02.11.06 – By Scoop Malinowski: Floyd Mayweather has already given us over a dozen excuses and reasons to not fight Antonio Margarito for the last eight months. Now Floyd has created yet another.
Speaking with David Mayo of the Grand Rapids Press, Mayweather seems to have learned it’s the smartest and safest policy to just ignore Margarito when confronted with a question about battling his apparent bogeyman. “I don’t really want to talk about this guy (Margarito),” said Mayweather this week. “Because I see certain things that Bob Arum does that don’t make any sense. He says I’m the best fighter in the business, I’m the best fighter since Muhammad Ali. But then he’s talking about me ducking and dodging a fighter. He kicks me out of his boxing gym, then wants me to fight his fighter. How can you do talk about doing future business with me if you’re conducting yourself with disorderly conduct? He’s a grumpy old man.”
So Floyd says he doesn’t want to go to war with Margarito or do business with Arum because Arum is conducting himself disorderly? Yeah, right. Bob Arum is guilty of nothing but only trying to produce a fight which Floyd himself has said many times would be “easy work” and that he’d “punish” Margarito for being on such a lower skill level than himself.
If you recall, Floyd was loudly proclaiming Arum to be the greatest promoter of all-time earlier this year. But when Arum tried to make Floyd fight Margarito three times by offering him a career high $8 million plus PPV upside, Arum suddenly fell out of his good graces. I guess you’re only the best promoter to Floyd if you protect him with million dollar safe legacy fights against 35-year-olds with nine losses, and MOST IMPORTANTLY you don’t try to force him to fight certain fighters LIKE ANTONIO MARGARITO who can brutally knock him out in front of the whole wide world.
This is all just another lame excuse from a marvelously talented but mysteriously hesitant and reluctant fighter who doesn’t seem to have the courage to fight or even commit to fighting Antonio Margarito in the near future.
Ask yourself: If Floyd really wanted to stick it to Bob Arum wouldn’t he just sign the $8 million contract, make easy work of the allegedly hyped-up Margarito and be done with it?
What’s the hold up? What’s the stall? Why the hesitation, Floyd? What is the real reason (or excuse) for avoiding Antonio Margarito?
You already told us… 1.) Your hand hurt and you couldn’t fight Margarito in August but you could fight Oscar in September. 2.) Who is Margarito? 3.) He don’t bring shit to the table. 4.) If Bob shows me the money I’ll fight anybody anywhere, just bring me the money Bob. If it makes dollars it makes sense. 5.) I don’t call the shots out of the ring my team does, I call the shots in the ring. 6.) Margarito’s resume isn’t good enough for him to deserve a fight with me. 7.) I still might fight Margarito in November if I pick his name out of the hat. 8.) It’s a smart business decision to not fight you now but we will down the road, I promise you. 9.) Margarito has four losses why should I fight a guy with four losses? 10.) Me and Margarito, we’re not fighting to prove to the boxing fans who the best is (youtube video of Floyd stuttering). 11.) I’ll fight whoever the fans want me to fight, I want to make the biggest fights possible. 12.) “I’m looking for a household name. I mean, he’s a household, we need two household names.” 13.) “Floyd Mayweather’s an A level, Margarito’s D level.” 14.) “No come on. We got to realize this. 25,000 homes? If that. And then that’s, and that’s giving them the benefit of the doubt. And I mean he’s supposed to be a Hispanic fighter with Hispanic fans. So I mean, come on man.” 15.) “It’s about making smart decisions that’s gonna move me up a notch, move me up levels.” 16.) “Like I said before, I grabbed boxing fans and asked who is this guy (Margarito) and they didn’t even know who he was.”
But you know who he is Floyd. You know Margarito is a vicious, relentless, unstoppable wrecking machine who has set his fury and passion on destroying you. You know, Floyd, that Margarito has no respect for you and all your bullshit double talk. You know, Floyd, Margarito is 100% confident he will leave you knocked out like Roy Jones. And for some reason you don’t want to face it. You can’t face that kind of adversity. Not when you can just duck it and blame it all on Arum.
Admit it, Floyd, you’re only human like the rest of us. You don’t know if you can handle Margarito. You don’t know if you can survive against Margarito. Something about this man’s presence frightens you, give you the shivers. You have doubts, you have a little fear – that’s natural – and you know Margarito is well aware of it. Is that it Floyd?
Don’t even try to tell us it’s Bob Arum’s fault as the reason you don’t want to mess with Margarito. We’re not buying it.
Words of Wisdom: “I wouldn’t have been as good as I am unless I had those (two) losses. The losses give you the character to become a true champion. That proves that you are a true champion – to be able to come back from a loss. Realize your mistake, adjust and come back and win.” — Lennox Lewis.