By EH: On May 3rd, the fight billed as ‘The Fight of the Century’ witnessed Floyd Mayweather Jr. defeating Manny Pacquiao by a 12 round unanimous decision last night. Whilst Mayweather and Pacquiao have broken all fight records by earning an extra $120mil and $80mil respectively (technically $40mil or Pacquiao, as half of his fight purse is being donated to charity), it is a fair assertion that both fighters ultimately lost the war.
Why Floyd Mayweather Lost the War
Love him or hate him, there is no doubt whatsoever that Floyd is a once-in-a-generation boxing genius. His impeccable defense, unmatched IQ, elite technique and elegant movement rightfully places him amongst the best boxers of all-time. Nonetheless, Floyd’s greatest weakness lies in his greatest strength- a defensive style whose primary aim is to hit and not be hit. With a majority of boxing fans preferring an attacking fighter hellbent on knocking the opponent out, Floyd’s personality and boxing style personifies everything hated by the boxing fan, thus the mountain of hate directed at the defensive wizard. This is evidenced by the barrage of posts which have flooded social media unfairly portraying Floyd as a ‘dancer’ or a ‘chicken’ (or both), a sign that his clinical performance has not won him much respect amongst the general public. Putting aside his transgressions outside of the ring, Floyd’s impending retirement will signify the end of a tremendous career in which A-rated fighters were made to appear as amateurs. Unfortunately, despite possessing an undefeated record partnered with unmatched wealth, not to mention his latest victory over his arch-nemesis, Floyd will never be able to escape from the army of critics who will never attribute him with the credit he deserves. His clinical yet defensive style inside the ring (unfair judgement), alongside his egregious behavior outside of the ring (fair judgement), means that Floyd’s intrinsic desire for public respect and legacy will likely never be attained, hence deeming him a loser in this war.
Why Manny Pacquiao Lost the War
After his loss, several of the most credible journalists in the boxing landscape (Kevin Iole, Lance Pugmire) announced that Manny had entered the fight with a shoulder injury. This was furthered by Manny, his trainer Freddy Roach and promoter Bob Arum- who stated that a fortnight before this bout, Manny had suffered a right shoulder injury resembling the very injury (torn rotator cuff) suffered by Kobe Bryant in January, resulting in the legendary Laker being ruled out for 9 months, with surgical treatment and rehabilitation also required. Whilst an objective individual should rationally understand the extreme difficulties in moving a torn rotator cuff, let alone fight the world’s best boxer with one, large segments of the media and public have accused Manny of making up excuses for his loss. It is unfortunate that whilst a substantial quantity of post-fight press conference questions were directed at his injury, Manny’s mandatory responses to those questions have only aggravated public accusations of him playing the blame game, resulting in an out-pour of criticism branding him being a sore loser. One can only wonder how Manny would have performed had his right shoulder been functioning on fight night, but nonetheless, it is nigh-unfathomable that a fighter of Manny’s personality would ever face such a vehement barrage of criticism, hence also deeming him a loser in this war.
Concluding Remarks
It is unfortunate that the bout between the 2 greatest boxers in this generation has concluded in such tragic fashion. On one hand, the cocky, master tactician- whose defensive style means he will never gain the public acknowledgement he deserves inside the gladiatorial squared circle. On the other hand, the inspirational fighting congressman- whose damaging pre-fight injury has eventuated into an undeserved tirade of criticism directed at his alleged lack of sportsmanship. Mayweather may have triumphed in his battle against Manny Pacquiao. And yet, both fighters have ultimately lost the war.
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