“Fighting Words” – Floyd Mayweather-Ricky Hatton: The Aftermath

by David P. Greisman

He was an acclaimed Olympic medalist, a flashy boxer-puncher who had gone on to capture the welterweight championship. He was a superstar who retired at what should have been the peak of his career, not once, but twice, leaving behind a potential match against an opponent who did most of his talking with his fists.

Marvin Hagler waited more than four years for Sugar Ray Leonard. How long will Miguel Cotto wait for Floyd Mayweather Jr.?

“I need a vacation. I’m not trying to call out no welterweights,” Mayweather said Saturday after scoring a brilliant 10th-round knockout over Ricky Hatton. “I’ve done what I had to do. Now it’s time for me to become a promoter.

“I won’t let the sport of boxing retire me,” he said. “I’ll retire from the sport.”

Undefeated. Thirty-nine wins, no losses. Floyd Mayweather Jr. captured championships at junior lightweight, lightweight and welterweight, and title belts at 140 and 154. He built himself into a pay-per-view attraction, a multimillionaire who could increase his fan base despite his propensity for playing the villain. He out-pointed Oscar De La Hoya in the biggest-ever boxing promotion, announcing his retirement immediately afterward. He soon returned to face Hatton, selling thousands upon thousands of the Mancunian Mauler’s countrymen on the premise that their hometown hero could try to shut the mouth of “Pretty Boy Floyd.”

“After that, my guess is you’ll never hear from him again. The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist. And like that… he’s gone.” ~Verbal Kint, The Usual Suspects

‘Money’ Walks

Yes, there’s only one Ricky Hatton. But there are two Floyd Mayweathers.

One Mayweather is brash and boisterous, confidence oozing over into cockiness. He is pound-for-pound the best in boxing. He is dollar-for-dollar living the high life. Why be “Pretty Boy Floyd” when you can have “Money.”

The other Mayweather is less public but just as important. A philanthropist who donates to those far less fortunate than he. A father to young children who will bloom under all he has fought to bring them.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. never toiled in obscurity, not since the moment the 1996 Olympic bronze medalist turned pro. As the next generation of the famed fighting family of Mayweathers, his pedigree would be one thing. His ability would be another.

One by one, Mayweather chopped down his opponents while the cameras watched and the commentators marveled. He won his first lineal championship just two years into his career. The sky was the limit.

He was too good for his own sake. He needed to be bad.

He denigrated Arturo Gatti. Taunted Oscar De La Hoya. Goaded Ricky Hatton. People took notice first for his words and then for his actions. A one-sided destruction of Gatti. A decision over De La Hoya. A clear knockout against Hatton.

And now, “Money” walks.

The transition was rapid, coming mere moments after his victory. Mayweather walked across the ring to his fallen foe for a ceremonial congratulation that proved to be anything but. Mayweather lingered, consoling a man who had the rug pulled out from beneath him, his undefeated record erased, his expectations shattered. Mayweather, whose accomplishments had come from a combination of natural talent and preternatural dedication, made time for someone less gifted than he.

And now, time for himself.

Mayweather says he will take two years off, with 2008 and 2009 dedicated to the next phase in his life. His children are young. His promotional venture, barely developed.

Other fighters have started their own promotional companies. Most have been shells propped up by network money, rarely producing any shows not starring the fighter himself. Others have attempted legitimacy: De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions has lasted much longer than Sugar Ray Leonard’s short-lived outfit. Mayweather will need to put in as much work as a promoter as he did when preparing for a fight.

‘Blue Moon’ – Not Standing Alone

The fight was over. Referee Joe Cortez had pulled Floyd Mayweather Jr. away, and seconds later Ricky Hatton’s corner threw a towel into the ring. Hatton was flat on his back.

And still the trumpets blared. And still the fans chanted.

“There’s only one Ricky Hatton.”

Disappointment. Hatton had built a following so loyal that thousands had flown to Las Vegas to see him challenge Mayweather and thousands more had made the trip to support him despite their inability to see the fight in person. Losing is one thing. But the thought of possibly having lett down your family, your friends, your city and your country?

And still the trumpets blared. And still the fans cheered.

Love. It’s sticking by those you care for when life gets difficult. It’s propping them up when they’ve fallen down. Mayweather sent Ricky Hatton to the canvas twice. Manchester will help him recuperate.

The city’s third franchise fought 16 times in his hometown, compiling an undefeated record and capturing a championship. He will return to begin again.

The battleground will have to be junior welterweight. Despite his tendency to drink beer, eat fried foods and gain weight, Hatton is best suited for the 140-pound division. In his two appearances seven pounds north, Hatton escaped with a close win over Luis Collazo and was knocked out by Mayweather. At 147, the opponents are either too big or too strong.

The thought had been that Hatton could bully Mayweather, using his mauling tactics to win the battle on the inside, to wear Mayweather down with body shots and constant pressure.

In truth, Mayweather out-Hattoned Hatton.

Mayweather more than held his own against Hatton, negating the Mancunian’s offense with some clinching of his own and a well-placed left forearm to the neck. And at a distance, Mayweather had all of his usual advantages: speed and intelligence, which combined together as the fantastic counter left hook that stunned Hatton and sent him down for the first time in the 10th, softening his legs for the finishing onslaught.

