turn all negatives into positives, including his upcoming jail term.

Verdict: There wasn’t much to this show, but the visuals were good. If you can buy Cotto as a legit possibility to upset Mayweather, then they did a really good job with this show. Cotto didn’t say a lot. But they showed his desire. You really get the sense that Floyd is in a top class and if Cotto can beat him, he can join that top class. I still don’t know how much I believe that can actually happen, but they tried to contrast each guy and give you the idea that maybe Floyd is over-looking him. But it’s the same story they’ve been telling and it hasn’t happened yet.

He and 50 Cent went shopping and ended up buying Miss Jackson two pairs of shoes for 10,800 dollars. And yes, he paid in cash.

Miguel Cotto’s team is doing some lactic acid test by taking blood from his ear to test his muscle fatigue. Cotto’s trainer says he’s in optimal shape and he believes they’ll win. Cotto is trying to earn some praise from his trainer by telling him he knows he’s doing well.

Mayweather brings up last week’s episode where Cotto and his buddy Bryan Perez mentioned that they sleep in the same bed together. Mayweather pulled out some money and said he wanted Cotto to sleep comfortable because he’s going to make him uncomfortable.

Roger Mayweather says he’s sharper for this fight than for any fight except for maybe the Diego Corrales fight. Mayweather says something really interesting. He says that he thinks he has five fights left. His uncle says he’s fighting more accurately. Mayweather says it’s hard to fight accurately because he’s fighting all on PPV and it takes 6 months to build a fight, meaning he’s fighting sporadically and it’s hard to stay sharp when you’re not as active.

Cotto says he’s prepared for a tough 12 rounds. Mayweather gets his pupils dilated and can’t see well, but I guess he doesn’t have to see well to hit the speed bag.

The Verdict: There’s a neat juxtaposition of Floyd Mayweather. All we see is him clowning around. But the conversation with his uncle says that he might be close to his top level ever. I don’t get that with Cotto even though his trainer pretty much says the same thing. But all the trainer changes, even after his recent success says something. Cotto has a few constants in his life and he’s close to those people. Otherwise, he doesn’t seem to be close to many, including his new trainer. I’m more convinced today that Mayweather wins this fight. Maybe we’ll see something different next week.

Cotto and trainer Pedro Diaz are still getting used to each other. Diaz is a bit loud for Cotto’s taste and Diaz says that no one likes change.

Roger Mayweather says that it doesn’t matter who is in the corner. He can’t fight for him.

This is a very clowny version of Mayweather, talking on the phone while hitting the speed bag.

While Mayweather’s clowning, Cotto is contrasted as a family man who is takes everything seriously.

The story of May’s friendship with 50 Cent is that both are rich, 50 is a homebody and May gets him out of the house. And they go to arcades together. Contrast that against Bryan Perez’s relationship with Cotto which is much more brotherly. In fact, they still sleep in the same bed together like before Cotto was big time. Cotto and his father also helped Perez drop over 200 pounds by inspring him.

Mayweather says Cotto’s camp doesn’t have loyalty because he keeps changing trainers.

The Verdict: The first half was a throwaway, but the second half was about contrasting the fighters’ lifestyles. It wasn’t anything we haven’t seen before, but I’m sure it made Miguel Cotto a whole lot of new fans and made Mayweather as polarizing as ever.

Mayweather immediately starts by saying that 24/7 isn’t much without Mayweather. 50 Cent is next to him and nearly in the dark and says ratings are lower whenever Mayweather’s not involved. Mayweather says if he were HBO, he’d only give Cotto 10 minutes of air time.

Who didn’t love Cotto beating up Margarito? It was a great moment last year.

50 Cent says 1 day is too many to be in jail. He doesn’t think Floyd is thinking about it because the waiting is the worst part. He thinks that when Floyd gets back from jail it’s going to be interesting because being out of jail and going back to boxing and it’s going to be therapeutic for him. Leonard Ellerbie says that he knows the facts and we don’t, and Mayweather plead guilty to protect his family.

Floyd says Miguel Cotto is in there to mess him up and he has to do damage. He was built for boxing and loves the smell of the gloves.

Cotto trainer Pedro Diaz says that the Cotto team needs to understand that there’s no clock. It’s all work. He says that when Miguel lost to Margarito, he was in a complex situation, because he was thinking about why and all he wanted to do was show the world that he could beat him. When he did, Diaz told him the nightmare was over.

It’s kind of odd seeing 50 Cent, who was once the biggest recording artist in the US become a Mayweather hanger on. I’m sure they’re really good friends, but it’s still weird.

