Floyd Mayweather JR: The Manny Pacquiao Loss
By Gina L. Caliboso
As we are now in the third week of September, I’ve always enjoyed the onset of fall – a time of renewal and growth.
Let me continue …
The frolicking days of summer long gone and into the leaves of fall serve as a reminder that the harshness of winter will be upon us. All right, I’m from Los Angeles, and as some of you may or may not know, we can hardly see a change of seasons here. But the idea is the same.
Here it is September 2010 and the megafight between Mayweather, JR., and Manny Pacquiao did not happen, and instead I’m doling out weather clichés to match my mood. The only truth about my falling leaves analogy is that Floyd Mayweather, JR., should really take this time as an opportunity for renewal and growth. As one friend told me when I underwent a breakup, AFGO (another f’ing growth opportunity), I believe Money Mayweather, JR., should take a hard look at his boxing life and create some growth for the better.
Floyd is now basically in a boxing gym, or ring, thinking and perusing about the “shoulda, woulda, coulda.” In a past life, I was an English teacher and I self correct at “Should” “Would ” and “Could.” But let’s break this down, Mayweather should fight Pacquiao. Mayweather would fight Pacquiao. And, finally, Mayweather could fight Pacquiao.
It all lies in the determination that one of the greatest welterweights should fight another great welterweight. I’ve always believed that a boxer has a level of fight on steroids (no pun intended here) or a level of competition that in the truest form of combat, comes out with moments of greatness. As much as it would be easy to criticize Mayweather JR’s recent exploits, as many websites have pointed out, he is slowly become yet another poster boy for a sport that has its share of bad boys that never do right.
Take the fight away from the boxer and you merely have a man. And remember, Mayweather, JR., has mentally put himself at greatness and backed it up in the ring. Suddenly, with nothing else to focus on, Mayweather the man, not the boxer, is showing he is exactly a mortal man just trying to make good in the only thing he knows how to do. Take the one good thing he knows how to do and he doesn’t have much – his ego, maybe, but who pays attention to ego.
Who at this point cares about anything Mayweather, JR., does?
I guess in a way, I do care about Mayweather, JR., because I think he remains the best competition for Pacquiao. For as much as Floyd may have all the personality and makes the perfect archenemy for Pacquiao, I do love seeing Money fight.
In his fight against Mosley, in the round when he got clocked and his legs wobbled a bit, Mayweather elevated his level of competition and fought out of the fight against Mosley. He kept his game while Mosley got psyched out of his own game plan. I thought it was a wonderful fight. I rooted for Mosley to win, to show something to elevate his boxing to something higher than Mayweather. But he didn’t do anything. He didn’t respond to the highest competition and he lost.
Upon his own admission, Mosley attempted to find the knockout when he should have just fought.
As the boxing world waited for the final signatures on the fight, nothing happened. Our website reported it was a done deal, then suddenly nothing…it collapsed. The rumor of the eventual signing ran rampant, internet news, social networks, all started to circulate the final word as a fight date drew close. And, then, it got ugly.
We waited.
Nothing.
The “he said” words of boxing started to turn in on itself with neither fighter ever responding with anything concrete.
Mayweather, JR., is the only person that can give insight into how things have unfolded the last few weeks. Like I believe, as a boxing writer, the true fight takes place in the ring. Yes, I love the trash talk. Yes, I love the staredowns and tussling at the weigh-ins. But it all boils down to who shows up to fight once the bell rings. It’s nostalgic yes, but I guess the fall does that to me. I look now at the past year, I shrug my shoulders and think the Mayweather – Pacquiao bout should be happening, it would be happening, and well, I’m an optimist. It could happen. But instead, we look at Mayweather and just think, he lost his opportunity to fight Pacquiao when he failed to make it happen.
Floyd needs a fight – and soon.
So what’s next for the man known as “Money?” Movie career maybe. I think about the current release “The Expendables” and it answers the obvious question, “Whatever happened to…?” For Floyd Mayweather, JR., there’s always a possibility of a comeback, but I ask: “What’s happening to Floyd Mayweather JR now?”
Only he can decide, only he can determine his next step … but really … who cares unless it’s not about another fight?
Read what Singer Robbie Dupree had to say about Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather, JR.