Why Won’t Mayweather Jr. Fight the Very Best? – Boxing
August 1st, 2009
By Richard Bailey: Before I get started, let me just say that I don’t disagree with the fact that Floyd was the pound for pound king, because he definitely was. I just never could understand why his opponents weren’t the best in the latter part of his career as they were in the beginning? His speed and class, and the way he made fights look so easy made you either have a love or hate opinion of him. His victories at Super Featherweight made us all assume he would fight anyone.
Gregorio Varges soon followed Hernandez into his pile of victims by the way of a unanimous decision. Then his big fight with the late Diego Corrales, a fellow undefeated fighter who had never been knocked down. Mayweather made him look silly, knocking him down 3 times in the seventh and twice in the tenth before a tenth round TKO, when Corrales’s corner stepped in to stop the fight.
Then came Carlos Hernandez followed by future two weight world champion Jesus Chavez. All of Mayweather’s fights in Super Featherweight were brilliant, and so he finally moved up to Lightweight, to challenge Jose Luis Castillo for the World Boxing Council lightweight title. For the first time we saw an uncomfortable Floyd Mayweather Jr fighting. He didn’t seem to like the way Castillo was cutting off the ring and wearing him down with his size advantage, but like a great champion he adjusted to the style and grinded out a unanimous points win.
Although some felt he should have lost he offered Castillo a re-match straight away and this time there was no confusion, as Floyd dominated with his footwork and fast combinations to silence his critics. Then he took what some felt was a risk.
His chin was suspect purely because it had never really been hit. He fought promising South African Phillip Ndou, a brilliant knockout artist with a record of 31-1 with 30 KO’s, and after an action packed fight mainly in round 5, Mayweather begun to land heavy combinations and a flurry of straight rights and Ndou went down in round 7 causing a TKO when he failed to respond to the ref who was trying to make sure he was still able to fight.
Floyd moved up to Light Welterweight after that, defeating DeMarcus Corley and Henry Brussels in what were considered tune up fights so he could get used to the weight class. Now, this is where I think Mayweather started to change his type of opponent’s.
See apart from the late Arturo Gatti, Floyd never fought anyone else in the light welterweight division. I didn’t really know why he was fighting Gatti in the first place as he was rated as number 3 by Ring magazine at the time their fight was announced. I know he was great but he wasn’t the best in the division.
Those titles went to Miguel Cotto who was ranked 2 and Ricky Hatton who was ranked 1 and Kostya Tzyu who was the ring magazine champion and IBF champion, and ranked number 2 on the pound for pound list. What about after Hatton made Tszyu quit on his stool. Why didn’t he fight him then? Was it because he knew Ricky would be a major handful at light welterweight?
We will never know for sure, all we know is that he never wanted to face the best in that division, so he jumped to the Welterweight class to face Shamba Mitchell in again, a tune up fight as Floyd was out of action due to his trial for domestic abuse, for which he was found not guilty. He dominated Sharmba Mitchell with straight rights and combinations to the body to stop him in round 6, to set up a much anticipated fight with Zab Judah.
That fight looked in doubt after Judah lost the ring magazine title and the WBC belt to Carlos Baldomir, but none the less it took place on April 8 2006. The start of the fight was all Judah, winning the first 2 rounds and then the fourth round after landing a massive straight left to Mayweather’s nose, forcing him to cover up against the ropes. Floyd then took the fight over in round 5 with his sharp defence and fast combinations to wear Judah down.
After the riot that happened in round ten caused by a Judah low blow Mayweather carried on showing Judah up and he was awarded a 12 round decision and his 4th world title in 4 divisions. After this fight however Floyd Mayweather Jr seriously started to duck the major players in the welterweight division after not wanting to fight Shane Mosley still, and refusing an 8 million dollar payday to fight Antonio Margarito.
8 million dollars would have been his biggest pay day. Why did he turn it down and then spilt with Top Rank as a result of it? Maybe it’s because he knew Shane might be too good for him, and Margarito was too big for him, with the style and chin that he has, Mayweather maybe thought he just could not cope with it? Honestly I don’t blame him as Margarito is a very big Welterweight with a 73 inch reach, and being 5ft 11 makes it hard for any man to beat him with the way he fights.
