by David P. Greisman
Floyd Mayweather Jr. flashed a smile, his top row of ivories glistening in the spotlight. His face, the face that had made the nickname “Pretty Boy Floyd” more than just a nod to the storied killer, was unmarked. His record, now 40 wins in 40 fights, remained unblemished.
And then Shane Mosley crashed the moment, succeeding in taking away Mayweather’s smile, striving to do the same to his face and his record.
Mayweather, his hands still wrapped after 12 rounds with Juan Manuel Marquez, after 290 punches to Marquez’s head and body, waved Mosley toward him, into the camera frame and the post-fight interview. That interview had spent just two minutes on the fight that just ended before turning the conversation to making the next fight begin.
A limp handshake led to a tense confrontation, fingers pointed, voices raised, bodies jostled. There was no need to linger on Mayweather-Marquez. It was a squash match with the sole intention of driving the storyline to the next encounter, the next opponent. Mosley inserted himself, thickening the plot, creating a post-fight angle and turning talk away from Mayweather-Marquez and toward Mayweather-Mosley.
It was a page straight out of the wrestling handbook. It was fitting. Mayweather has an outsized personality that landed him appearances on World Wrestling Entertainment programming. And Mayweather’s appearances in WWE led to him being accompanied to the ring Saturday by one of wrestling’s outsized personas, the muscular mound of machismo known as Triple H.
At times within WWE storylines, Triple H has been called the “Cerebral Assassin,” a wrestler who combined mental acuity with physical ability.
Against Marquez, as against so many who had come before, Mayweather used his smarts to pick his opponent apart.
One judge gave Mayweather all 12 rounds. A second judge gave Mayweather all but one round. The third gave Mayweather all but two.
The first judge was right; Marquez was never in the fight.
Marquez, despite his skills and pedigree, was the underdog for good reason. He was a great smaller man not only challenging a great bigger man, but challenging a great bigger man who was stronger and, most importantly, quicker.
At featherweight, where Marquez held a world title, at junior lightweight, where Marquez was a world titlist again, and at lightweight, where Marquez became a champion, he had been both hittable and victorious. Earlier this year, he had been rocked in the early rounds by Juan Diaz before coming back to score the technical knockout. That he had done so was a testament to his toughness and his craft. He could withstand the onslaught and adjust, throwing the right shots at the right time.
Diaz has never been a fighter known for his power. Mayweather would have heavier hands, thrown faster and placed better. And his defense is as good as his offense.
After stopping Diaz, Marquez called out Mayweather, who at the time was still claiming to be retired. Marquez either truly believed he could beat Mayweather, or he wanted to test his pound-for-pound talent against the man who had long been atop the pound-for-pound list.
Marquez and Mayweather agreed on a weight limit of 144 pounds, a catch-weight that fell within the welterweight limit. Marquez would be rising two divisions; Mayweather, always in shape, would need to cut a few pounds.
One presumed.
Mayweather’s camp contacted Marquez’s a few days before the fight, asking for the contract to be changed. Mayweather was going to come in above 144 pounds. Under the original contract, if he were to be at 146, he would owe 10 percent, or $1 million, of his guaranteed $10 million payday. If he were to weigh in at 147, that amount would jump to 20 percent, or $2 million.
Much of that money would go to the Nevada State Athletic Commission. Marquez agreed to a change in contract, and in exchange, he would get $300,000 for every pound over 144 at which Mayweather came in.
Mayweather tipped the scales at 146 pounds, meaning Marquez got $600,000. Marquez weighed 142 pounds.
Their fight was a day away. On fight night, Marquez had unofficially gained six pounds. Mayweather did not allow himself to be weighed again. He looked more muscular, more natural for the weight.
From the outset of the fight, Mayweather looked confident, comfortable and in control.
Marquez, meanwhile, was wary at times, wild at others.
Mayweather stood in front of Marquez. Sometimes he would jab to the body to keep him at a distance. Sometimes he would jab to the head to tempt Marquez to return fire with right-hand counters. And sometimes he would step forward with a left hook. Marquez would drop his right hand just slightly, ready to counter, leaving himself open for the shot.
