By Chris Kelly: It’s not easy being Floyd “Money” Mayweather. Although without said money, it would certainly be a lot harder. Mayweather Jr. has maintained a perfect unbeaten mantle throughout his career and retired a five-time world Champion with an impressive record of 39-0 (25) boasting wins over an array of high caliber fighters, including Aturo Gatti, Diego Corrales, Ricky Hatton and Oscar De La Hoya.
All this only too be forgotten (as is often the way of the former champion) whilst the Filipino born fighter based in Hollywood, Manny Pacquiao, is heralded the new pound for pound king. Not only has Pacquiao taken Floyd’s crown, he’s done it by beating Mayweather’s last two opponents – Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton -, and in quicker time on each occasion.
Worse still for Mayweather, now that he’s come out of retirement with the intention of reclaiming his place as the world pound for pound number one the whole world seems against him. Now should be the triumphant return of one of the sports all time greats, instead it is being seen by the boxing world as a man who spent an entire career beating blown up, undersized and overmatched opponents whilst never seeking a big challenge or indeed a big challenger.
It seems that Pretty Boy is remembered as nothing more than the dull safety-first welterweight who beat some of the worlds most average lightweights. Though the world of sports, particularly this one, is rarely fair this particular analysis reeks of injustice.
Whatever the truth may be, fights fans across the world seem to be crying out for a Mayweather-Pacquiao showdown and yet at the same time contradicting themselves by insisting that to prove himself the best Mayweather must stop fighting fighters from lower divisions and begin to fight the worlds top welterweights.
Mayweather has won world titles in multiple weight categories; it’s not fair to simply brand him a welterweight as he has spent a large part of his career at Lightweight and even lower. He moved up in weight to fight Gatti, He moved up in weight to fight Zab Judah, He moved up in weight to fight De La Hoya.
He was the undisputed pound for pound king at the time of the Hatton fight (and would still be had he not retired) so Hatton moved up for the chance to fight him however at the bout itself, Hatton actually weighed more!
Mayweather has proven himself to be the best at every weight division he has fought at. Now he wants to once again prove he’s the best by beating the pound for pound best fighters around starting with the ring magazine’s pound for pound no.2 fighter Marquez. As for fighting smaller guys, fans of the pugilistic arts claim to want to see Floyd beat a welterweight, and not just fight Pacquiao despite Pacquiao’s last two fights taking place at welterweight and light welterweight.
Of course, Mayweather is likely only fight Pacquiao if he’s the victor of the Pacquiao-Cotto bout (Cotto being one of the fighters that many have claimed Mayweather should have the courage to fight). He’ll probably then fight Shane Mosley or Paul Williams (who was openly ducked by Shane).
He’s clearly proving without a doubt to have the courage to fight the best anyone at any weight. People look to put down Mayweather as they did to Robinson, Leonard and Ali during their eras respectively: Eventually will we all just have to admit Mayweather is the Greatest?
After all, there is always going to be someone he hasn’t fought and, lets be honest for what will seem just a rare moment in boxing, had he not fought Hatton he’d of been criticized for not fighting one of the most devastating light-welters of the last decade. As it goes he did fight him, gave a dominant performance and was told he beat a blown-up, over-matched, over-rated brawler.
Had he not fought Oscar he’d have never had a serious claim to the pound for pound crown because he wouldn’t have fought the welter who had been the sports main attraction for years.
After the Gatti-Ward fight and considering Gatti’s then status as a world champion it was a big money fight that Mayweather would have been stupid not to take, yes Mayweather won the fight easily but that is not to say Gatti was a bum or a poor quality fighter. He was a legitimate, respected world champion. Who Floyd would of once again been criticized for not fighting had the fight not taken place.
The man cannot win it seems. He’ll beat Marquez, one of the top fighters on the planet today and will be told he beat a blown up lightweight. He’ll then beat the winner of the Pacquiao-Cotto fight (which is more than likely to be Pacquiao) and be criticized for ducking the loser. If he fights Mosley, he’ll be accused of taking the big money fight over the legitimate contests against Berto, Khan, Ortiz or indeed Paul Williams however, if he is to one or perhaps even all of them instead he will receive complaints for not fighting anyone who has yet to prove himself at elite level.
Could it be that he is just too dominant for his own good? Only time will tell.
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