No, instead he fights Carlos Baldomir for the WBC and Ring magazine titles. Wise I must admit because it was a fight he would definitely win, so it was the safest option in order not to destroy his legacy. Then came the most anticipated fight of the decade against Oscar De La Hoya, and in Oscar’s weight class (Junior Middleweight), making it Floyd’s fifth division to hold titles in.
This I give him major credit for, and I thought he had big balls to jump in the deep end at a weight he had never fought in. No tune up fights and excuses, straight for the number one of the division. Brilliant I thought. The old Mayweather is back. After the first few rounds of which De La Hoya won with his jab, Mayweather started to counter a bit better and started to land crisper punches, especially after Oscar stopped using his jab.
It was no surprise that Floyd won a split decision, because upon judging it myself I thought it was a very fair fight and it could have gone either way. But it didn’t matter to anyone; Floyd was now a champion in 5 different divisions and after being asked if he would fight Cotto or Mosley or Margarito he said ‘’I have nothing to prove.
I won’t let the sport of boxing retire me I will retire from the sport of boxing’.” Basically saying no I ain’t fighting them, my legacy is set in stone why bother, I’m just going to retire. Then a few months later a massive press conference is called to announce Hatton V’s Mayweather in a super fight titled Undefeated. Being English myself, I was shocked and really happy that finally the Hitman was going to get to fight a major player in the sport and it being Mayweather, brilliant I thought but why Hatton?
Why not Cotto or Mosley or Margarito why make the little man come up in weight to fight you when you said he wasn’t in your league a few years before? I think it was because we saw what happened to Ricky at welterweight against Luis Collazo, he was just not as strong as he was a light welterweight and at 5ft 7 and a small 65 inch reach would pose little threat to Mayweather.
Plus, I think the money had something to do with it. A reported $15 million dollars, plus a share of the profits to fight Hatton. Numbers he would never get against Cotto or Shane or Margarito. So it was a small risk with the biggest rewards. Although Ricky did make Floyd uncomfortable at first, I think Cortez was a bit too intrusive in the fight and that did make a real difference.
I think it would have been a points win for Floyd had Ricky not started to lose his composure that night. Still never mind, he made his cool $15 million dollars and gave his speech again of how he wasn’t going to let boxing retire him ya da ya da ya da, and this time he retired before another Super fight with De La Hoya could be finalized, although I bet wishes he took the fight now after what Manny did.
Now he is back again telling us in another press conference that he is to fight three weight world champion Juan Manuel Marquez. Once again making the smaller man come up to fight him, but this time he is making Marquez go up 2 divisions to fight him. At least De La Hoya came down a division to fight Manny. It’s been kept tight lipped the actual weight for the fight Marquez saying its 144 Mayweather saying its 147 who knows! I do know this however; Mayweather may have made a mistake because Marquez is a clever dog with old tricks that wins fights.
He seems to come on stronger as the fight goes on, and is very clever as to when to counter and when to attack. Without doubt, I believe the fight will be entertaining and whoever wins should definitely fight the winner of Cotto and Pacquiao.
Although if it’s Floyd who wins, I wouldn’t count on it, I can already hear another version of “I won’t let the sport of boxing retire me I’m going to retire from the sport of boxing”. I love watching Floyd work, and I love his ego he deserves to have it, but it’s time to give the fans what they want. I’d rather have seen Floyd against Pacquiao or Floyd against Mosley than Floyd against Marquez.
Tags: 23 Responses to “Why Won’t Mayweather Jr. Fight the Very Best? – Boxing”
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Lehane_9,
I would look you straight in the eye first to see if that was really you talking. Then I would say:
Don’t believe everything you think! A solitary thought needs company!
Seriously, I feel any match between Floyd, Cotto Pacman, Mosley, Clottey and Berto would be good. I also believe that we should not be arguing about these matches. They should be happening.
If this was MMA they would have to fight. This is what fans want and this is what brings more fans. This is how I got into boxing in the early 50′s as a kid. My sons also got into it as kids but like most youths today, they want instant action and results and most of all good match ups.
Can some one pleas ask these guys to fight? We are fans and can talk or write but they must fight or retire!
Prince Charles is that you? Why you should be pushing 65, retirement age but instead you are waiting for the Queen to die so you could get a few winks at beinga king. If it is not then it must be Andrew or one of those royal sons who is waiting his turn, if you die, to become a king.
Well whoever you are, you have waited too long. Your response seems to have completely missed the point. Carlos Baldomir has more losses than US insurance giant AIG, when Mayweather fought him. Yet he denigrates people like Cotto, Margarito, Mosley and Pacman for having losses.
