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With a camera in front of him and the satellite feed live, Floyd Mayweather turned away from his interviewer and said, “Larry Merchant is just a commentator. He don’t know nothing about boxing.”
With that harsh dismissal of Merchant – who was standing adjacent holding a microphone – Mayweather sought to diminish Merchant’s credentials while extolling his own, but in attempting to do so he degraded himself, the media and – worst of all – the fans.
Floyd Mayweather does indeed know boxing – growing up in the Mayweather family of fighters ensured that, but Floyd’s combination of incredible work ethic and astonishing skills give him an even greater authority on both the sweet and the science. He has captured titles in four weight classes, compiled an impressive 37-0 record and established himself as a pound-for-pound claimant with victories over men like Genaro Hernandez, Diego Corrales, Jesus Chavez and Jose Luis Castillo. For over 10 years, his fists have spoken for themselves.
If only they’d do all the talking for him.
Professional athletes have a right to be brash, filled with the sort of self-promotional self-confidence so integral to success. Floyd Mayweather can place himself on the level of Sugar Ray Robinson all he wants, no matter how much Hall of Fame trainer Emanuel Steward disagrees, because Mayweather’s version of history isn’t necessarily the prevailing opinion.
And “Pretty Boy Floyd” can get upset when Larry Merchant questions him critically following Mayweather’s easy outpointing of now-former welterweight champion Carlos Baldomir, a victory achieved via Mayweather’s excellent boxing skills and despite an injured and possibly broken right hand. At times, Merchant prefers prolonged excitement over practiced expertise, a two-person brawl over a one-sided boxing match – but then again, so do most fans. [details]
With that harsh dismissal of Merchant – who was standing adjacent holding a microphone – Mayweather sought to diminish Merchant’s credentials while extolling his own, but in attempting to do so he degraded himself, the media and – worst of all – the fans.
Floyd Mayweather does indeed know boxing – growing up in the Mayweather family of fighters ensured that, but Floyd’s combination of incredible work ethic and astonishing skills give him an even greater authority on both the sweet and the science. He has captured titles in four weight classes, compiled an impressive 37-0 record and established himself as a pound-for-pound claimant with victories over men like Genaro Hernandez, Diego Corrales, Jesus Chavez and Jose Luis Castillo. For over 10 years, his fists have spoken for themselves.
If only they’d do all the talking for him.
Professional athletes have a right to be brash, filled with the sort of self-promotional self-confidence so integral to success. Floyd Mayweather can place himself on the level of Sugar Ray Robinson all he wants, no matter how much Hall of Fame trainer Emanuel Steward disagrees, because Mayweather’s version of history isn’t necessarily the prevailing opinion.
And “Pretty Boy Floyd” can get upset when Larry Merchant questions him critically following Mayweather’s easy outpointing of now-former welterweight champion Carlos Baldomir, a victory achieved via Mayweather’s excellent boxing skills and despite an injured and possibly broken right hand. At times, Merchant prefers prolonged excitement over practiced expertise, a two-person brawl over a one-sided boxing match – but then again, so do most fans. [details]
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