It was such a left hook that scored the fight’s only knockdown, putting Marquez on his back halfway into the second round. Marquez got up at four, his eyes wide, catching his breath and recapturing his wits. Mayweather came back in. He stepped in. A left hook landed. He stepped back. He stepped in. A left hook was blocked. He stepped back. He jabbed to the body, then stepped in. A left hook landed.
Marquez was never close enough to Mayweather. Mayweather could take a step back before returning, simple but effective footwork. Marquez either had to lunge forward or force awkward, ineffective punches in the rare moments when Mayweather was within range.
Marquez landed just 69 of 583 punches, a paltry 12 percent connect rate. He never landed more than eight shots in a round. He averaged fewer than six landed punches per three minutes. Of those, just four power punches landed per round. Those in the crowd who came to support Marquez were so desperate to find something to cheer for that they did so even when Mayweather blocked shots or made Marquez miss.
Any solid connects didn’t provide much cause for optimism; Mayweather laughed them off, and for once a fighter truly seemed to be laughing a punch off rather than indicating that he was hurt.
Mayweather was expertly effective, hitting Marquez with 59 percent of what he threw, be it a jab or a power punch. His connect rate only dipped below 50 percent twice; he was 15 of 31, or 48 percent, in round three, and 16 of 39, or 41 percent, in round eight.
It was a whitewash.
In wrestling, it would have been a squash match, but the type of squash match in which the heel has a pin but picks up his opponent’s shoulders before the count of three so as to prolong the punishment.
One got the feeling that Mayweather could have disposed of Marquez at any time but chose not to do so.
Perhaps he carried Marquez out of respect for the one opponent in years that Mayweather had not constantly torn down and taunted in the pre-fight promotion. Or perhaps he carried Marquez because a 12-round decision victory could actually look better than an early knockout.
Most saw Marquez as too small, as not having a chance. Mayweather putting Marquez away promptly would only prove them right, giving fuel to those who argue that Mayweather chooses his opponents carefully so as to ensure that his undefeated record remains intact.
But Marquez went the distance, and Mayweather could compliment his opponent, an attempt to head off the criticism that he couldn’t stop someone who appeared to be so obviously outmatched.
“He’s tough as nails,” Mayweather said of Marquez. “He’s one hell of a fighter.”
And then the post-fight interview moved in a different direction.
“There is another truly great fighter here tonight who’s your size,” said HBO analyst Max Kellerman. “ ‘Sugar’ Shane Mosley. What [is] the possibility that we see that fight in the near future?”
Like a wrestling storyline general manager introducing a champion’s next challenger, Kellerman spoke Mosley’s name, and, just like that, Mosley was in the ring.
“Shane Mosley is one hell of a fighter,” Mayweather said, looking toward Kellerman. “I don’t take that away from Shane. … I’m not scared of Shane Mosley. I’m not scared of no fighter.”
Mosley leaned toward the microphone, leaning in mere inches away from Mayweather. Their first staredown.
“We just want to get it on, that’s all,” Mosley said. “The fans want to see a great fight. Me and ‘Money’ Mayweather. Let’s get this on. Let’s do it.”
Mosley has not fought since January, when he knocked out Antonio Margarito to become the top welterweight fighter. Since then, he has repeatedly called out other fighters, to no avail. Words from a distance weren’t doing him any good. He turned to actions, up close and personal.
Antonio Tarver had once crashed a Roy Jones Jr. press conference, goading that got him a fight. Mosley tried to do the same, and the normally reserved fighter had back-up from one of boxing’s biggest talkers, former middleweight and light heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins.
Hopkins disrupted. Mayweather ended up agitated.
“I don’t come up here and interrupt you when you’re doing your interviews,” Mayweather said. “Don’t disrespect me. Respect me as a man.”
A line in the sand. A face-off. The introduction of a conflict producing the need for a resolution.
