By Robert “Big Moe” Elmore: One of the first things I’ve learned when talking about Floyd Mayweather is I had to support my opinion with facts. Especially when trying to prove a point about why a certain fight did not go down.
I had to take it a step further and provide where the reader could find these facts. But even when I presented facts most of the responses were “Floyd’s a coward and ducker”. I could live with that knowing that was the best that critics could come up with. Floyd has a big personality and he sure knows how to sell a fight.
Mayweather’s currently number one all time in total revenue and second in behind Oscar De La Hoya in pay per view buys. His base purses were big and record setting even before signing his deal with Showtime. He’s the third most accurate puncher behind Lennox Lewis with Joe Louis being number one.
When his legs were presumed as “shot” he proved haters wrong with movement. When he moved too much he was perceived as a runner. But even with Floyd being called a runner it’s remarkable that he is able to land such a high percentage in power and overall punches. Since he has not been dominated in a fight, critics have lived in those “single moments of success” moments against the pound for pound king.
For example, Shane Mosley had his two punches in the second round of his fight with Floyd; Miguel Cotto drew blood; Zab Judah had a few rounds of success. But each of these fights Floyd was able to adjust and win going away. Floyd’s life outside the ring has been a troubled one. His childhood was destroyed by the fact that his parents were victims of drug abuse forcing his grandmother to raise him. His father was in jail when he turned pro leaving his uncle Roger Mayweather to train the young man.
There were a lot of things in Floyd’s life that went unchecked and he seems to be trying to right his wrongs the best way he can. Like many who have come before him, boxing is the one thing where he can find peace. Even amidst all the distractions that take place before a fight, Floyd is able to maintain a level of focus that some can’t. Perhaps this is the reason why he is so good at it. I have also found it astounding that people actually celebrate his downfalls as if he is the first boxer in history to have a troubled pass.
I look at Floyd as a work in progress. One of the things I really hope he finds is a steady relationship with his father outside the ring. It seems that he has already found out who is who in his camp as he has stated that he will have an entirely new staff come next May. I saw him walking into the ring for his rematch against Marcos Miadana and he did not look happy. It looked like a look of abandonment.
Floyd was highly avoided by the big names as he worked his way through the ranks. He soon returned the favor when he positioned himself as the man to beat in boxing. There is no doubt that he is a first round ballot hall of famer, has not taken punishment in the ring, and has set the pay day bar very high for the next fighter coming behind him. Seeing how this is my last Floyd article, I will draw the following conclusions.
First, the fight with Pacquiao will happen. People are complaining that it’s too late. But if one was to look at the fact that it took eight years for Leonard and Hearns to do their rematch; and five years for the Leonard Hagler fight to come off; I say this fight is right on par. Floyd wins by unanimous decision.
He has no problem with southpaws as some have claimed as he’d defeated all of them. Floyd had more power than some think. When he has fighters climbing into the ring during interviews demanding a fight (Shane Mosley) or pass up a big fight to position himself for a chance to fight Floyd (Amir Khan), or have several fighters call you out after a win (Luis Collazo after he beat Ortiz, Keith Thurman,) or have guys in higher weight classes say they are willing to come down in weight to fight (Bernard Hopkins, Sergio Martinez) then a mark certainly has been made. But there has always been somebody else and even when he retires there will be somebody else. He will retire undefeated and I hope Mayweather Promotions is a huge success.
Comments are closed.