CBS Sports:No way to sugarcoat this: MAYWEATHER FEARS PACQUIAO

[freedom213]

No way to sugarcoat this: Mayweather fears Pacquiao
July 30, 2010
By Mike Freeman
CBSSports.com National Columnist





He is possibly the best pure athlete today. Yet, despite his great physical prowess, he looks scared. He looks like a frightened man.

Floyd Mayweather usually appears gorged with bravado and his perpetually functioning ego can power a thousand cities, but these days his courage could seemingly fit neatly into a pair of a girl's dancing slippers as he continues to dodge Manny Pacquiao.

There's no other way to say this. Mayweather has a chance, directly in front of him, to make grand history. He can shut up doubters, display true mastery and etch his place into boxing lore by staging one of the great sporting events of all time. Instead of running to this opportunity, he's scurrying away from it.


Over the last several days I've had conversations with various people within boxing and no one understands why Mayweather is avoiding Pacquiao. His tactics outside the ring are as dumbfounding as they are in it.

What many in boxing believe is that Mayweather is nervous about Pacquiao and Mayweather is also enjoying his fame a little too much.

Mayweather is becoming Strayweather, a fighter more concerned about the arid glitter of celebrity than fighting the best possible opponent. He's a ship at sea and doesn't seem to care that there are numerous ports in sight.

The closest thing to a pseudo-defense of Mayweather I'm hearing is that ducking Pacquiao is part of an elaborate plan by Mayweather to increase interest -- and subsequently the money -- surrounding the fight. That, of course, would not be atypical Mayweather behavior. No one plays the media and boxing public for bigger dupes than him.

Yet the overall opinion in boxing seems to be Mayweather's concern is Pacquiao's smart brutality is an even match for his skilled quickness.

Who are we to say that a man who fights for a living is, well, afraid to fight? But Mayweather is leaving even his most strident supporters speechless with his recent game of running.

The irony is I think Mayweather would win and it wouldn't be as close as some believe. Mayweather's hand speed is still daunting and though Pacquiao is a solid boxer, he's mostly a slugger. Pacquiao is red-fanged but Mayweather would out-technique him. Apparently, I have more faith in Mayweather than Mayweather does.

Mayweather's refusal to fight Pacquiao runs contrary to everything we know about professional athletes. Imagine the New Orleans Saints getting to the Super Bowl but refusing to play Indianapolis because they feared the Colts? Or Kobe Bryant not wanting to beat LeBron James? Or Mary Ann thinking she wasn't prettier than Ginger?

What Mayweather is doing remains one of the most unusual stories in sports today. It trumps Pitino, T.O. and almost all other summer silliness because we're seeing an elite athlete refuse to be great.

Most in boxing thought we'd have a fight set by now, particularly after Pacquiao reportedly agreed to more stringent performance enhancing drug testing. There have been charges and counter charges about who is ducking who, but it's clear now that Mayweather is the one doing the running.

Pacquiao has moved on and will fight someone else in the fall while Strayweather runs in the opposite direction.

Many of history's great fighters didn't duck other greats or if they did, they didn't for long. Sugar Ray Robinson had 200 fights, sometimes with numerous fights in one year. Mayweather is proving more the exception to this rule.

Mayweather is also proving to be something I never thought I'd see.

Scared.


http://www.cbssports.com/columns/sto...fears-pacquiao

why are writers refusing to acknowledge that Pac isnt agreeing to the terms Mayweather wants for the fight?

both true statements maybe it will motivate Mayweather to step up instead of going on vacation.....

[Ragnar Lothbrok]

More bull**** from people who don't follow boxing and have no freaking clue what they are talking about. Did this clown write a column in January saying that Pac was afraid of Mayweather after he turned the fight down. No! His stupid ass said, just like everyone else, that Mayweather didn't want the fight. If Floyd didn't want the fight, he simply would have said so and never engaged in negotiations. Instead, he offered a compromise that Pac turned down. Now, Mayweather is afraid of Pac because he didn't take Arum's ridiculous offer. Pac is fighting bums and absolutely nothing is said. Mayweather turns down a bad offer for whatever reason and he is afraid of Pac. Bull****! No-way-to-sugar-coat-this-this-writer-is-an-idiot-who-doesn't-know-a-damn-thing-about-boxing-or-Floyd-Mayweather.

why do floyd fans label anybody who has something bad to say about floyd as "they dont really know boxing"?

how the ****k do you know how much boxing knowledge a person knows or doesnt know? especially sports writers who get paid to watch sports for a living.

All yall clowns doing is putting ya ugly ass toe in ya mouth. Cause when Floyd fight and beat him, all of yall aint gonna have nothin to say. So I advise you to stop talking ****

***** motto:

woulda, coulda, shoulda


I understand *****,


floyd is the greatest fantasy figther. he beats any all time great in history.....


in fantasy fights.

[hugh grant]

PBF is scared to fight and is ruining his legacy. He was on level pegging with DLH legacy wise, but dlh didnt duck fight fights.
So PBF is destined to be below DLH for now.

[Mr. Ryan]

why are writers refusing to acknowledge that Pac isnt agreeing to the terms Mayweather wants for the fight?

CBS has a high standard for fact-checking. I'm sure they understand what they are saying.

[Ragnar Lothbrok]

CBS has a high standard for fact-checking. I'm sure they understand what they are saying.

what dont you get about what the *****s are trying to tell us?


cbs doesnt understand sports & boxing. its that plain & simple for *****s.

[SmoothMon]

CBS has a high standard for fact-checking. I'm sure they understand what they are saying.

Manny Pacquaio is FORCED to fight cheating ass margarito..? Theres no one else he could fight!? No one?! I call bull****. Its both their faults. Roach said waaay before the cotto fight the wont fight Floyd till after November. Floyds definetly acting like a lil girl, but Mannys not so innocent

[Talisayen]

All yall clowns doing is putting ya ugly ass toe in ya mouth. Cause when Floyd fight and beat him, all of yall aint gonna have nothin to say. So I advise you to stop talking ****

How in the hell can Floyd beat Pacquiao if he's too scared to fight him.

[Ragnar Lothbrok]

How in the hell can Floyd beat Pacquiao if he's too scared to fight him.

floyd is the greatest fantasy fighter ever. he beats any all time great in hypothetical fantasy match ups.


no need to actually fight them in real life.