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When watching Mayweather it's apparent that he possesses amazing talent. It's a type of talent that comes along once in a generation, if that. The problem with Mayweather is he seems so content with mediocre opponents.
Roy Jones had a similar stature. He had amazing speed-- especially for a middleweight-- and great power (unlike Mayweather, one punch KO power when he wanted it, though he was more of a beat them and drop them type of fighter). Mayweather possesses similar qualities. He has blinding handspeed, and decent power: He just KO'ed Mitchell with a bodyshot, and TKO'ed Gatti while beating his face to a bloody pulp. But, like Roy Jones, he seems to be content fighting nobodies and shot fighters. (And yes, I do realize that Roy has some good names on his resume, especially at lightheavy, but you have to face the facts that he didn't fight some of the biggest names out there, and instead was content to fight part-time fighters-full-time cops.) Some of them are solid fighters, but not what a great fighter should be looking for; as he said, to be great, you have to fight the best. Well, where are they, Floyd?
Since defeating Jose Luis Castillo in 2002, three years ago, he has fought no-names, shot fighters, and one neverwas in Aturo Gatti. His title fight at Jr. Welterweight against, perhaps, the easiest opponent of the bunch was his last. He did not try to make fights with Ricky Hatton, or Miguel Cotto, and if he did, he priced himself way out of them. He's looked for fights way above 140, going as far as 154 to look for Winky Wright; however, he still has unfinished business at Jr. Welter. He has yet to beat any of the top contenders in that division, yet he's already gone up in weight. Why? Is there really more money in fighting Zab Judah than Ricky Hatton? Hatton seems to be the fight most wanted by fans of Mayweather-- and Hatton, for that matter.
So why has he run off? Why, instead of taking a good fight in even Miguel Cotto did he take a fight with a shot Sharmba Mitchell? He claims he wants to be great, but where is the effort to do so? Being an Olympic gold medalist who has three name fighters on his undefeated resume means little in the world of greatness. Fighting the Phillip N'Dou's and Henry Bruseles of the boxing world does not make you a great fighter, it makes you someone scared to take a real challenge, especially when there are several waiting for you.
What is the obstacle facing Mayweather and greatness, though? In short, his ego. He has this delusional idea that he is somehow an in demand fighter because of his mega-fight (purely in terms of money), and now he prices himself out of other big fights, demanding a 60-40 split as if he's the one people want to see. He's not the draw in the fight, so where does he get off demanding more money? His ego is far too large for himself, and his greatness.
Will Mayweather ever start to fight big fights, or will he continue on with his streak of mediocrity? Only time will really tell, but maybe soon we'll all see what Mayweather is really capable of in the ring against an opponent with a real pulse.
Roy Jones had a similar stature. He had amazing speed-- especially for a middleweight-- and great power (unlike Mayweather, one punch KO power when he wanted it, though he was more of a beat them and drop them type of fighter). Mayweather possesses similar qualities. He has blinding handspeed, and decent power: He just KO'ed Mitchell with a bodyshot, and TKO'ed Gatti while beating his face to a bloody pulp. But, like Roy Jones, he seems to be content fighting nobodies and shot fighters. (And yes, I do realize that Roy has some good names on his resume, especially at lightheavy, but you have to face the facts that he didn't fight some of the biggest names out there, and instead was content to fight part-time fighters-full-time cops.) Some of them are solid fighters, but not what a great fighter should be looking for; as he said, to be great, you have to fight the best. Well, where are they, Floyd?
Since defeating Jose Luis Castillo in 2002, three years ago, he has fought no-names, shot fighters, and one neverwas in Aturo Gatti. His title fight at Jr. Welterweight against, perhaps, the easiest opponent of the bunch was his last. He did not try to make fights with Ricky Hatton, or Miguel Cotto, and if he did, he priced himself way out of them. He's looked for fights way above 140, going as far as 154 to look for Winky Wright; however, he still has unfinished business at Jr. Welter. He has yet to beat any of the top contenders in that division, yet he's already gone up in weight. Why? Is there really more money in fighting Zab Judah than Ricky Hatton? Hatton seems to be the fight most wanted by fans of Mayweather-- and Hatton, for that matter.
So why has he run off? Why, instead of taking a good fight in even Miguel Cotto did he take a fight with a shot Sharmba Mitchell? He claims he wants to be great, but where is the effort to do so? Being an Olympic gold medalist who has three name fighters on his undefeated resume means little in the world of greatness. Fighting the Phillip N'Dou's and Henry Bruseles of the boxing world does not make you a great fighter, it makes you someone scared to take a real challenge, especially when there are several waiting for you.
What is the obstacle facing Mayweather and greatness, though? In short, his ego. He has this delusional idea that he is somehow an in demand fighter because of his mega-fight (purely in terms of money), and now he prices himself out of other big fights, demanding a 60-40 split as if he's the one people want to see. He's not the draw in the fight, so where does he get off demanding more money? His ego is far too large for himself, and his greatness.
Will Mayweather ever start to fight big fights, or will he continue on with his streak of mediocrity? Only time will really tell, but maybe soon we'll all see what Mayweather is really capable of in the ring against an opponent with a real pulse.
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