Breakdown of how Floyd Ducked Margarito....

http://www.*************.com/columns/its-now-official-floyd-is-scared-of-margarito/ In light of all the recent Mayweather ducked Margarito threads, i figured i post this to clear a few things up. In the summer of 2006, Antonio Margarito confronted Floyd Mayweather in Las Vegas at a press conference and asked the self-proclaimed best fighter in history about a fight together and why Floyd was ducking and dodging Bob Arum’s hefty offers to box him. Floyd, face quivering, said the fight didn’t make business sense at the time and that in the future he would fight Margarito, “You get your shot, you get your shot,” promised Mayweather. Sitting in a chair looking up at Margarito, Floyd reached out to hold Margarito’s hand, as if the handshake on top of his word bound the promise as a deal. Mano a Mano, Floyd was promising Margarito a future fight. (See www.youtube.com “Margarito confronts Mayweather.”) But now we know it was a lie and Floyd is a liar. HBO is said to be very interested in making Mayweather vs. Margarito for 2008 or early 2009 but a source fairly close to Mayweather has said, on the record, Floyd vs. Margarito “will never happen. Never.” Of course, it comes as no surprise to many boxing followers who are keen on Mayweather’s perpetual ducking and dodging of tough fights despite his contradictory and misleading public statements. Case in point, see how Mayweather vilified Margarito in the media… “I don’t know who (Margarito) is.” “Margarito would be easy work. If Bob shows me the money, I’ll fight anybody anywhere. If it makes dollars it makes sense.” “(Margarito is) levels below me. I’ll punish him for being on the level he is. I’ll punish him for disrespecting my team.” “Bob Arum is the greatest promoter in history. I love Bob Arum. I love HBO.” “My team calls all the shots out of the ring, I call them in the ring.” “Maybe I can fight Margarito next - if I pick his name out of the hat.” “Who has Margarito beaten to deserve a shot at me? Once he beat two or three big names then we’ll fight.” “Me and Margarito, we’re not fighting to prove to the boxing fans who the best is.” “I don’t duck or dodge anybody.” “But you got to realize this: I’m an A level, I’m an A level opponent, Oscar De La Hoya’s an A level, Floyd Mayweather’s an A level, I mean Margarito is a, he got D level fighters. He had Bob Arum, he got D level fighters. You know without, be honest, without Floyd Mayweather or Oscar De La Hoya, I mean, what is Top Rank, honestly?” “I mean, the fight with Henry Bruseles - somebody had to give him a chance. You know, everybody gives, I mean, how will we ever know how good a person is till you give them a chance? Somebody had to give him that chance. So I gave him that chance.” “Who is Margarito? He don’t bring shit to the table.” “Like I said before, I grabbed boxing fans and asked who is this guy (Margarito) and they didn’t even know who he was.” “Like I said before I beat Margarito’s ass any day of the week. If this is the fight the fans want to see so be it. Margarito don’t dictate what I do. Don’t no one know who Margarito is.” “I have more respect for Genaro Hernandez than anybody. Because that was the start of everything. He gave me a chance. I have more respect for Genaro Hernandez than any fighter. Anybody that gives me a chance I have respect for.” “Margarito - he’s an average fighter. Why would I be scared of him?” “You know me I’m running my mouth a lot and I’m looking for a guy to shut me up. If you don’t shut me up I’m going to keep running my mouth. Nobody can beat me, there is no way to beat me.” “I know when someone is tailor-made for me, that I will punish.” “I want to beat the best out there and whoever is considered the top fighters of my era.” “I don’t really want to talk about this guy (Margarito). Because I see things that Bob Arum does that don’t make any sense. He says I’m the best fighter in the business, I’m the best fighter since Muhammad Ali. But then he’s talking about me ducking and dodging a fighter. He kicks me out of his boxing gym, then he wants me to fight his fighter (Margarito). How can you talk about doing future business with me if you’re conducting yourself with disorderly conduct?” “It’s a smart business decision to not fight you now but we will down the road.” (Floyd said this to Margarito’s face while holding his hand, after Margarito confronted him at the Mayorga-De La Hoya press conference in May.) (Judah’s) already beaten. He’s beat mentally. I just have to do the physical part. I beat every fighter mentally before I beat him physically. There is no on stronger than me mentally.” “I’m not in the game for just the money, I’m in the game to be a legend. And give the fans and media all around the world exciting fights.” “(To the media after defeating Carlos Baldomir in Nov.) I love the sport. One more fight and I’m through. I don’t need boxing. I’m not in it for the money. It’s about legacy. I’m rich and I’ve accomplished what I want.” “They talk about Floyd Mayweather duckin’ and dodgin’ opponents. Listen. I’m trying to fight the number one guy. If the number one guy can’t fight, then I’m fightin’ the number two guy. If I can’t fight number two, I’m fighting number three.” “I just dish out ass whoopin’s.” “From 154 on down I tear everyone’s ass up.” “I don’t know who Paul Williams is. But I hear he’s a pretty good young fighter.” Leonard Ellerbe: “Margarito has four losses, why should we fight a guy with four losses?” (A few months later Mayweather signed to fight 35-year-old Carlos Baldomir, who had NINE losses.) So after all those denigrating words about Margarito, now we learn that Floyd will not keep his word and will “never” fight Margarito. For well over two years it’s been suspected by a few that Mayweather was scared and frightened of Antonio Margarito. But the Floyd-loyalists refused to accept it, No man who steps in those ropes is afraid. Floyd just be waiting for it to be a big money fight. Etc. Well, it’s a fact now. Even Roger Mayweather can’t hide or deny the truth any longer. Floyd is flat-out scared, 100% fearful of the knockout beating he will endure at the hands of Margarito. Those boxing skills are guided by a man without the heart or the courage to test those skills against a relentless ferocious brute force like Antonio Margarito. Margarito is so fearsome, Mayweather will not fight him, it’s non-negotiable. No price is high enough, nothing in the world is going to persuade Floyd to make the fight boxing fans, the media and HBO want to see most of all. And that will be the legacy of Mayweather, a talented boxer, a multiple title-holder who ducked and dodged and feared to face the most formidable challenges of his career. As for the inevitable comeback of Mayweather against another handpicked safe opponent, any TV network would be foolishly mistaken to pay this manufactured fraud anything close to what he demands. Negotiations should be simple, Floyd you take what we offer you. You have no leverage after so openly avoiding Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito. Your market value has severely depreciated. There just is no public demand to see Floyd face anyone now but Margarito, the man he once vilified in the media. Oscar vs. Floyd is just a set-up exhibition between two men who fear Margarito. What would Oscar vs. Floyd II be billed as? How about “The Battle of the Chickens.” Personally, I think Mayweather and his ducking ways should be banned from boxing. His lousy fights against handpicked opposition give boxing a bad name and if permitted to continue could do even more irreparable damage. MMA is too entertaining an option now for boxing fans to give their time and hard-earned dollars to. At this important time in boxing history, Boxing must give the fans real, competitive intriguing fights. And garbage fights like Oscar vs. Floyd II should not even be considered let alone offered to the public as first-class, five-star sporting entertainment. If Mayweather can’t find the courage or motivation to face the greatest challenge of his career, let him stay in hiding I mean retirement.