By Elgato: The most insulting label that could be conferred on a boxer, in this most brutal of sports, is cowardice!

So we have Floyd Mayweather junior, multi weight champ and unbeaten, being accused by many of being a coward. Running away from fighting Manny.

I believe that this both a simplistic and lazy accusation and does not stand up when you look at the history and DNA of this fighter, psychologically and emotionally.
Firstly a quick reflection. I have noticed that the cowardice tag in the history of boxing has at times all to easily been given to the technician rather than the brawler. So at various times boxers like Ali and Ray Leonard were accused of being scared. In reality both were amongst the bravest out there.

Floyd’s opponents have included some monstrous tasks in different ways. Tasks no less daunting than facing Manny and arguably in some cases, going into those fights, more daunting. Floyd faced down 2 monsters in their prime at LW in Corrales and Castillo. How many people would have viewed them as walks in the park after their heroic contest. Fighters with intensity and true KO potential. Floyd might have out-boxed Castillo in the 2nd fight but how about the brave decision to pretty much fight the bigger punching Corrales in the pocket for a lot of the fight! I would also like to mention the Oscar fight. Now people talk a lot of rubbish in hindsight about this fight. Let’s be clear the contention going into that fight was that Oscar had enough left and was fresh enough to kill Floyd. His motivation enhanced by serious trash talking and baiting by Floyd. Crucially why ignore the brave decision to fight Oscar at light middle!? No weight drained Oscar here and no catch weights in sight. Why is that not brought forward as the decision making of a brave and confident fighter?

Fast forward and to the Mosley fight. The main consensus from man was that if Shane stood a chance than it was in the early rounds. Well I for one would have told Floyd to box for the first half and turn it up later like he did against another fast and powerful puncher he faced, Judah. Floyd instead fights arguably the biggest puncher in that division in the pocket, unusually very static and in the centre of the ring. As a tactician I thought it was way to brave and unnecessary. And he got caught!

Floyd gets caught flush by 2 haymaker punches in the same round!!! Well is this not the true test of a boxers’ bravery? I bet if I had asked many of his detractors before the fight how Floyd would react in this circumstance they would have said stereotypical stuff like ‘he would run like a chicken’. I have to say that 2 things were obvious , firstly the amazing powers of recovery and shockingly the decision to go into round 3 and stand his ground well within Shame’s range and seek to exact retribution. High risk and brave!
So to the contention that in the negotiations for the fight with Manny he is running scared. There is nothing in what we know about Floyd that points to a fighter that is scared by anything he faces in the ring.

The drug testing I believe was a something that just developed. Floyd senior started off with it and they saw it as a chance to play some mind games. I think they were shocked as were many by Manny’s initial strong reaction against the testing. I think the more they pushed the more an initial stunt started to spook them more than a little bit. Bob Arum in my opinion mismanaged this situation. Floyd’s biggest weakness is his arrogance and now it became about who dictates to who.

The present situation, I think one thing Floyd’s detractors are underplaying is his current state of mind. The distractions in his private life are big. Not the altercation with security guards but the events with his ex. Floyd is a dedicated father and in his way very close and focused on his kids. The altercation (caused by his own stupidity I might add) drew in his kids and has caused a major rift. This I believe is like a dagger in the heart for Floyd who himself had many unresolved issues from his childhood between his parents. He is not in the state of mind for boxing I believe based on those particular set of circumstances.