Mayweather says he won’t do another interview with Larry Merchant. It was interesting seeing the Victor Ortiz punch again. I still think Ortiz crumbled under the pressure and also that Mayweather probably took an extra early shot that was unnecessary. Doesn’t matter though. He was going to knock him out at some point in that fight.

Floyd Sr. is back! It wasn’t the most genuine of meetings, but Floyd Jr. gave his pops a small hug.

Cotto says he’s the last chapter of Mayweather’s career.

Verdict: This feels very much like the last few Mayweather fights, which is that it’s a Mayweather event. Cotto is the best guy Mayweather has faced, maybe ever, but it doesn’t feel that way based on the build so far. I hope we get to see a truly dedicated and silent killer in Cotto.

Floyd rents out Circus Circus for his family and friends.

When Victor trains and is able to throw hard shots, he looks like a killer. He doesn’t have to get out of the way of punches in training though.

Floyd is shown on Conan O’Brien. Floyd says he came in on a 40 minute jet ride and after the show, will go back on his jet and back to Las Vegas for training. Miss Jackie is interviewed about watching Mayweather and she shows a little bit of doubt in sort of an anything can happen kind of way. Chili would’ve never been afraid for Floyd.

It’s noticeable that Danny Garcia wants Ortiz to use his jab more. It’s the only way Ortiz will be able to offset Floyd’s rhythm. But Floyd took De La Hoya’s jab about and Oscar’s jab was much better than Victor’s.

There was a Larry Johnson sighting in Floyd’s gym!

Mayweather shows such respect for his uncle. It’s like the opposite of the respect he shows for his father. He says that Uncle Roger may be a little older and sick, but he still knows that boxing.

Ortiz isn’t a great trash talker and some of his confidence seems false. But he has to be confident. He can’t go into this fight without it.

Episode four was a solid way to end the series. I still don’t believe Ortiz is as confident as he acts. He needs to dig hard early on to break Floyd’s will.

Roger says Floyd is more than ready while Floyd sips on his Mountain Dew soda and hits the speed bag one-handed.

Ortiz shows up at a local block party on his time away from training. He’s also a celebrity ambassador for Big Brothers/Big Sisters. Ortiz’s favorite basketball team is the Boston Celtics. Um, how?

Both guys host public workouts with the media. It’s the most media that’s ever covered Ortiz. Floyd says he wishes his dad well. He also doesn’t like hearing about Ortiz’s story and says he had a tough childhood too.

Floyd trades his Bentley for another white Rolls Royce. Ray J (Brandy’s brother) comes over to play the piano and sing for Floyd.

Danny Garcia and his two sons watch video of Floyd’s fight against Ricky Hatton and they think he’s a dirty fighter and that his best shot is an elbow, while Victor’s best shot is everything.

Steve Forbes is brought in to spar with Victor to be a Mayweather mimic. He was De La Hoya’s last win, basically to be the same thing before his fight with Mayweather.

Mayweather has a Skype session with soldiers in Afghanistan. He gives them a tour of his mansion, losing connection a few times.

Victor took a day off from training even though the coaches didn’t want him to. They decide to go fishing. Ortiz has built up quite the disdain for Mayweather in these last two episodes.

This was the worst episode of the three as nothing really happened. One thing I really noticed was that Ortiz’s hand speed is crazy fast, but it might simply be him putting on the after burners for the cameras. His shot is using those fast hands to hit Mayweather with something solid. Otherwise, he might be tied up in knots.

It just hit me, Floyd Mayweather is fighting in two weeks.

Victor says Floyd talking to him is like talking to a tree. Nothing Floyd says to him, he hasn’t ever heard before. Victor was on the Piers Morgan Show and Oscar De La Hoya joined him. Victor tells Piers that fear doesn’t exist in his dojo, I mean, in his life. I think Victor just said that when he was 9 years old, he told himself that he was going to give Floyd his first loss. That would’ve been 1996 when Floyd was in the Olympics. I wonder if I misinterpreted what he said.

Victor’s trainer Danny Garcia said that when a trainer knows what he’s doing, his fighter won’t be overworked.

Oscar De La Hoya is doing some major psychology on Ortiz here. He said that it could be tough for Mayweather fighting at 34 with a 1 1/2 year lay off. And then he started criticizing his opponents like Hatton and Marquez, and even himself. Didn’t De La Hoya promote, or have a hand in promoting, all three fights? He said he was done by then, which would’ve been nice to tell the 2.4 million households who bought it. He also dismissed the Mosley fight, telling Victor that Floyd should be the underdog.