Sure he beat Hatton but Hatton was a Jr welter, who fought Collazo at welter and got beaten but received a gift decision. He then said weletrs were too big and went back down to 140. Kosta Tszyu made Judah moonwalk prettier than Michael! Corrales, was a great win which impressed me. But we are talking about prime welters here not 140 lbers and has beens.
Are you people boxing fans or just fans of one boxer? Don’t you want to see the best matchups? I love Manny but if he loses to Maragarito, Cotto, Floyd or Mosley in great matches is boxing not better for it? They are great matchups!
Rather than have each fighter say he is the best, just fight each other and prove who is the best. Words mean nothing. All they do is get stupid fans running to the internet to defend what the chicken ass fighter has said. Imagine having to defend a manr for not fighting instead of talking what strategy or mistake he made in a fight?
It’s people like you who are clueless about boxing who tell people to watch boxing.
If you are a fan of boxing and have seen many of the greats dating back to the 40′s, then you must know you did not have to beg real boxers to fight each other. How the hell can we see great fights when your man does not want to face the top guys?
Floyd has probably the most talent, he is a prize fighter, so FIGHT! Until he does, you can will remain a prince in waiting! Long live the King!
PS…who’s the greatest swimmer in the world and in Olympic history? Michael Phelps of course but if he does not stay in shape some young gun will knock him off like that German recently did in a race at the world championships.
Phelps did not scream he just went back out and busted some ass in the next race. This is what a champ does. He faces the best and makes sure he wins but if he loses by fluke or whatever, he goes right back out and reclaims what is his.
We do not need rhetoric. If the pen is mightier than the sword, a left hook is worth 1,000 pens, swords and 1,0000,000 bragging words!
Floyd Mayweather Jr is technically the best boxer in the world today and has been for some time now. The aim of the game is hit and don’t be hit, there’s no-one better than Floyd at this.
I’m a massive Pretty Boy fan but a very frustrated one at that. He’s brilliant to watch and operates like a surgeon in the ring. He’s clever as well, out-thinking his opponents which in turn allows him to outclass them.
The reason I’m a frustrated fan is because he has the quality to defeat any fighter in and around the welterweight division but for some reason these superfights just don’t happen.
Unlike many other boxing fans I’m really looking forward to the Mayweather V Marquez fight. These are two of my favourite boxers in the game today and I think people are writing Marquez off too quickly (although I do believe Floyd will win by a unanimous decision).
If only we could have a welterweight tournament like the super-middleweights. This would sell incredibly well, even more so than the super-middleweights. Imagine a 6 man tournament consisting of Floyd Mayweather Jr, Shane Mosely, Miguel Cotto, Antonio Margarito, Paul Williams (providing he could still boil down to 147) and Joshua Clottey. Forget the silly catchweights, everyone fights everyone at the welterweight limit of 147. I truly believe Floyd would show his class and if he was to face 3 out of 5 of these welterwieghts and beat them he could then be recognised as one of the best boxers to have a graced a ring.
wayne you are blatantly biased towards pac man!Floyd has had more big fights than manny and he’s just come back and i believe he has signed a multiple fight deal so like you,i would love to see him take on people like mosely,cotto,pac man but unlike you,i believe he would look even better and against the big guns,none more so than come forward fighters like manny and cotto.I have a lot of respect for manny but i think we all get carried away with the de la hoya win and hatton debacle.Manny at the moment is the main man but its over to floyd soon and we gonna see another masterpeice,but i agrre that on its own isn’t enough and i am praying we all get what we want in the near future
SJ, or should I call you the official spokesman and apologist for Floyd? Look, if Floyd had tried to fight a big named welter like he almost broke a rib trying to fight “small, easy and old” Marquez, we would not be having this hypothetical discussion about who would win such a fight. We did not see those fights because as usual, this egomaniac overpriced himself.
He says he is a self made man; to which I must add, and one who worships his maker! Look what he is demanding for the Pacman fight! Can’t he see that his fight has garnered no interest and that Manny’s fight is getting it all? It has peeked the non boxing fan’s interest. But in his little world of make belief if he really believes that he is popular deserves more than 50%.