Home. It’s where Hatton can fight in front of his usual crowds without asking them to pay thousands of pounds and fly thousands of miles. It’s where matches await, be it unification bouts with Junior Witter or Gavin Rees, both of whom hold belts at 140, both of whom call the United Kingdom home.

The trumpets will blare. The fans will cheer.

Miguel Cotto – Odd Man Out

Marvin Hagler waited more than four years for Sugar Ray Leonard. How long will Miguel Cotto wait for Floyd Mayweather Jr.?

He won a technical knockout over Zab Judah. He out-worked Shane Mosley. He earned himself recognition as the top welterweight not named Mayweather. Where is the reward?

Good things come to those who wait, but Mayweather may never come back.

It’s time for Cotto to take advantage.

Like the heavyweights without Lennox Lewis, like the super middleweights without Joe Calzaghe, the rest of the welterweights will jockey for top billing, for the right to claim the 147-pound division as their own. Kermit Cintron and Paul Williams may hold belts, but, suddenly, all roads lead to Miguel Cotto.

In the time after Sugar Ray Leonard retired, Marvin Hagler outpointed Roberto Duran and knocked out Juan Roldan, Mustafa Hamsho, Thomas Hearns and John Mugabi. By the time Leonard came back, it was as if “Sugar Ray” needed “Marvelous Marvin” more than Hagler needed Leonard.

Mayweather doesn’t need Cotto. Mayweather may never need Cotto. Cotto doesn’t necessarily need Mayweather, either. But the bout is the one fight that fans would love to see. Hagler-Leonard took more than four years. How long will we wait for Mayweather-Cotto?

The 10 Count

1.  On the undercard to Mayweather-Hatton, former 168-pound titlist Jeff Lacy won a 10-round unanimous decision over first-season “Contender” runner-up Peter Manfredo Jr. in a bout between two Joe Calzaghe victims. Only one would be able to move forward toward super middleweight contention now that the Welsh champion is leaving the division. That man ended up being Lacy, who sent Manfredo to the canvas in the fourth and who went on to win by scores of 97-92, 96-93 and 95-94.

Lacy hadn’t fought in a year, taking time off for injuries to his left shoulder and rotator cuff. Whether the effects linger or if Lacy was merely shaking off ring rust will determine the former International Boxing Federation beltholder’s course of action.

If Lacy’s range of motion on his left side has been compromised, then the man known as “Left Hook” will need to adjust his offense to accentuate his remaining strengths. Otherwise, Lacy might just need to follow a path recently taken by Vernon Forrest, who had been contending for years with his own lingering injuries. Forrest needed time and activity to get back into form, but he’s looked stellar of late.

As for Manfredo, the Lacy defeat will set “the Pride of Providence” back much further than had his premature stoppage loss to Calzaghe earlier this year. Again, activity is key: In the wake of Calzaghe’s expected migration to light heavyweight, the 168-pound weight class will be left wide open for the contenders and pretenders to sort themselves out. Manfredo, in taking on all comers, would soon see just where he belongs.

2.  Daniel Ponce De Leon did himself no favors in selling a potential showdown with the winner of the trilogy between junior featherweights Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez, taking a sloppy 12-round decision over Eduardo Escobedo.

Much of the blame can be directed toward Escobedo, who quickly transitioned from smart boxing and effective counter shots in the first stanza to awkward action and the shunning of most confrontation throughout a majority of the remaining 11 heats.

Nevertheless, Ponce De Leon looked slow and one-dimensional while attempting to hunt Escobedo down. That knock isn’t new – the common retort being “What a one dimension it is.” But what Escobedo was able to do was land cleanly whenever he wanted with quicker, straight power shots, a vulnerability that Gerry Penalosa exposed in Ponce De Leon earlier this year. And unlike Penalosa, Vazquez and Marquez are 122-pounders who carry some major power. Should Ponce De Leon indeed move on toward facing either man, the collision will be brief and explosive.

3.  In the pay-per-view’s opening bout, Edner Cherry scored a one-punch knockout over fellow lightweight Wes Ferguson, ending the young prospect’s night with a single left hook.

Cherry and Ferguson had first faced off six months prior, with Cherry taking a 10-round unanimous decision on the June 13 edition of ESPN2’s “Wednesday Night Fights.” That bout didn’t exactly need a rematch, but because Ferguson is a Mayweather protégé, he was able to seek revenge under the spotlight.

Cherry turned his lights out.

A left hook earlier in the sixth sent Ferguson to the canvas. He rose, only to be caught again in a later exchange, this left hook sending him crashing down hard. Ferguson gamely attempted to get up, but his bearings had landed somewhere out in the cheap seats.

With the win, Cherry has probably earned himself another ESPN2 main event – the lightweight picture is far too packed for there to be much else available. A bout with Julio Diaz would guarantee action.

Ferguson, meanwhile, is far too young to be facing the wall. The Michigan native turned pro a month after his 18th birthday, working his way through the usual suspects until his pairing with Cherry. After these two losses in short succession, Ferguson drops to 17-3-1, with 5 wins by way of knockout. Perhaps it is time for the now-22-year-old to hang up the gloves, invest his winnings and enjoy his youth.

