Holyfield: “If they want Floyd to win, he’ll win. If they want Manny to win, he’ll win”

By Vitali Shaposhnikov - 01/15/2015 - Comments

Whether its stamina, strength, or experience, the boxing match-ups provide boxing fans with general debatable attributes and abilities for a discussion, and possibly argument in favor of their favorite fighter.

The same goes for the much anticipated Mayweather Jr. vs. Pacquiao scenario.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. fans are confident that their fighter will come out victorious due to his exceptional ring I.Q., ability to adapt during a bout, and of course his speed and style. Floyd fans argue that being a sharpshooter, Mayweather Jr. does well against opponents that throw high volume of shots, which Pacquiao’s style is all about.

Manny’s fans on the other hand, have no doubt that Pacquiao’s speed and freight train style will trample Mayweather Jr., leaving him on the run from round to round, ultimately getting caught and hitting the canvas. They argue that Floyd simply doesn’t have the power to knock Pacquiao down, giving Manny the ability to keep pressing Floyd until his Philly style defense break down.

The question of who will win seems to ultimately depend on who the boxing fans favor. But that doesn’t include all boxing fans, because one fan has a different, a more professional and experience based opinion.

“Boxing chooses who boxing wants to win. That’s just how it is. Generally, it’s a pick ‘em fight. But if they want Floyd to win, he’ll win. If they want Manny to win, he’ll win,” stated Evander Holyfield in a recent interview with Atlanta Blackstar.

It seems as though Holyfield is implying that if it comes to a decision at the end of the fight, the declared victor will be based on someone’s specific want for either one to win. Who is ‘they’? Evander is making it seem that the winner might be chosen based on someone’s personal preference. Is that someone a group of people, favoring one fighter versus the other?

“It’s a big risk because you know what the game of boxing is. The game of boxing is one of those things where if they don’t want Mayweather to win they just won’t give it to him. He realizes that. And (then his) record is gone down the drain. I don’t think he’s afraid. He recognizes that in boxing, people do what they want to do. And they just say, ‘You lost.’ They cheat people. Who hasn’t been cheated (in boxing)?” concluded Holyfield.

To me that was a very bold statement from a heavyweight boxing legend. It looks like Evander has already decided for himself that if Mayweather Jr. vs. Pacquiao fight comes to fruition, there will be some degree of cheating involved in the final decision, unless of course a knockout gets in the way. Thus if the fight ends in a close decision, the winner and the loser might already be determined by someone making the call.

Is this just an interview rant, or does Evander Holyfield know something about the fight game’s inner works that the general boxing community doesn’t?

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