In his fights with Oscar and Hatton, he was not the attraction. The Manny fight will never happen because everyone knows he is the attraction and if anything, deserves the most $$. Marquez is not an attraction and that is why that fight is not selling. Unlike, Oscar, Leonard, Ali and today, Manny, Floyd must have a decent dance partner or no one will pay any interest.
So Mr Spokesmen or Spokespersons, keep on making unofficial excuses for Floyd’s not making fights he should. People who really know boxing, already know his style. He not only makes excuses but has a legion of blind fans who also faithfully and blindly do it for him. WOW!
Boy, I wish I had people like you when I did not finish a project and a professor did not believe the dog ate it. I could use a great fact creator like you guys! But who would I trust when it comes to boxing facts, The Ring Magazine, The Bible of Boxing, Bert Randolph Sugar, ESPN’s Dan Raphael and other named scribes who have no self interest? Or a legion of Stevie Wonder clones who just happen to be loyal apologists for Floyd? That’s a real tough one, isn’t it?
Let’s agree on one thing. Floyd has great talent and looks good on the 24/7 series! But many other guys out there also have talent; that is why we have legalized boxing. Why not fight the best and create history? 24/7 is for entertainment and fun but he still has to transfer that to the ring and fight like he talks.
Waite, I forgot he mouthed off against the MMA as an art form BUT when he got challenged there he quickly ducked from that challenge too. Lest we forget, he did take a REAL fight in the WWE which was not easy. I mean look how much bigger his opponent was. It’s not like it was arranged or anything like that (ha,ha,ha)!
Like I said, the man lives in a world of make belief where he wants max pay for little or no work. Mr, Mayweather, as my late grannie used to say, remember the only time pay comes before work is in the dictionary; where by the way if anyone looks up the word “duck” they will find a picture of Floyd beside it, looking in a mirror at a man he has loved, protected and admired for many years!
So let me introduce a new word today. Floyd: it means to duck or run and hide or as a noun can also mean one who loves himself and believes he is a God! Money Mayweather: together they mean: to make excessive demands that cannot be met and are so unlikely that only a Floyd would believe or make them.
Anyhow, I have to “Floyd” from my wife who always wants me to go shopping with her. Now where are the good apologists when a man really needs one? Busy defending their God? What else eh?
Im a big Mayweather fan but I am frustrated he has not fought the current top welters – partly because he has been retired for over 18 months.
He probably earnt more money by fighting Hatton then any other fighter, hence why he took the fight.
However, I would have preferred to see him fight Williams last year at 147 instead, or he could have taken Cotto,Mosley,Margarito….
He needs 3 massive fights at 147 to secure his legacy, if he is that good, which I think he is, then beat 3 of those guys at 147 and become a true boxing legend.
And i recon manny will dump mayweather right on his back side when (if) they meet!
Because he,s scared of losing his 0.
Floyd Mayweather is a far better than this article or the majority of the boxing media give him credit for. He destroyed many undefeated fighters, and several fighters were never the same after facing him. Margarito is far to slow and unskilled for Mayweather, even with plastered fists. Cotto would be eating Mayweather right hands all night. Mosley can match him in speed but has all sorts of defensive liabilities Floyd would take advantage of. Pacquiao would be slaughtered. Only welterweight (who is likely staying at 160) that would give Floyd a lot of problems is Paul Williams.
Mayweather had tried to make fights with all of those fighters, but they all priced themselves out – usually by demanding an unfair split. Interesting that the media always claims that Floyd is the reason these fights never happened.
Luqman grow up kid. This article is spot on. I’m an avid boxing fan and I want to see Floyd fight the best is in his class. He’s been avoiding the good fighters in his weight class. He’s in it just for the money. He should man up and fight the best. Unfortunately he’s scared so probably he won’t even fight the winner of the Pacman-Cotto fight.
Getmoney you are so right they want to play down Mayweather because he is black.
Good Article. For once someone writes something worth thinking about instead of just hating on Floyd…..
However, it would be dumb to come off of a two year layoff to fight Pacman right now. It’s a matter of opinion but if I was Floyd I would rather fight and get 250 million dollars in 2 fights (Dela Hoya and Hatton) rather than fighting other fighters for media respect and bragging rights. But most people would rather be broke and have attention instead of being rich and being hated.
That’s why I respect Floyd because like he told Brain Kenny, “I move when I wanta move. Not when others want me to move”.
This article hits to the heart as far as Floyd’s
fans are concerned and just like Floyd they will talk crap. Let me start by giving the same props to him as the writer for his early career. To me he was briliant and fearless but after the fight with Castillo, The Pied Piper changed.