(I hate to say it, but Victor is done. This seemed to be a lecture about being confident. Victor must be out of his mind right now.)

Victor talks about seeing his dad and his dad being an asshole and because of it, Victor decided to change the ORTIZ tattoo on his back to something tribal.

They must’ve run out of stuff for this week because we saw what we’ve seen a bunch before: Floyd’s 1AM workout and him singing about his money.

Victor’s trainer changed from Robert Garcia to his brother Danny Garcia and the Garcia brothers don’t speak. The Ortiz brothers are the opposite.

Victor plays God and says that because Floyd burned $100, it shows Floyd’s ignorance and might show where his life is in the future. I think what he meant to say is that when he wins, Floyd could spiral downhill and his careless ways could get the best of him. Victor needs me to write his stuff.

Floyd says that he’s old enough to be Victor’s father so he’s going to “son” him. While running in the night, Floyd says “showing is better than telling” and says that he’s not a cheater and he earns his. I wonder if cheating part of that is a shot at Pacquiao or Ortiz?

At the end of the show, Victor shows off his speed bag skills and then tries to do Floyd’s deal of hitting the bag while looking at the camera, and mishits it. This boy is in trouble.

Mayweather says no athlete works harder than him, let alone any boxer.

The Ortiz brothers work together to get Victor ready. So it’s the Team Ortiz vs. Team Mayweather too. His brother Temo says that he and Victor were inseparable. Temo says that one day, his mother asked him what would happen if she left the boys. He said she would never leave. And then she left. And then, their dad left them and they had to fend for themselves for three years before going to a foster family.

Victor went to Buck Avila to train boxing and he was very emotional about it. They showed Buck’s wife so it looks like he’s passed.

50 Cent is back with Team Money. Floyd says there’s so many people on his team that he doesn’t know everyone’s name. Roger doesn’t believe in scouting Victor Ortiz. Floyd Sr. is back too. Floyd Sr. says he’s the motivator, innovator, creator of it all since 1971. He says blood is thicker than mud.

They show Ortiz and Maidana which was the fight that made Ortiz’s shining star dull a bit. It’s still bothering him. He won’t go back and re-watch it and acts like it never happened. They also showed his fight against Andre Berto, which helped him stop some of the naysayers. But not all of them.

Mayweather is in 6 pending legal cases. His attitude is “F’ it.” He says they’re all lies. He gets the best team that money could buy. And they show his fiance Miss Jackson. She’s very attractive. And she’s not Chili from TLC which saddens me.

Victor says he wants to be in it for the long haul. His trainer Danny Garcia is in his corner.

Floyd Sr. and Floyd Jr. are having an amazing argument. Floyd is shouting out his uncle as the better trainer and Floyd Sr. continues to say he’s better. Jr. says that Floyd Sr. isn’t even close to Uncle Roger. Floyd Sr. says that he left De La Hoya, but Floyd Jr. says that De La Hoya left him. Floyd Jr. says that Uncle Roger made him and Floyd Sr. disagreed. Floyd Jr. tried to kick pops out of the gym. Sr. told Jr. to put him out of his gym.

Holy crap. That was hard to watch. You always hope that they’ll be friendly with each other and hopefully before the fight, all will be better. While the problems are deeper than anything I can imagine, it sucks that the argument started because of whose gym was better. Floyd Jr. says he’s no junior.

After getting to Dallas, Margarito wanted a sweat and ran on the treadmill. After he was done, he took off his shirt and said that there wasn’t any steroids in his body and that he was all natural.

Freddie Roach doesn’t think Margarito will touch Pacquiao.

While Margarito flew first class, Pacquiao had his own chartered 747 from So. Cal to Dallas.

They show Bob Arum talking about his son who passed away while hiking after falling from the peak of a mountain. He said that Manny dedicated this fight to John, his son. He says that the fight has helped take his mind off the loss of his son.

Manny says he won’t be fighting for long because he has a new job and he wants to serve people. Roach says that this fight could be it unless Mayweather comes to the table and he doesn’t think he will.

They show Garcia’s apology for the leaked video of Margarito and Rios making fun of Roach’s Parkinsons, which made its rounds yesterday.

They both looked great in their weigh-in photos as well. Both look to be in tremendous shape.

Thoughts

This was the weakest of the episodes as the last one usually is. I thought they should’ve gone a bit deeper into Margarito and Rios making fun of Roach, but I’m guessing they didn’t have a lot of time. Want to make Margarito an even bigger heel, show the video and talk about.