Tweet
Prodigiously skilled athletes like Philadelphia Eagles’ wide receiver Terrell Owens and new WBC super lightweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr., are occasionally in possession of confidence so overwhelming that it can be construed as hubris, arrogance that easily agitates and perturbs.
In the case of Mayweather, who beat Arturo Gatti this past Saturday at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, his successful sixth round technical knockout of one of the most popular boxers in the sport served as public justification of his brashness. Over the eighteen minutes he spent utterly destroying the man known as a "Blood and Guts Warrior" and a "Human Highlight Film". Mayweather provided an exhibition for why he has spent much of his professional career near the top of pundits' pound-for-pound lists.
This week's edition of Fighting Words focuses on this past weekend's Gatti/Mayweather pay-per-view, as I speculate about the futures of both the victor and his victim. Inside The 10 Count, I will comment about Vivian Harris' loss to Carlos Maussa, Calvin Brock's "work" fight against Kenny Craven, Ivan Calderon, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and other news from this past week.
Lightning Strikes, Thunder Crashes
Not that a creative marketing angle was needed, but the promoters behind this event decided that with Gatti's nickname being "Thunder," it would be witty to advertise the night as a battle between Mayweather's speed and Gatti's power, "Thunder vs. Lightning."
Mayweather stepped up to the table in selling the fight, doing enough trash talking to make a professional wrestler proud, and implying that lightning strikes, while thunder just makes noise.
In a virtual wipeout that was already a mismatch by the end of the second round, Mayweather landed at will with combinations, dodged whatever Gatti threw his way and countered with fast hooks that led to further punishment.
Gatti's trainer Buddy McGirt, who nearly stepped into the ring to stop the fight during the ninth round of Gatti's first meeting with Micky Ward but thought better of it, was wise and properly protective in stopping the bout after the sixth round.
Mayweather was potshotting Gatti at will, and as the bell rang at the halfway point, Arturo stumbled in the direction of his corner, his eyes closed, his body damaged, unable to find exactly where he needed to go nor fully able to travel there.
Gatti was destroyed in the fashion that Mayweather promised, and the nerve that "Pretty Boy" Floyd showed in being carried to the ring by gladiators to the tune of Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust" had been backed up by action.
The crowd, favorable to Jersey City resident Gatti, had of course booed Mayweather's entrance, only to be silenced by the whiz kid from Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Now that the match is over, Floyd has triumphed in his first pay-per-view event, and although his ability to fill an arena is still questionable, his skills between the ropes have been showcased. While he may still be a villain in the eyes of many, he may now be respected, watched, and perhaps properly paid as he receives fights with the best challenges at 140 and 147.
[details]
In the case of Mayweather, who beat Arturo Gatti this past Saturday at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, his successful sixth round technical knockout of one of the most popular boxers in the sport served as public justification of his brashness. Over the eighteen minutes he spent utterly destroying the man known as a "Blood and Guts Warrior" and a "Human Highlight Film". Mayweather provided an exhibition for why he has spent much of his professional career near the top of pundits' pound-for-pound lists.
This week's edition of Fighting Words focuses on this past weekend's Gatti/Mayweather pay-per-view, as I speculate about the futures of both the victor and his victim. Inside The 10 Count, I will comment about Vivian Harris' loss to Carlos Maussa, Calvin Brock's "work" fight against Kenny Craven, Ivan Calderon, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and other news from this past week.
Lightning Strikes, Thunder Crashes
Not that a creative marketing angle was needed, but the promoters behind this event decided that with Gatti's nickname being "Thunder," it would be witty to advertise the night as a battle between Mayweather's speed and Gatti's power, "Thunder vs. Lightning."
Mayweather stepped up to the table in selling the fight, doing enough trash talking to make a professional wrestler proud, and implying that lightning strikes, while thunder just makes noise.
In a virtual wipeout that was already a mismatch by the end of the second round, Mayweather landed at will with combinations, dodged whatever Gatti threw his way and countered with fast hooks that led to further punishment.
Gatti's trainer Buddy McGirt, who nearly stepped into the ring to stop the fight during the ninth round of Gatti's first meeting with Micky Ward but thought better of it, was wise and properly protective in stopping the bout after the sixth round.
Mayweather was potshotting Gatti at will, and as the bell rang at the halfway point, Arturo stumbled in the direction of his corner, his eyes closed, his body damaged, unable to find exactly where he needed to go nor fully able to travel there.
Gatti was destroyed in the fashion that Mayweather promised, and the nerve that "Pretty Boy" Floyd showed in being carried to the ring by gladiators to the tune of Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust" had been backed up by action.
The crowd, favorable to Jersey City resident Gatti, had of course booed Mayweather's entrance, only to be silenced by the whiz kid from Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Now that the match is over, Floyd has triumphed in his first pay-per-view event, and although his ability to fill an arena is still questionable, his skills between the ropes have been showcased. While he may still be a villain in the eyes of many, he may now be respected, watched, and perhaps properly paid as he receives fights with the best challenges at 140 and 147.
[details]