(Photo credit: Naoki Fakuda) By Mohamed Horomtallah: It has been a year since Floyd Mayweather’s last fight with Miguel Cotto and many questions were hanging in the air before his long awaited return against Robert Guerrero. Did he loose his legs? Did his incarceration make him mentally weaker? Will he be able to resist to Guerrero roughing him up and putting constant pressure on him?
Watching Guerrero walking toward the ring, I couldn’t help but remember some images from his last fight, the way he beat up Berto and how his face looked after the fight. I thought that Mayweather was in for a tough and complicated fight. Little did I know that I was so far from the truth.
The truth is that Maywether is unique, God gifted and a master of his craft. It is simply quite amazing to make a though and rough fighter like Guerrero look so ordinary, so harmless. It is even more amazing to see the perfect shape Mayweather was in and the stamina he had until the final bell. He could have went on for six more rounds or so. That kind of “hard work and dedication” is second to none.
For those who questioned his legs or movement, the answer was spectacular! Mayweather never looked better, more fit. The ring was his home and Guerrero was just a guest, with the best seat in the house to witness greatness. The way Mayweather moved around the ring, the way he defended and punched with such accuracy, it was a thing of beauty and all boxing fans, casual or hardcore, should take their hat off to the maestro.
Understand this : it nice and entertaining to watch two fighters trade toe to toe and take a lot of shots but it is way more entertaining to watch mayweather fight because he brings the total package, defense, movement, pin point accuracy and superior ring IQ. Watching Mayweather fight and being able to understand and analyze what he does inside the ring is like appreciating a fine art masterpiece.
Mayweather stands alone. No boxer for the last two decades is close to his level, be it Pacquiao, Canelo or whoever. Mayweather is just that good.
He’s even better because in addition to his God given talent, he’s a very, very smart businessman. He embraced the role of “the villain” because it sells tickets, because early on in his career he knew that provocation added to his unique talent would undeniably make him a super star and a very rich man. That’s why he left Top Rank because he knew that, in order to achieve his goal, he needed to become his own boss. He knew how to market himself around his perfect “O” and his controversial personality.
Mayweather’s public image is far from his real self. It doesn’t take a genius to read between the lines and understand that Floyd is in fact a nice and a warm person.
FAMILY MAN :
Anytime a person who’s in a situation to do so looks out after his family, that’s a decent person in my book. Mayweather takes care of his mother, his grand mother and the rest of the family. He gives money and work to his friends and makes sure they enjoy themselves but the thing I like the most and respect about Mayweather is the tender and loving relation he has with his kids and it take a real dedicated father to act like that.
LOYALTY :
Another one of Mayweather qualities and he proved it by sticking with Al Haymon when 50 cent tried to interfere. I respect Mayweather for staying with Al Haymon because he helped him be where he is right now. The same goes for his relation with his uncle and his father.
BEING COCKY
What’s the big deal?! It is not a crime to show some confidence, especially in a contact sport where you’re supposed to dominate your opponents. All great athletes are cocky in some manner, Mayweather is just honest about it. However, after the fight is over, he is always the first to go to his opponent and congratulate him and bury the hatchet.
DUCKING :
In all honesty, it is ridiculous and unfair to accuse Mayweather of ducking anyone. Mayweather is the only boxer who fights a boxer only if he’s coming off of an impressive win(s). He’s the only boxer who fights other boxers at the weight they feel comfortable at. He fought only the best for close to two decades. Obviously, the Pacquiao’s fight is still to be made but I don’t see Mayweather as being the cause for that fight not happening in the past for he only asked for random blood and urine testing and he didn’t get it which is rather strange and when he openly called Pacquiao last year for the cinco de mayo fight, Bob Arum came up with silly excuses despite the 40 million offer. Pacquiao is not in a position to demand an even split with Mayweather. Mayweather does not need Pacquiao to get close to 50 million a fight no matter who he’s facing, however, Pacquiao needs Mayweather to sell his fights and get his biggest payday by far should he face him. Furthermore, anyone with some boxing knowledge will come to the conclusion that neither Pacquiao nor Canelo are capable of beating Mayweather.
DOMESTIC ABUSE :
What happened with Mayweather and the mother of his children is sad and regrettable. It is wrong to hit a women or anybody for that matter. However, no one saw what really happened. No pictures surfaced. Mayweather openly regretted the incident and said he wishes nothing but the best to the mother of his children. He paid his debt to society and did so as a man. When asked about his case and the possibility of doing time, he answered : “it is what is, it’s going to be what’s it’s going to be”. He didn’t start crying or blaming people, no, he accepted the outcome and you got to respect that.
MONEY:
Mayweather is the highest paid athlete in the history of sports and he let you know it. That’s fine with me. He earned it by himself, without any endorsements, and he can spend it the way he see fit. He should not be hated for it. He lives a comfortable life, enjoys the finer things in life and makes the people around him happy. Isn’t that the purpose of having money? Live and let live.
Mayweather is the most entertaining, talented and smartest boxer to ever lace up. Never beaten, never solved . He is the living, breathing mystery of boxing.
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