Mayweather-Marquez was the first of two major welterweight pay-per-views scheduled for the final half of 2009, the second being the November bout between Miguel Cotto and Manny Pacquiao. Mayweather-Marquez and Cotto-Pacquiao are seen as an unofficial tournament, with the winners potentially facing each other, receiving riches at the expense of Mosley.
But Mayweather does not want to deal with his former promoter, Bob Arum, who also promotes Cotto and Pacquiao. And Pacquiao has driven a hard bargain in negotiations for his previous two fights, nearly canceling bouts with Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton. Could both Mayweather and Pacquiao ever have their egos placated when deciding who would get paid what?
The post-fight angle is in place. Now the angle need only come full circle, with Mayweather and Mosley sharing the ring once again.
The 10 Count
1. Not the best night for judging in Las Vegas for the fights aired on Saturday’s pay-per-view.
First, Mike Fitzgerald saw Vicente Escobedo beating Michael Katsidis, 116-112 eight rounds to four. He was definitely in the minority. The other two judges had the lightweight bout 116-112 and 118-110 for Katsidis. I had it 119-109 for Katsidis, noting a couple of close swing rounds that would’ve made 117-111 Katsidis a defensible scorecard.
It wasn’t that Katsidis was landing that much more often than Escobedo. But Katsidis was clearly landing the harder and better shots.
Then, in the rematch between featherweight titlist Chris John and Rocky Juarez, judge Glen Hamada had a curious tally: 114-113 for John. The other two judges saw the bout far more clear-cut for John: 119-109 and 117-111. I had it 118-110.
John landed an average of 22 punches per round, with about 16 of those per round being power shots. Juarez landed an average of 10 punches per round, with about six of those per round being power shots.
Juarez didn’t have John in trouble until the final moments of the bout. Don’t know how Hamada saw Juarez getting the better of John in five rounds (with, presumably, a 10-8 score for the 12th round).
Finally, the main event ended with Floyd Mayweather Jr. the wide victor over Juan Manuel Marquez. I, like Burt Clements, had Mayweather winning by shutout, 120-107. I’d love to know how Dave Moretti and William Lerch found one and two rounds, respectively, to give to Marquez.
2. Heck, I’d love to know how Moretti and Lerch found a single minute for Marquez.
3. So, did the Internal Revenue Service get money from Floyd Mayweather Jr., or not?
David Mayo, The Grand Rapids (Mich.) Press, 9/17/09, 12:50 a.m.: “The executive director of the Nevada Athletic Commission said Wednesday that an agreement is in place between Floyd Mayweather and the Internal Revenue Service to settle a sizeable tax lien against the Grand Rapids boxer.”
David Mayo, The Grand Rapids (Mich.) Press, 9/17/09, 8:30 p.m.: “Floyd Mayweather's purse for Saturday's bout against Juan Manuel Marquez will not face any tax levy and he will be paid in full, the top regulatory official in Nevada boxing said Thursday.”
Fair enough, but does that mean Mayweather was to be paid in full and je would then pay the IRS? Or did he no longer owe the IRS $6.17 million in unpaid taxes from 2007?
Public records show an IRS lien release (as compared to an IRS lien notice) dated Aug. 27. Specifics were not available, however, as the Clark County, Nev., Web site was not showing documents online.
Mayweather has paid off IRS liens before, paying nearly $6.3 million in unpaid taxes from 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2006.
4. Not that the Mayweather’s IRS liens were the only financial news last week involving the man who calls himself “Money.”
JP Morgan Chase Bank filed a lawsuit against Mayweather earlier this month alleging that he defaulted on a car loan, owing the bank more than $167,000, according to the Las Vegas Sun. Mayweather had borrowed $415,695 toward the $512,184 Mercedes Maybach 57S. It is beyond me why a multimillionaire would need to borrow that money, and why said multimillionaire would agree to a 6-year loan with a 16 percent interest rate.
The bank repossessed the vehicle in January.
Mayweather told David Mayo of the aforementioned Grand Rapids Press that he brought the Maybach to a dealer for resale and gave the dealer money to cover the rest of the balance owed.
“Today I found out that he never got rid of the cars,” Mayweather was quoted as saying. “I guess he pocketed the money.”
