By Eric Johnson: Being active in the boxing news world, I often watch as bloggers, analysts, and fans criticize Floyd Mayweather of ducking, and “cherry picking” opponents. They say he has plenty of reputable names on his boxing resume, but that most of them were past their primes or “shot”. We live in a generation of selective memory that benefit our arguments, and trends that lead to massive outcry among different fields. There are people who don’t feel a way about certain situations, but will convince themselves that they do to avoid backlash, or to simply fit in. Out of all the things Floyd Mayweather is, he is definitely not a “ducker” or a “cherry picker”. Here’s why.
When people talk about his fights or accomplishments, they most often reflect to his career post 2007. As if it started there. As if he was always the biggest draw in boxing. That couldn’t be further from the truth. There was a time where the man known as “Pretty Boy Floyd” couldn’t sell out an arena in his hometown of Grand Rapids, Michigan. There was a time where he was the most ducked fighter in all of boxing. Simply because he wasn’t a big draw, and offered small reward with high risk. People forget that he had been calling out Shane Mosley, Cory Spinks, Oscar De La Hoya, Kosta Tszyu and other fighters for years. He was desperate to get these fights. The reality was that he wasn’t a money maker, he wasn’t a cash cow and he wasn’t a big draw. He brought nothing to the table other than a tough fight, and a difficult style. He was undefeated but unattractive to other fighters. He had beaten plenty of marquee level fighters, including Corrales, N’dou, Manfreddy, Judah, Baldomir, Corley, Gatti, and Hernandez among the names. Yet, no one wanted to pay big money to see him fight. Oh how that changed in 2007.
Both before his fight with Gatti (2005) and after his fight with Baldomir (2006), Floyd Mayweather called out Shane Mosley, Oscar De La Hoya, and Kosta Tszyu. His contemporaries made no push to get the fights signed. Mosley made an excuse about his tooth, Oscar simply showed no interest, and Kosta Tszyu saw no money. Here he was being ducked by the men who were bigger draws then him. That all changed in 2007, the #1 P4P, and probably #500 fan favorite Floyd Mayweather had bought out of his Top Rank contract, and scheduled a fight with the then cash cow of boxing Oscar “The Golden Boy” De La Hoya. Ironically enough, Oscar wanted Floyd’s status of best boxer on the planet, and Floyd wanted Oscar’s status of the biggest draw in boxing. Sometime later, they would meet up in the highest grossing fight ever, and Floyd would emerge victorious, and become the new face of boxing. After years of being avoided, after years of being ducked the “Pretty Boy” was finally the guy. Both financially, and the best among his contemporaries. The same men who avoided him for so long now wanted shots, they all wanted a piece of the pie.
In 2009, Floyd returned after a brief retirement as “Money Mayweather” and took on Juan Manuel Marquez in what I believe was a tune-up fight. It speaks to a man’s greatness when he can get in the ring with a future Hall Of Famer and win in the fashion he did after a two year absence. After the performance a familiar face emerged from the crowd. No other than Big Bear’s own Sugar Shane Mosley. He crashed the stage, calling Mayweather out. Eager to fight now and prove he was the best. Why you ask? After all the years of putting it off, and avoiding it? Simply put, Floyd Mayweather was a draw now. He was THE draw. People would flood arenas to see him fight, as they do now. Shane Mosley was coming off a beautiful win in which he all but decapitated the Mexican Warrior Antonio Margarito. It seemed like a dream fight, in which many people picked Floyd to lose prior to the fight actually happening. Mosley was #3 Pound for Pound, he was a champion, and he looked like a dangerous opponent. The fight took place, and after a surprising blow in the 2nd round, Floyd Mayweather cruised to a unanimous decision victory making his foe on the opposing side of the ring look amateurish and old. After the fight, Mosley was considered old and never a threat. Floyd was accused of cherry picking him then, and ducking Mosley when he was in his prime. The same Mosley he had been calling out for years. Ironic.
In 2011, Floyd Mayweather took on 147 pound Champion “Vicious” Victor Ortiz. The Kansas Native was fresh off of winning a belt from the then highly rated Andre Berto. Many people pointed to the fact that Victor Ortiz was a young strong Welterweight in his prime. He’s also a southpaw which according to the grapevine, Floyd has always had trouble with. They met up in September of 2011. The fight ended in controversy. After Victor Ortiz head-butted Mayweather, referee Joe Cortez gave the okay for the fight to continue. Mayweather legally took advantage of the opportunity presented to him and capitalized with a left hook, followed by a right hand that ended the fight.
Opportunistic? Yes. Dirty? Nope. Whether you’re a boxer who does his work in the ring, or a fan watching at home with a Pizza and a cold soda, we all know you should protect yourself at all times. Especially after you just took it within your own hands to head-butt a man.