4.  It took HBO blow-by-blow announcer Jim Lampley until the seventh round of Lacy-Manfredo, the last prelim bout before the main event, to realize the obvious: “This is an underperforming undercard.” It’s a shame that pay-per-view buy rates tend to be based more than ever these days on the headline bout. Saturday’s three-bout undercard offering unfortunately ended up being about quantity over quality.

5.  In overseas action, Arthur Abraham retained his middleweight title with a fifth-round technical knockout of Wayne Elcock.

Abraham first earned his 160-pound standing two years ago, capturing the IBF belt that had been vacated by then-middleweight champion Jermain Taylor. Since then, Abraham has run off a string of six successful defenses, outpointing Shannan Taylor, Kofi Jantuah and Edison Miranda, and stopping Sebastien Demers, Khoren Gevor and Elcock.

A unification bout with Felix Sturm, who also fights out of Germany, has long been available. Abraham, however, seems to be setting his sights on coming to America to challenge the winner of this February’s rematch between Kelly Pavlik and Jermain Taylor.

That might not work.

Pavlik and Taylor’s second go-around is being contested at a maximum of 166 pounds, allowing extra leeway for two fighters who have long drained their lean frames. Should Taylor win, he would probably remain at super middleweight, and a rubber match with Pavlik would be inevitable. Pavlik, if victorious, could return to 160 to defend his middleweight championship, or the comfort of 168 might prove too enticing.

Abraham is clearly the number-three guy in his division. Now he merely needs to move beyond the proverbial third wheel.

6.  Elsewhere in Europe, lightweight prospect Amir Khan celebrated his 21st birthday and then snuffed out Graham Earl, needing just 72 seconds to finish off his British compatriot.

Khan, who earned a silver medal at the 2004 Olympics, is barely two years into his professional career, and his ledger reflects continued development. Khan has fought 15 times in 29 months, including 5 times in 2007. The Earl win is perhaps his biggest to date, a victory over one half of one of this year’s better slugfests.

Time is on Khan’s side. His budding stardom in the United Kingdom can allow him to fight often against increasingly difficult opposition while gaining recognition from his competition. In due time, he will be ready to challenge the lightweight elite, both physically and promotionally.

7.  Did Khan have dinner reservations?

8. Westward in the United Kingdom, middleweight prospect John Duddy remained undefeated with a close 10-round decision victory against former 160-pound contender Howard Eastman, winning 96-94 on the referee’s sole scorecard.

Duddy, whose first 20 outings were in the United States, has made his last three appearances across the pond, essentially building a multinational franchise in New York City, Ireland and Northern Ireland. But while his fans might not mind, Duddy has yet to truly make the step from prospect to contender – his two biggest wins have been a rough 12-round decision over the battle-worn Yory Boy Campas and an out-pointing of Eastman, whose five losses have come in his last seven fights.

9.  Earlier in the week, Monte Barrett scored a second-round stoppage win against Cliff Couser, earning revenge five months after the former heavyweight contender suffered a surprising technical knockout loss to the 36-year-old journeyman.

Barrett, of course, will celebrate the win, but observers will note the circumstances surrounding his victory. Quite simply, Couser appeared to show up physically and little else, throwing all of 11 punches in the first round and then crumbling under a Barrett barrage in the second.

For his part, Barrett did everything right for a 36-year-old coming off of three consecutive losses. He tipped the scales at a lean 213 pounds, his lowest weight since the first year of his professional career. And he put away an opponent who definitely didn’t belong in the same ring as him that night. But Barrett will need more before he can challenge again in boxing’s marquee division. That might involve returning to where he was four years ago, when he was the B-side in match-ups with Joe Mesi and Dominick Guinn. After all, it was Barrett’s close loss to Mesi and split decision over Guinn that originally led to his resurrection.

There are prospects out there in need of a test – can Barrett capitalize on their inexperience?

10.  Boxers Behaving Badly update: Travis Kauffman has rescinded his guilty plea in a case alleging that the heavyweight prospect raped a 12-year-old girl in January 2005, according to Pennsylvania’s Reading Eagle.

Kauffman had pleaded guilty in June and was scheduled for sentencing in September. Instead, he will face trial in March 2008, represented by a new lawyer in place of his former attorney.

“He was led to believe that the evidence against him was overwhelming and that a plea deal was his only viable option,” Jack McMahon, Kauffman’s Philadelphia-based attorney, said to the Eagle. “Upon more careful analysis of the plea and the case against him, Kauffman wishes to proceed to a jury trial.”

Kauffman faces five to 10 years in prison if found guilty on the rape charge. He also has another case pending on allegations that he sold marijuana to undercover police officers on three separate occasions in March 2004.

Kauffman turned pro in January 2006, compiling a 10-0 record with 7 victories coming by way of knockout. He last fought in April, winning an eight-round decision over Dan Whetzel.

David P. Greisman’s weekly column, “Fighting Words,” appears every Monday on krikya360.com. He may be reached for questions and comments at fightingwords1@gmail.com