And, according to the TMZ tabloid Web site, a law firm in Las Vegas sued Mayweather last week for $10,000 (plus interest and legal costs), alleging nonpayment for legal real estate work.
5. Did Mayweather tempt fate?
Here’s what he said Aug. 29, bragging about his financial well-being on the first episode of HBO’s “Mayweather-Marquez 24/7”:
“We got the Big Boy Mansion. We got Lambos. We got Rolls-Royces. We got a lot of stuff. but guess what the difference between me and everybody else. My shit’s paid for. What about yours?”
6. Not that Mayweather is the only future Hall of Fame boxer in the news for alleged financial issues.
The IRS has a pair of liens against Julio Cesar Chavez, one for more than $12.4 million for income taxes due from between 1993 and 1998, the other for more than $366,000 for income taxes due from 1999, according to The Detroit News (via BoxingScene’s own Mark Vester).
Does this mean we’ll soon see Julio Cesar Chavez come back to face Juan Manuel Marquez?
7. Boxers Behaving Badly: Former junior-welterweight prospect Freddie Cadena has been sentenced to 13 years in prison for killing a man who was dating the mother of Cadena’s children, according to New Jersey newspaper The Record.
Cadena, 32, will not be eligible for parole until 2020. He pleaded guilty earlier this year to a charge of aggravated manslaughter. Cadena and the man got in an argument in Paterson, N.J., behind a nightclub where the man, a DJ, was hosting a party. Cadena punched the man, who fell to the ground. Cadena ran away. The man was found bleeding, taken to the hospital and died nine days later.
Cadena turned pro in 1999, rattling off 15 straight victories, 10 by way of knockout, before suffering his first loss, a sixth-round technical knockout against Jesse Feliciano. That was Cadena’s last pro fight; the newspaper says Cadena suffered seizures following that bout.
8. Boxers Behaving Badly update: Famed junior-welterweight warrior Micky Ward has been acquitted of assault and battery, a charge that stemmed from an alleged May 2008 fight with his wife’s stepfather, according to the Lowell (Mass.) Sun.
A family feud culminated with Ward, now 43, allegedly punching said in-law twice, breaking his nose, splitting his lip and knocking out several of his teeth. Ward had said he hit the man with a “left” and a “hook” while defending himself.
Though Ward never captured a title, his extended career at 140 pounds included numerous fan-friendly wars. His last left hooks to the liver came during the famed trilogy with Arturo Gatti, three consecutive bouts that took place over 2002 and 2003. Ward won the first, but dropped the second and third. He retired afterward with a record of 38 wins, 13 losses and 27 victories by way of knockout.
9. For those of you too caught-up in the build-up to Mayweather-Marquez, there was an excellent “ShoBox: The New Generation” card on Showtime this past Friday.
On the surface, it might not have looked like much: Chris Avalos, an unbeaten bantamweight prospect, faced 13-7-4 Giovanni Caro in the co-feature, and undefeated heavyweight prospect Travis Kauffman went against a 15-1-1 big man from New England named Tony Grano.
“ShoBox” may not have the name recognition of a “Boxing After Dark” card on HBO, but the philosophy that made “B.A.D.” so good remains. Take fighters and pair them up with tough opponents. It is combustible matchmaking designed to deliver entertainment.
Caro was actually beating Avalos through three rounds. But then Avalos landed a single right hand. Caro went down and stayed there.
Kauffman-Grano also ended in the fourth. Kauffman had Grano hurt, but then Grano hit Kauffman low. Soon afterward, Grano lost his mouthpiece.
Grano, having mimicked Felix Trinidad (against Fernando Vargas) and Diego Corrales (against Jose Luis Castillo), bought himself enough time to recover, rally back and stop Kauffman.
10. Felix Trinidad. Diego Corrales. Tony Grano.
Sing along with me, class: “One of these things is not like the others.”
David P. Greisman is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. His weekly column, “Fighting Words,” appears every Monday on BoxingScene.com. He may be reached for questions and comments at fightingwords1@gmail.com
