Floyd Mayweather Jr’s Hurdles to overcome

By Boxing News - 04/25/2011 - Comments

By Frank Livingstone: This May 1 would be one year since Floyd Mayweather Jr was in the ring with Shane Mosley. This is when he displayed his defensive skills in winning over Mosley in 12 rounds after recovering from a shocking blow in the second round. The boxing world is now wondering if Floyd Jr will ever return to the ring this year or ever. There are a number of hurdles to his return and each hurdle is getting a bit higher as time goes by.

The first hurdle is his mounting legal problems. The eight misdemeanor and felony charges filed against him by his former partner Josie Harris, the assault charge on a security guard and the defamation case filed by his nemesis, Manny Pacquiao. Being the Money Man, Floyd has the best legal team to defend his case. The cases on J Harris and the security guard can be settled out of court but the Harris’ case might come at a significant financial cost. The defamation case may be part of any future negotiation with Team Pacquiao or a simple public apology and some sort of compensation may be in store. The worse case scenario is jail time and that would end his comeback.

The second hurdle to his comeback would be the guy at the other side of the ring. There was a talk of a tune up fight before the mega fight with Pacquiao. A number of names were mentioned and the latest being Victor Ortiz. Floyd was also contemplating of fighting the winner of the Martinez/Williams where Sergio emerged victorious. But Floyd being a businessman must choose an opponent with a limited risk and high return so a Martinez fight as a tune up fight is out of the picture. The opponent should also be good enough to attract a PPV number of over 1 million. If the guarantee amount is less than $20 million, Floyd might not even bother.

The third hurdle to his comeback is Father Time. Floyd turned 34 early this year and he is almost two years older than Pacquiao. His period of inactivity in the boxing ring with only two fights since his return would surely have an impact on his physical condition in an actual fight. Shane Mosley was inactive for 19 months when he fought Floyd and Shane barely survived the twelve rounds. Can Floyd turn back the clock despite his period of ring inactivity?

The last hurdle to his comeback is the public perception. If Pacquiao wins convincingly against Mosley on May 7, the public clamor for Floyd’s return may change. The ball will be on Floyd’s court to either step up or shut up. But with Floyd being Floyd, who knows he may surprise the world and get over the three hurdles to make a point. As for a fight with Pacquiao, Well, let’s get Floyd over the three hurdles first.



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