In 2012, negotiations for a fight with then rival Manny Pacquiao was in the works. Negotiations failed again after Bob Arum suggested that a new arena needed to be built in order to maximize revenue for the fight. Further adding to his ridiculous excuses for not giving fans the fight of their lives. Which is why to this day, I don’t blame Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather for the fight not happening. I blame Arum, and his hatred for Floyd Mayweather. After negotiations failed, Mayweather reached an agreement with then #1 ranked Jr. Middleweight, and WBA Super Welterweight champion Miguel Cotto. Cotto was coming off of three TKO victories with Yuri Foreman, Ricardo Mayorga, and rival, and exposed loaded Glover Antonio Margarito, and Mayweather of course still undefeated. The future Hall Of Famers met up at the Jr. Middleweight limit of 154 pounds, with Mayweather emerging victorious in a tough 12 round fight.
In 2013, Floyd Mayweather announced his return to the ring after his incarceration for a situation in his personal life. He returned to face rugged Southpaw Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero. During the lead up to the fight rumors surfaced that he would be fighting IBF Welterweight Champion Devon Alexander. Immediately a public outcry formed in which the main argument was that he was ducking the tough southpaw. That Mayweather had lost his legs, and didn’t want to deal with a tough volume puncher with relentless pressure. Rather quickly the fight was announced, and many people including boxing legend Roberto Duran picked Guerrero to win. He stated “I think it’s a great fight. It reminds me a lot of my fight with Sugar Ray Leonard when I moved up from lightweight to welterweight and beat him. You have a fast American fighter against a bruising Latin fighter. Styles make fights and this is a very interesting match-up. I feel that Robert will pull off the upset in Las Vegas and I must be there to see it. Guerrero by unanimous decision.” That couldn’t have been more off. Floyd cruised to a unanimous decision victory. Outclassing and outworking the Mexican bruiser who hadn’t lost in 7 years in a way that made him appear rather amateurish. After the fight Guerrero became another cherry picked opponent. Critics said that he was a blown up lightweight fighting at 147, and that he didn’t’ belong in the same ring with Mayweather. Regardless if he had fought against two world class fighters in which he looked impressive prior to meeting with “Money”.
The truth is, people will never be satisfied with Mayweather. For some reason he has the ability to make world class fighters look like amateurs. He has the ability to adapt to any fighting style, and disarm is foes of their greatest weapons. Add that to the fact that his opponents tend to go into downward spirals after they lose, and you have another inaccurate information for distractors to use in their arguments against Floyd Mayweather. Baldomir prior to losing to Mayweather had not lost in 8 years. He then went on to lose to Vernon Forest in a unanimous decision. De La Hoya prior to fighting Floyd has just stopped Ricardo Mayorga. He then went on to get stopped by Manny Pacquiao ending his career. Ricky Hatton was undefeated, in 43 fights, just had knocking out Jose Luis Castillo prior to fighting Mayweather. After he never returned to form and just two fights later was knocked out by Manny Pacquiao. Shane Mosley had two impressive consecutive victories over Mayorga, and Margarito prior to fighting Mayweather. After he went on to lose fights to Manny Pacquiao, and Saul Alvarez. Victor Ortiz was on a six-fight winning streak prior to fighting Mayweather. After, he went on to be stopped by Josesito Lopez and hasn’t returned to the ring since. Miguel Cotto, had three consecutive victories, all TKOS prior to fighting Mayweather. After, he lost to then unbeaten Super Welterweight Austin Trout, and hasn’t returned to the ring since. No one knows what will happen to Robert Guerrero, but if history is any evidence, it’s obvious. It’s not that these fighters are not world class fighters, it’s that Floyd Mayweather isn’t a world class fighter. He’s an otherworldly fighter, and if he is world class, he has the wrong planet.
People forget that the man known today as “Money Mayweather” that is the biggest draw in boxing, was once “Pretty Boy Floyd” the man who was avoided and ducked. People tend to believe that his career started in 2007, and that he “cherry picked” his way to the top. Floyd Mayweather’s journey to the top did not come without hard work, it didn’t come without tribulation, and it sure as hell didn’t come overnight. Today he is the guy in boxing, both financially, and as a fighter. It wasn’t always this way. He will be criticized, he will be targeted as all greats are. People didn’t love Ali in his time, he was considered loud, and disrespectful as well. However today he is beloved, and admired by all boxing fans. He is remembered for his greatness in the ring, his dancing, his speeches, and being all business in the square circle. As will Floyd Mayweather one day. You can hate him now, criticize him now, but as of right now he’s the man to beat. He has scheduled a fight with 22 year old undefeated prospect Saul “Canelo” Alvarez. Another fighter who people have claimed he would duck. It should be a fight for the ages, and I always put my money on “Money”. Keep your opinions, hold on to your beliefs, just don’t be one of the people that forget about the most important things about Floyd Mayweather. If you are a fan of boxing, they are worth knowing. It started in 1996, not 2007.
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