By Bill Patrice Jones – Manny Pacquiao has made one of the most dramatic transitions in world boxing over the last two years. Floyd Mayweather for the wrong reasons has in many people’s eyes done the same. In terms of popularity, fan appeal and excitement Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao are moving in opposite directions fast. Ever since Floyd Mayweather’s retirement from boxing and comeback against Juan Manuel Marquez he has found an increasing number of writers, journalists and fans throwing hefty criticism at him for losing his edge. (The Notable example being Brian Kenny).
It’s hard to not get swept up in these tirades against Floyd, since he does himself no favours with his money talking bravado and flashy displays of arrogance. The general trend among boxing fans now is to think of Mayweather as an immensely talented fighter who has become so obsessed with his image and undefeated record that he no longer takes risks against legitimate welterweights.. Whilst Floyd’s stellar performances particularly at lightweight and light welterweight had the world in awe, ever since he has become a welterweight many feel he has not truly proven himself the best in the weight class. The names: Miguel Cotto, Paul Williams, Antonio Margarito and Shane Mosley are thrown in his direction. Though he did beat a one time Middleweight title challenger for the light middleweight championship, (closely out boxing Oscar De La Hoya) the list of great welterweights on his record is hardly impressive.
People put up with Floyd’s flashiness and over the top embrace of the superstar lifestyle while he was still proving himself in the eyes of most boxing fans. Somewhere between his last two fights, the constant issue of weight class and an inability to be involved in a truly great fight has seen his stock fall. While the issue of weight and opponents in recent bouts is important, one cannot help but think the absence of a classic fight to Mayweather’s name is the reason for antagonism. Larry Merchant famously asked Mayweather if he thought his shutout decision win over Carlos Baldomir (a far inferior fighter who had upset Zab Judah) was entertaining? Mayweather took instant offence and Merchant tried to explain himself by stressing the simple fact that people want to ‘see you in a great fight.’ Flash forward to the present day and Floyd has still not been in that ‘great fight’ we have been looking for.
The problem with Floyd Mayweather jr is what most fans want to see in boxing clashing with what he personally loves about boxing. Floyd has boasted all along about never being hit, staying out of trouble, remaining undefeated and retiring a multi millionaire without the slightest hint of brain damage. Given the terrible fate suffered by many fine fighters over the years solely because of unnecessary punishment there is a true virtue to what Mayweather preaches. Yet because no one seems able, or Mayweather chooses to fight no one able, of upsetting Floyd’s calm journey through the sport; frustration has grown! The truth as it so often is can be found somewhere between these two ideas. The fact is Floyd is the best ‘boxer’ of his generation and one of the most skilled professionals in years and at times his superb defence makes things look too easy. Yet conversely he has yet to face a legitimate top welterweight and his most recent two bouts were seriously tainted by the issue of weight in conjunction with the opponent. Floyd cannot fight men he is far better than and also force them to come up in weight. The Marquez fight was really a mismatch because it was almost impossible for an inferior boxer in a contest to beat someone 25 pounds heavier than him on fight night. What the fans really want to see is Floyd put his skills to the test against a much bigger and more dangerous opponent, the same way Sugar Ray Leonard did when he fought Marvin Hagler. Ironically although such a fight could never happen a match between Mayweather and current Middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik would in reality be more on the level than was the fight with Marquez. Mayweather is vastly superior to Pavlik but because of the size and power of the big middleweight tension would make the bout very interesting. Is is precisely this sort of tension which many of Floyd’s bouts has lacked.
If Floyd Mayweather has yet to be involved in that ‘great fight’ we want then Manny Pacquiao has done the exact opposite. The Filipino hero has elevated himself over the course of his last three fights to the status of almost mythic. There was a collective feeling of dread when he challenged the once 160lber Oscar De La Hoya at Welterweight. Everyone knew how fast and how unbelievably tough Pacquiao was, but surely De La Hoya was a suicide mission. Instead Oscar came in dangerously unhealthy and was blitzed by the phenomenal Pacquiao. Manny really was every inch the fighter Freddie Roach had told us he was. Yet Oscar’s obvious weight problem took something away from the victory. Next up was a legitimate and tough proven light welterweight Ricky Hatton. For all the talk which went on before and after the Hatton fight for the record Manny did something no other fighter on the planet could do. Yes perhaps Ricky was in over his head, yes he did fight a reckless fight but the fact is Hatton had mixed with world-class opposition for years and beaten many top fighters. No one but Roach foresaw what was to happen in those two rounds. Top pundits like Emmanuel Steward, Teddy Atlas and Bernard Hopkins had even picked Hatton to win. Most recently Pacquiao was seen thoroughly dismantling a proven and determined welterweight champion Miguel Cotto in a thrilling encounter. Miguel may not have been the fighter he was before the Margarito loss, but to see Pacquiao walk through his shots and eventually pursue a much bigger man around the ring relentlessly was spellbinding.
In his most recent interview with Britain’s sky sports Floyd Mayweather cast a relaxed but bitter figure as far as his legacy is concerned. It truly seemed as though he now believes he will never get the credit he deserves. He claims his thorough domination of opponents is so overwhelming people don’t like it, and that because he prides himself on never getting hurt other fans don’t buy into it. Yet make no mistake he still feels himself the greatest fighter on the planet without question. Will he fight Pacquiao? Could Pacquiao beat him? Floyd’s response was to say that ‘fans see what they wanna see.’ Could this be translated as meaning, the fans are blinded as to just how easily Floyd would beat Pacquiao if the two did meet? The fact is Floyd has everything to lose if he fights Pacquiao, but he is wrong if he thinks he has nothing to gain. Floyd bemoans the fact that since people hark on about him fighting no ‘legitimate welterweights’, a win over the Pacman would be discarded as a victory over a smaller man.
Could it be that Floyd is right? Would his size and skill advantage turn the Pacquiao fight into another unentertaining one sided contest? It does not really matter since Mayweather Pacquiao needs to happen whatever the potential result. There is just too much excitement for such a fight not to happen and if Floyd really does love his money above all else, then there is no where else he could make money like this.
Providing the Mayweather Pacquiao fight takes place at a fair weight between 144 and 147 (with no pre arranged agreements about not making weight) then the sheer force of will Pacquiao brings into the ring will inevitably cause Mayweather problems. Many fans think Pacquiao will be Mayweather’s worst nightmare: a smaller, faster, tougher and more determined fan favourite who could bring his house of cards crashing down! Personally I have seen how Pacquiao might temporarily disrupt Floyd but not how he could beat him over 12 rounds.
It is true fans see what they want to in boxing, and it is true Pacman fever will blind many people’s opinions about the fight if it does happen. Will Pacquiao Vs Mayweather see Floyd finally involved in that great fight? Well if the American wins then probably not, since a Mayweather victory would likely be in the end a comprehensive one. Yet would it help boost Mayweather’s image? Yes it will because it will put to bed once and for all the idea that there is a ‘better’ fighter than Mayweather out there, even if we know already that there is a more entertaining one.