Mayweather and the Neglected Warning Signs

Floyd Mayweather Jr.By Ted Sares:…All the money. All the promise. It’s all meaningless now. But back when Valero was alive and at his peak, it meant everything to him and his inner circle. In which case, something or someone should have helped him. It’s all hindsight now, of course, but regardless, we can only learn and hope that there are people in place that will prevent such a tragedy to occur again. — Gina L. Caliboso

When the news about a fighter’s personal and domestic problems begin to equal his ring exploits, that’s when things can go downhill rapidly. That’s when someone needs to step in. Paraphrasing astute writer Paul Magno, “…that’s when things can take a turn for the worse, when the steering wheel starts to veer toward the curb and a crash is imminent.”

Case in point: The late Edwin Valero (27-0.).

At some point in Valero’s amazing career, the warning signs began to emerge and then the headlines about them began to equal the headlines about his extraordinary boxing exploits. The warnings were manifest, but they were ignored. Where was his entourage when his addiction spun him out of control? Where was his extended family? Why wasn’t he kept in rehab long enough to rehab him? Where were the Venezuelan Authorities?

Could anything have been done to prevent the tragedy? Yes, of course, if the warnings had been heeded. Perhaps issues arising from his early dysfunctional life, the brain injury, a notable short fuse and anger issue tracking back to his days in Japan, and a documented substance abuse problem coalesced to contribute to Valero’s tragic end. But whatever the cause, He and his wife, Jennifer Carolina Viera, are gone now and we can only pray for those left behind including their children eight year old Edwin Junior and Rosalina who is five. The collateral damage caused by this tragedy will continue to be devastating.

Floyd Mayweather, Junior
It looks to me like Mayweather has nobody that he really listens to, respects enough to listen to.
–Bob Arum

In the United States, a person is presumed innocent until proven otherwise and until he or she is granted due process (Ei incumbit probatio qui dicit, non qui negat) . That said, I firmly submit that five- division world champion Floyd Mayweather Junior (41-0) falls within these presumptions. More to the point, I am not ready to join those who have rushed to judgment in their sanctimonious “rage.”

However, though clearly unlike the nature of Edwin Valero’s cascading and horrific issues, the recent headlines surrounding Floyd’s out-of-the ring activities have been hardly encouraging and have flashed warning signs like a broken traffic street light. Floyd needs better, mentoring and counseling from his closest advisers and he needs it now while the issuess are out there. His path continues to rapidly move in the wrong direction. Where there is smoke, there are usually smoldering cinders, but hopefully Floyd will get through his legal issues and be exonerated of the growing list of charges alleged against him (which now include several felony charges and several misdemeanor chargers as well as civil claims). The latest is a misdemeanor battery charge after he allegedly poked a security officer in the face late last year. Now, Floyd reportedly is being sued by his Home Owner’s Association, which alleges that the boxer’s temper issues have become a threat to his gated Las Vegas community and the people who work there.

But meanwhile and whatever the case, he owes it to himself and to his fans to get back in the ring and do what he does best, because that will be the only way to change his direction. And doing what he does best is repeatedly engaging in “uncivil, hostile, harassing, and threatening behavior, and participating in battery and violence”—IN THE RING-and only in the ring.

While Floyd may no longer be at the absolute peak of his earning power and popularity, the certainly has mega fights out there and the fans will gladly pay to watch them.
Hopefully, it’s not too late. We will soon find out.