Tweet
After nearly twenty years as a pro, with a 47-0(26) record, titles in 5 weight classes and simultaneously holding the RING welterweight and junior middleweight titles, who can argue with Floyd Mayweather's greatness? His accomplishments speak for themselves. Anyone looking at a boxing record book cannot deny that his resume is as impressive as it gets. Just look at all the names- Diego Corrales, Arturo Gatti, Shane Mosley, Marcos Maidana(twice), Jose Luis Castillo(twice), Zab Judah, Miguel Cotto, Canelo Alvarez, Juan Manuel Marquez, Ricky Hatton, Robert Guerrero, Victor Ortiz, Oscar De La Hoya, Jesus Chavez, Carlos Hernandez. All former world champions and all name fighters. You have to give him his due.
But those accomplishments are only inside the ring. Floyd knows that inside the ring is only part of the fight.
Mayweather knows and acknowledges that being the best is about being the smartest. He beat all those guys. He won all those titles. He picked his opponents at the right times that while in no way would it ensure him a victory, did place himself in the best position for a win. Now some might say this could be smart, but others can argue that any fighter calling himself the best should be willing to fight any fighter regardless of timing, place, concessions, glove size or any other factor.
But in Floyd's mind, those people are chumps.
Floyd believes he is the best of all time based on not just his skills in the ring, but his skills outside the ring as well. He says this over and over in interviews. He did catch Alvarez early. He did weigh a little more for Marquez and paid the fine. He did fight Cotto after Pacquiao abused him. He did beat a used up Gatti who still offered a name on the resume. But so what? Boxing is a dirty business. How can a boxing fan afford to be naïve?
Now, couple all those accomplishments with his undefeated record. It's not the longest unbeaten streak. Julio Cesar Chavez, Sr., Willie Pep, Sugar Ray Robinson, Ricardo Lopez among other had longer unbeaten stretches in their careers when it came to numbers. But nearly twenty years in the sport without a loss or even a draw? Now that is really something. Folks who haven't watched him fight in a while can say "How's that Mayweather doing?" "He's still unbeaten." "Damn, man. He was unbeaten ten years ago when I saw him!" Obviously this long-staying power has lots of significance. And why shouldn't it?
Mayweather has positioned himself to a tee to be the man to beat. He has made all the right moving outside the ring WHEN IT COMES TO BOXING. Obviously hitting his wife, sleeping with other people's wives and failing to learn how to read makes him seem like not such a nice guy most of us would want as their neighbor. But even those things paint him as the bad guy who people want to see lose. And hey, villains sell plain and simple.
So out of all this, comes a monopoly. The "0" is the secret to his power- as long as no one gets the "W" over him, he maintains his status and any naysayers can be met with "But who beat him?" This is the career he has designed and he has done it well.
Now, his career is smart in every way. But smart is not everything. Many fans would rather watch many other fighters. They don't have the long-term "0" but they do engage more and make for more exciting fights. Mayweather I am sure thinks they are morons for doing so. Why not give yourself every advantage? The answer is simple.
A fighter at heart is a warrior. No true warrior goes into a battle with every assurance he will win. A true warrior goes in knowing he could very well lose- maybe even that all the odds are stacked against him. Only then does he get to really shine. He might lose, but what if he does not? Ah, then what does he get from fans? Respect! Oodles and oodles or respect! Does Mayweather get as much respect? Not as much as his resume should indicate. Why?
Because there is something everyone hates about a monster. Do people shop at Wal-Mart? Definitely. Do we all respect Wal-Mart and love going there? Definitely not. Do we pay to see a Mayweather fight, swear no to and then order the next one to see him lose? Many of us whether we admit it or not. So yes, he and Wal-Mart both win despite any complaining.
Another example would be communist Russia. It truly had a monopoly on Eastern Europe. Sure the people who lived there complained but what did they do? Nothing. When the Iron curtain finally did fall, did things change? Did they get better? Absolutely. When Mayweather retires will boxing get better? No one can know for sure, but when he gets paid 30 mil for a fight and his opponent makes 1 mil, I definitely call that a monster, a monopoly and corporatism at it's ugliest.