I will call him the Pied Piper because he plays the same tired tune of being the best, which he no longer can back up in the ring; yet his tiny band of followers, the numbers keep dwindling, blindly believe and follow despite facts to the contrary.
I am one of many who jumped off his bandwagon. I am a boxing fan 1st and a fan of any boxer 2nd. I will not sit back and allow Floyd or Manny, who is now my No 1, ruin my sport. Let’s face it, he has evader around the best boxers in the 140 and 147 better than Gretzy got around guys in hockey. I am just sick of it.
In the 70′s and 80′s Benitez, Hearns, Leonard, Hagler, hearns etc all felt they were the best and fought each other to try to settle it. It is no use screaming you are the best unless you have the balls to try to prove it. He is so quick to accept challenges of guys he can easily beat but not guys who can test him. Why is that?
He keeps ridiculing the best guys at 140 and 147 but anxiously accepts smaller guys? If you want to take only money fights we the fans have no problems with that. We just won’t pay to see.
The fight with Marquez he justifies by saying he is #2 P4P. May I remind people that P4P doesn’t mean if Calderon (106) was No 1 that he could beat a HW. It means that based on talent if they could meet at a mythical weight that he could beat all comers.
The writer has made excellent points but Floyd’s apologists as usual will not accept the fact that he is the master ducker. If you love him so much why not go and buy one of his tickets vs Marquez? Manny vs Cotto is due in November and it already has garnered way more interest than that fight.
I love Manny but that fight is a pick’em whereas no one would bet his life against Floyd losing. It has the makings of another onesided fight.
If Marquez wins it will be a monumental upset. No matter who wins the other fight it will not be an upset. If one guy blows out the other, it will be a surprise but again not an upset. As a fan I am anxious to see any of these guys fight: Cotto, Pac, Floyd, Mosley, Margarito, Clottey, Cintron.I believe either one could win but certain guys are slight favs and if they lose it would be a minor upset.
So cut the talk and fight Floyd. Your few fans are taking great heat and soon they will see it is hopeless and admit you have no balls!
He doesnt cuz hes a chicken.
All through his career hes mouthed off and always backed it up. Hes faced some huge names in lower weights but when he got to Welter he kept the mouth runnin but eased off on the big names.
This is a tough division with some big heavyhanded and skilled boxers, i dont think he fancys his chances and doesnt want to look an idiot and lessen his money making name.
Though personally i think hes good enough to beat the lot, hes just too chicken to try.
ive watched all of jones fights some were ok but most were boring
Cant have that art SA you CAN NOT have watched many roy jones fights.
He was the most entertaining fighter i have ever seen. Boxing expert my arse.
what are you lot on about mayweather boring,Mayweather is a joy to watch.Can adapt to any stile, Then making fools of his opponents.
He has the defense and skills that no other has.
five weight champ best pound 4 pound, Need say any more.
I still dont think there is anyone out there at the moment that can do anything with Mayweather.
mayweather is boring he is like roy jones why dont they fight each other?
i think people over looked him he won his first belt and it was nothing cause he knew he could beat anyone unlike kahn who thinks winning a belt means your a great fighter belts mean nothing in boxing now
I agree with the majority of this article. Two/three years ago, i don’t believe any of these boxers would have came close to Mayweather. However, we never got the chance to see these fights for some reason or another.
Mayweather was calling boxers out years ago, Naseem, Mosley etc. There was a rumour also that Mayweather/Mosley nearly happened years back, but for Mosley to pull out before the contracts were signed. Now all of a sudden he claims Mayweather is ducking him just because he wants one last big payday, nice.
I’m not a Mayweather ‘fanboy’, but i do like watching his skills, hopefully he will prove a few people wrong in the next year or so.
Prince naseem, joel casamayor, shane mosley, ricky hatton and miguel cotto in 2005, NONE of them wanted to fight mayweather ALL were given the chance
i disagree he fought Emanuel Augustus/ Diego Corrales/ Jose Luis Castillo/ Arturo Gatti/ Zab Judah/ Oscar De La Hoya note: pacman got loads of credit for dat when oscar was clearly not his old self…. Ricky Hatton note: hatton was undefeated… the list gos on an no whos pacman fought dats at there normal weight an for the record i fink marquez won both fights or at lest 1…..