By Lyle Fitzsimmons - The news that pound-for-pound elitist Floyd Mayweather Jr. would be spending three months behind bars – deservedly so, by the way – didn’t exactly get 2012 off to an ideal boxing start.
After all, when his plea deal mandated lock-up on Jan. 6, any fleeting hopes that the early May date he’d reserved in Vegas would result in a showdown with Manny Pacquiao went up in litigious smoke.
But while many are already writing off the year as another in which the sport’s most anticipated and potentially lucrative superfight didn’t happen… I’m not willing to throw in the towel just yet.
For May? Yes, indeed.
But forever? No way.
In fact, count me among those who not only believe Mayweather will be out of jail by Easter, but expect him to be in the ring – albeit against a less-ominous, non-Filipino foe – at the MGM Grand come May 5.
And once he dispatches a Peter McNeely-type springtime stand-in, sign me up for Valhalla in the fall.
The match between the world’s two best fighters will be the $75 pay-per-view cherry on what should be another solid in-ring year – replete with big performances from rising superstars, main-stage veterans and heretofore unknown quan****** that’ll make the most of long-awaited opportunities.
For an advance look at who’ll cop year-end hardware 12 months from now, read on as we open the envelope for 2012’s FitzHitz and Misses. [Click Here To Read More]
After all, when his plea deal mandated lock-up on Jan. 6, any fleeting hopes that the early May date he’d reserved in Vegas would result in a showdown with Manny Pacquiao went up in litigious smoke.
But while many are already writing off the year as another in which the sport’s most anticipated and potentially lucrative superfight didn’t happen… I’m not willing to throw in the towel just yet.
For May? Yes, indeed.
But forever? No way.
In fact, count me among those who not only believe Mayweather will be out of jail by Easter, but expect him to be in the ring – albeit against a less-ominous, non-Filipino foe – at the MGM Grand come May 5.
And once he dispatches a Peter McNeely-type springtime stand-in, sign me up for Valhalla in the fall.
The match between the world’s two best fighters will be the $75 pay-per-view cherry on what should be another solid in-ring year – replete with big performances from rising superstars, main-stage veterans and heretofore unknown quan****** that’ll make the most of long-awaited opportunities.
For an advance look at who’ll cop year-end hardware 12 months from now, read on as we open the envelope for 2012’s FitzHitz and Misses. [Click Here To Read More]
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