Mayweather will rematch Cotto if nothing else to add to his belts- The RING 147, 154 and 160 all at once? Unheard of! And the monster will go on. If you want fighters who fear no other fighter and are willing to prove it, don't look for that quality here. Mayweather has proven he is too smart and good to ever think that way.
But in the end, where is the heart?
But those accomplishments are only inside the ring. Floyd knows that inside the ring is only part of the fight.
Mayweather knows and acknowledges that being the best is about being the smartest. He beat all those guys. He won all those titles. He picked his opponents at the right times that while in no way would it ensure him a victory, did place himself in the best position for a win. Now some might say this could be smart, but others can argue that any fighter calling himself the best should be willing to fight any fighter regardless of timing, place, concessions, glove size or any other factor.
But in Floyd's mind, those people are chumps.
Floyd believes he is the best of all time based on not just his skills in the ring, but his skills outside the ring as well. He says this over and over in interviews. He did catch Alvarez early. He did weigh a little more for Marquez and paid the fine. He did fight Cotto after Pacquiao abused him. He did beat a used up Gatti who still offered a name on the resume. But so what? Boxing is a dirty business. How can a boxing fan afford to be naïve?
Now, couple all those accomplishments with his undefeated record. It's not the longest unbeaten streak. Julio Cesar Chavez, Sr., Willie Pep, Sugar Ray Robinson, Ricardo Lopez among other had longer unbeaten stretches in their careers when it came to numbers. But nearly twenty years in the sport without a loss or even a draw? Now that is really something. Folks who haven't watched him fight in a while can say "How's that Mayweather doing?" "He's still unbeaten." "Damn, man. He was unbeaten ten years ago when I saw him!" Obviously this long-staying power has lots of significance. And why shouldn't it?
Mayweather has positioned himself to a tee to be the man to beat. He has made all the right moving outside the ring WHEN IT COMES TO BOXING. Obviously hitting his wife, sleeping with other people's wives and failing to learn how to read makes him seem like not such a nice guy most of us would want as their neighbor. But even those things paint him as the bad guy who people want to see lose. And hey, villains sell plain and simple.
So out of all this, comes a monopoly. The "0" is the secret to his power- as long as no one gets the "W" over him, he maintains his status and any naysayers can be met with "But who beat him?" This is the career he has designed and he has done it well.
Now, his career is smart in every way. But smart is not everything. Many fans would rather watch many other fighters. They don't have the long-term "0" but they do engage more and make for more exciting fights. Mayweather I am sure thinks they are morons for doing so. Why not give yourself every advantage? The answer is simple.
A fighter at heart is a warrior. No true warrior goes into a battle with every assurance he will win. A true warrior goes in knowing he could very well lose- maybe even that all the odds are stacked against him. Only then does he get to really shine. He might lose, but what if he does not? Ah, then what does he get from fans? Respect! Oodles and oodles or respect! Does Mayweather get as much respect? Not as much as his resume should indicate. Why?
Because there is something everyone hates about a monster. Do people shop at Wal-Mart? Definitely. Do we all respect Wal-Mart and love going there? Definitely not. Do we pay to see a Mayweather fight, swear no to and then order the next one to see him lose? Many of us whether we admit it or not. So yes, he and Wal-Mart both win despite any complaining.
Another example would be communist Russia. It truly had a monopoly on Eastern Europe. Sure the people who lived there complained but what did they do? Nothing. When the Iron curtain finally did fall, did things change? Did they get better? Absolutely. When Mayweather retires will boxing get better? No one can know for sure, but when he gets paid 30 mil for a fight and his opponent makes 1 mil, I definitely call that a monster, a monopoly and corporatism at it's ugliest.
Mayweather will rematch Cotto if nothing else to add to his belts- The RING 147, 154 and 160 all at once? Unheard of! And the monster will go on. If you want fighters who fear no other fighter and are willing to prove it, don't look for that quality here. Mayweather has proven he is too smart and good to ever think that way.
But in the end, where is the heart?
Comment