By Rasheed Catapang: He who hesitates is lost.
In the heat of the moment, we sometimes call genius mad because the rest of us are incapable of understanding the reason behind. Denied of such a spark, we are often blinded by the light when its brilliance is shining upon us. But we always know special when we see it though we may not acknowledge it at times. And with hindsight, we knew when we had witnessed greatness because greatness is compelling and always makes its presence felt.
Sometimes though, there is only madness. Like when genius fails to live to its full potential. And a downward spiral follows when light fails proclaiming the coming darkness. Such an appalling state is upon us now.
Considered by many as the most talented boxer of his generation, Floyd Mayweather Jr. is teethering on the brink of irrelevance with each passing day. Or perhaps, he’s already there.
“I’ll fight Pacquiao, like whenever…” Those were more like the words of a Paris Hilton than a supposedly feared fighter who kept proclaiming that “the fight will happen when it happens.”
Yeah right. I’m scared. And so must be the little “Yellow man” on hearing such vicious words. The man-child lost touch with the real world that he doesn’t have a solid ground, much more a square ring, to stand on.
Welcome to a world without Mayweather.
Pacquiao, the zeitgeist, rules the world of boxing. And the vacuum and void left by Mayweather has to be filled by the likes of Clottey, Margarito and now Mosley – yes, the same old Mosley Mayweather last had for dinner is still better than no one or nothing (which as established earlier is what Floyd is or is fast becoming).
With no yin to test, hold or balance the yang, Pacquiao is the blinding light at the center of boxing’s universe. And as Mosley, just another replacement expected to inefficiently test the Pacmonster’s blietzkrieg of lightning, marches on away from HBO’s glaring spotlight but towards a harsher light where 115 million homes would hopefully watch his inevitable demise – life’s contest goes on and Mayweather keeps losing by default.
Floyd’s words proved to be prophetic as he fades in the shadow of the one who took from him his coveted spot. And sadly he gave in without a fight.
“I’m not interested in rushing to do anything right now. I’m not really thinking about boxing right now…” Those lines might as well be his epitaph.
As Mayweather turns away from Boxing to face the real world, Pacquiao remains unchallenged, unfazed atop his pedestal.
No one ducks better than Floyd. Of course, in a world without Mayweather there is now David Haye.
But that’s another story.
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