Disclaimer: Do not place bets based on any information obtained in this blog. Never trust an addict.
After Manny Pacquiao’s somewhat pointless victory over Joshua “No Punch” Clottey on Saturday night, it became more clear than ever that there’s really only one matchup boxing fans want to see: Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao. Since Pacquiao is the obvious good guy in this pairing, all of the typical boxing politics that have prevented the fight from happening have been blamed on the Mayweather camp.
Bad Blood
Its one thing that Floyd “Money” Mayweather Jr. doesn’t get credit as one of the greatest athletes in the world (which he is) but when people are unjustly calling him out in his seldom-covered sport of boxing, things have gone too far. I understand that he is basically the least likable personality in sports and Manny Pacquiao is just the opposite, but we still have to look at the situation somewhat objectively. When Mayweather called for prefight blood testing that would cover all traceable PEDs, Pacquiao would not agree with the terms for “superstitious” reasons. Ah, the old “don’t draw blood within 30 days of a fight” superstition… I think it’s a Filipino thing…
Devil’s Advocate
People were quick to hang this all on Mayweather, claiming he must not want to fight Pacquiao, but it seems to me that many of these casual boxing fans, and sportswriters who haven’t watched a fight since Tyson took a bite out of Holyfield’s ear, are saying anything they can to save the reputation of the lovable Manny Pacquiao. I see the situation differently: I say Mayweather knows he can beat Pacuiao as long as there’s no funny stuff. I say, despite the fact that Mayweather’s request was unprecedented, he wanted to prove that the sport of boxing was clean in the biggest fight in recent history. I say Pacquiao didn’t think he could balance his political campaign while training for a fight against the true greatest pound-for-pound boxer on the planet, Floyd Mayweather Jr., unless he had a little “extra help”.
I’ve never witnessed an athlete taking so much heat for encouraging drug testing and attempting to make sure their sport was clean. I can't help but think that if the tables were turned and Pacquiao was calling for testing that Mayweather rejected, Mayweather would then be bashed for doping and would still be accused of dodging the fight.
The Aftermath
When the fight fell through, Mayweather made a statement by agreeing to fight the only other guy who deserves a shot at either of them, Shane Moseley. A proven veteran fighter with a big name who is much better at this point in his career than many people think he is. Meanwhile, Pacquiao threw up a garbage fight against Joshua Clottey that was more painful to watch than Pacquiao singing on Jimmy Kimmel Live!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igZKHOnS25c
Clottey’s unorthodox “don’t fight back” strategy did get him through 12 rounds, although he basically lost every one of them on every scorecard.
When a fighter gets to a point in his career when he’s considered one of the all-time greats, he should only bother taking fights against other great fighters. That is what Mayweather is trying to do and that is what Pacquiao should do.
The Bottom Line
I’m not a fan of Floyd Mayweather Jr. the man, but having watched his first ever title defense and basically all of his matches over the last 12 years, its impossible to say I’m not a fan of Floyd Mayweather Jr. the boxer. While everyone always calls for his head and claims he dodges the best contenders, he always ends up fighting them and beating them convincingly.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. will beat Shane Mosley on May 1, he will schedule a fight with Manny Pacquiao that will take place before the end of 2010 (I’ll say September) and Floyd Mayweather Jr. will beat Manny Pacquiao regardless of what kind of testing is issued, and they will both make a lot of money. I’ve always said its never a good idea to bet against Floyd Mayweather Jr., too bad I’m not a gambling man or I’d be very rich from that theory (40-0). When it comes to boxing: Always put your money on Money.
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