By Rick Reeno
Floyd Mayweather Jr. is convinced that his critics are showing favoritism to his pound-for-pound rival, Manny Pacquiao. Mayweather returns on Saturday night to challenge Victor Ortiz for the WBC welterweight title at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. He believes there is a clear double standard when it comes to his career, and the career of Pacquiao.
Thoughts on Critics Attacking His Wins
I said I was going up to 154 and I was going to be champion. I said I was going to 147 and I was going to be champion. They said 'this guy is too small,' at that particular time. But now I'm fighting guys and they say 'this guy is too big.' Come Saturday night they are going to say 'Mayweather had too much experience.' I'm in my 30's and I fight a guy in his 30's and they say 'that guy is too old' but I'm not too old. I'm always in a no-win situation. All I can do is continue to go out there and keep winning over and over again.
They say the best [Shane] Mosley had ever looked was against Antonio Margarito. When I fought Genaro Hernandez, they said he had too much experience for me and I was moving too quick. I beat him and then I fought the next best guy, at 130 at that particular time, Angel Manfredy. And then I beat Manfredy. And then I fought Diego [Corrales] and I beat him. Then I went to 135 and beat [Jose Luis] Castillo. They said the victory wasn't good enough so I beat him again. They said 'well you didn't knock him out' but I still beat him. The list goes on and on.
Thoughts on Pacquiao's Wins Over Common Opponents
Mosley took a couple of losses but nobody has ever dominated him like I dominated him. I fought Mosley after his most impressive victory, Antonio Margarito. But Margarito takes two years off and he fights [Pacquiao] and they say 'oh, that was so amazing.' But when I fight [Oscar] De La Hoya at 154, the weight that he chose. And at the weigh-in, they can gain as much weight as they want to gain. I don't get no clause in my contract saying 'you know what, a guy has to weigh 145-pounds and after that it's $3 million dollars a pound' so he can't gain a certain amount of weight. So when the fighter goes into a fight, he's already a beaten fighter.
They say, 'okay Miguel Cotto was beaten by Antonio Margarito' so we'll throw him the leftovers. Beat him when he's undefeated. I'm beating these guys when they give them to me. When I was with [Top Rank CEO Bob] Arum, he kept Cotto away from me because he knew eventually I would be sharp enough to be my own boss and do business and cut the middleman out.
Thoughts on American Fans Not Showing Enough Support
If I do make it rain, I'm throwing money to the American citizens in a recession. A guy comes over to our country, which is America, makes money in our country, and then takes it back to his country to feed his people. And they say this guy who's has been beating and dominating for 16 years is scared of a guy. The proof is in the pudding.