At a record of 41-0 with nine world championships in five different weight classes, defeating names such as Oscar De La Hoya, Diego Corrales and now Shane Mosley even stepping out of his element into the wrestling ring to face a 7'1'' 500lbs giant, and being ranked Ring magazine's #1 pound for pound fighter in the world in 2008 before his 21 month leave from the sport Floyd "Money" Mayweather is now looking like the fighter that most people may have not thought they would see him as.
Floyd Mayweather's skill level and talent in the ring has stood alone in the sport of boxing for a long time, make no mistake about it Floyd has dominated everyone he's stepped in the ring with either with his blazing speed, out of this world conditioning, or just brilliant boxing knowledge, many people call his fights boring, I call them clinics. But now my stance on Floyd Mayweather is starting to shift slightly, For the record I am a HUGE fan of his and like him against almost anyone, but I call myself the "sports realist" for a reason and to be 100% honest Floyd Mayweather is ducking the inevitable fight with Manny Paquiao. Yes, Floyd is ducking Manny. The people who called themselves the greatest(Ali, Tyson, Hopkins, Joe Lewis etc) backed that up against anyone who dared to challenge or question otherwise.
Floyd wants to be put in the same class as these fighters but has yet to accept that one fight that would clearly put him over the top. I understand the drug testing and I back that, get the sport clean and make sure that the fighters that you're fighting are clean, that's a good thing. He took on Shane Mosley and put on the most dominating performance in his career, but months before that fight Floyd was quoted as saying on HBO's Joe Buck live "I don't understand why people would be excited about Manny Pacquiao, because Manny Pacquiao has been knocked out before" and now after the second chance of negotiations for the mega fight fall through we are left to wonder why. It's no longer the blood testing because Manny Pacquiao has agreed to any form of blood testing that Mayweather wants to have, it maybe money but because money has never been a major issue to Manny and because this fight looks to pull in more money than any of the fighters have seen in any other fight, I'm almost sure they can come to a compromise.
The fact is that Floyd doesn't want to lose, but to be honest there is nowhere else for these fighters to go. Manny has accepted an November fight against Antonio Margarito but that doesn't look to be as interesting as watching paint dry, and Floyd has yet to accept a fight but there are people for him to fight he can go up against the young undefeated star Andre Berto who no one seems to want to fight, take a page out of Pacquiao's book and fight Miguel Cotto, or wait until Manny is done with this Margarito business and pick up talks again but if they fall through again I don't know where there is for them to go. Manny maybe to fight Shane Mosley and Floyd to fight one of the fighters I just mentioned. Ali fought every he was asked to, as did Tyson, Hopkins etc, the longer Floyd puts this fight off the more and more people can say that he never wanted it in the first place.
im a huge mayweather fan and have been since i started following boxing. ive never seen a fighter so technically proficient. i agree that his fights are not boring but a perfect example of the sweet science. i will admit that mayweather may be ducking paquio. i dont like to admit it but its a very valid point. i personally think he could beat manny. i was watching this post fight interview with de la hoya after mayweather beat mosley and oscar said that not only would mayweather beat paquio but it would be easy for him. what do u think. heres the link to the vid i was talking about
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzjkVNxpSok
Mayweather is a coward, no other way to say it.... This guy has made a career of ducking the most dangerous fighters in the sport and nothing has changed. I don't know too many people who actually thought Mayweather would fight Manny. Mayweather cares about 2 things. Flashing his money and running his mouth.
ReplyDeleteHe knows better than anyone that Pacquiao would beat the s--t out of him and because of that, he wants no part of this fight. He never did.
he'll take 15% less money and fight guys who are 5 years past their prime before he actually takes a risk at losing a fight to a guy in his prime like Manny..
Most people knew that Mayweather has been scared to fight the best for his whole career. Why would he take a fight with Pacquaio when he knows that he'd lose?
I agree with two points that both of you have made. Ted, I agree that Floyd would beat Manny and it would be easy Mayweather is alot more fundamental than Pacqiuao is and it would show in the ring. While Manny maybe a better brawler in the ring a great boxer beats a great brawler all the time. But Floyd in his last fight took a shot from Shane Mosley that would have put another man down and out, yet it made Floyd upset and embarrassed because it was the first time Floyd had ever been hurt in a fight. Floyd definitely knows that if he takes that same shot from Manny his streak maybe over.
ReplyDeleteLawrence, I do agree with you that he fought both Mosley and De La Hoya after their prime but that was it everyone else was in their prime and all of them asked for Floyd. Diego Corrales, Arturo Gatti, Zab Zudah and so on all asked for that fight. Aswell as Oscar and Shane, you can't blame him for the fighters they put in front of him.
But I do agree that his rep is what makes him, and if he doesn't have that his claim to being "the greatest" holds nothing.