Double standards(Floyd article)

[Maxshayne]

THE MAYWEATHER, MOSLEY, MARQUEZ AND MANNY DOUBLE STANDARD!
By Greg Rowe

One would think that with the news of its biggest star coming out of retirement to once again join the ranks of the elite’s that its writers, experts, critics and fans would welcome them back with open arms and wrap their arms around them and beg that they stay much like an ending of Full House (you remember that show right? The one where three single guys lived together helping take care of the one’s three daughters and calling them selves Uncle Jesse and Uncle Joey that always ended up having drama or problems but always ended up giving each other a big hug and kiss at the end of each episode; ones that would make the Partridge family jealous) but that isn’t the case when it comes to boxing for some strange reason.

Take a look at Basketball for example, Michael Jordan came back what twice and was greeted with open arms, Hockey was the same way when Mario Lemieux ended a 3 ½ year layoff to rejoin the Pittsburgh Penguins the league, its players and its fans were thrilled to have such a wonderful piece of its history return so that possibly a new generation of fans could enjoy watching them play. For some reason most Boxing fans, critics and writers have no problem bashing Mayweather for coming back and fighting a tough guy like Marquez. Is it because they wanted him to come back and fight Pacquiao right away? How about Shane Mosley or Miguel Cotto?


Whatever the reason may be we can always be sure of one thing when it comes to Mayweather, whoever he fights he should always be fighting someone else, there will always be a different challenger and it seems as if most in the sport wish he could just get in the ring and whack 5 guys a night. This only seems to come into play when the name Floyd Mayweather, Jr is brought up. For example lets take a look at the guy most want to see Mayweather match up against next Manny Pacquiao. For his part Manny has had a good past 17 months in Mayweather’s absence having claimed the mythical P4P number ranking in the world a title some feel he deserves and a title some feel is a paper title having seen Mayweather walk away undefeated. In his past 2 fights the Pacman has gobbled up future Hall of Famer Oscar De la Hoya and the ever popular Ricky Hatton of England on his way to around between 1.8 and 2 million PPV buys (depending on your source) by far the most in a 2 fight span in Mayweather’s absence. My problem with those two fights isn’t the numbers rather the hype and stature Pacquiao has gotten from the fights considering Floyd Mayweather fought the same guys back to back in 2007 and did almost double the numbers including a record 2.5 million buys and over 19 million in live gate in less than an hour. Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum has recently laughed at a 60/40 split in Mayweather’s favor stating that Manny deserves

“Oscar style Splits”. Sure whatever, ok Bob how is life on mars? Sure Mayweather didn’t stop De la Hoya and Manny did but Floyd also fought Oscar at his Natural weight of 154 pounds while Manny and his camp made Oscar literally kill himself to make 147 (it was noted even by Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach that he saw a trickle of blood down Oscar’s arm noting that they had given him and IV minutes before the fight indicating an easy night for Manny). Let me pose this question to the boxing world, “ why would Oscar De la Hoya being the smart guy he is and being around the sport as long as he has come in at 145 for a fight contracted at 147? Why would he come in 2 pounds lighter then the fight weight?” Here is an answer that the boxing world and those at HBO might not like: maybe the fight wasn’t contracted at 147 but maybe a catch weight of 145? There are things that happen behind closed doors that the public isn’t made aware of. Just sit and think about that for a minute, Oscar knows how much and extra 2 or 3 pounds can kill you so why would he come in that light? Not to mention Floyd had to wear the gloves Oscar wanted which were giant padded Cleto Reyes 10oz gloves (Mayweather has since called them pillows) as appose to Manny's compact 8oz gloves (go google pics from the two fights and see the difference in the gloves Floyd wore and the gloves Manny wore), a smaller ring and making Oscar come down in weight. Next up is Floyd’s 10th round KO over Ricky Hatton as oppose to Pacquiao’s 2nd round steam roll over the same opponent.

[Maxshayne]

While one can always argue that a 2nd round KO is more impressive than a 10th round KO we must also use intelligence and our boxing brains to look at the circumstances of the two much like the De la Hoya fights. When Mayweather fought Hatton in December of 2007 he was moving down in weight from 154 to 147 and fighting a raw, hungry and undefeated Ricky Hatton, one accustom to winning not loosing unlike the Hatton Manny Pacquiao fought just a month ago who didn’t move his head, feet, use a jab or have the same confidence as the guy Mayweather knocked out 17 months ago. The weight in this writers humble opinion matters little in these arguments for I feel that what fights come down to is skill and smarts, a great fighter will always beat a good fighter, a good fighter and average fighter and so on. If weight is such a big deal then why have guys like Henry Armstrong, Sugar Ray Robinson, Sugar Ray Leonard and Pernell Whitaker built legends on moving multiple weight classes and carrying on their skill and still winning fights against bigger opponents? Every one of the previous fighters I have named is in the Hall of Fame. So why are these fighters considered gods of the two fisted combat art known as boxing and a guy like Floyd Mayweather Jr who does the same only remains undefeated in doing so considered a chump or a fraud? Is it his level of opposition? Is it his attitude? I can remember Sugar Ray Leonard telling Roberto Duran he didn’t want to beat him, he wanted to kill him. Whatever it may be through out Mayweather’s career there seems to be a double standard when talking about him or of him. Which leads me to a possible match up with Shane Mosley. Now I am sure just like many of you I have been able to catch Mosley on ESPN or on various blogs on YouTube videos claiming Mayweather is ducking him or whatever.

Now correct me if I am wrong boxing buffs but didn’t Mayweather want to fight Shane after the second Vargas fight in which Shane proclaimed live to everyone watching HBO PPV that he had a sore tooth and needed a vacation? Or did everyone miss that or let it slip their minds? Whatever the case you can YouTube that too. But this goes back even further then the second Vargas fight it goes back almost 10 years ago when Floyd was at 130 and Shane at 135 and Mayweather said he wanted Shane and Shane’s dad Jack said they would fight him for 8 figures when Shane was making low 7 figures and I mean low 7 figures. What does that say to you? To me when you purposely price yourself out of a fight by that kind of a margin it means I thing: your scared and don’t want the fight. Mosley can say whatever he wants to the mainstream public but true boxing fans know what it is; he is at the end of his career and he needs Mayweather to make the kind of payday he has craved his entire career only problem is where was he when Mayweather and himself were young and Floyd wanted that same chance? But now its ok to call a guy out and spread lies to the public and tell which bits and pieces of the truth that you feel necessary to make a fight happen. That’s fine, I am more than 100% positive Shane will get his shot at Mayweather sometime soon down the road and we will all be witness to what the truth is and isn’t in that matter. Floyd himself has brought up some great points since his return most notably grilling ESPN’s Brian Kenny who seems to be in the majority of Mayweather haters along with his sidekick Dan Rafael. The two are very good at down playing Floyd and his Career accomplishments having never laced up a glove in their lives. Mayweather brought up points to Kenny that I think all boxing fans should listen to and analyze. The fact of the matter is Pacquiao is getting credit for beating Floyd’s leftovers as well as people trashing his match up with Juan Manuel Marquez (a fighter most feel beat Pacquaio twice) saying he is too big for him etc.

This goes back to my view that skills win fights not weight. People want to see Mayweather fight Pacquaio who is the same size as Marquez but now Floyd is too big for him. Or that De La Hoya was too old and washed up but when Manny beats him it’s the greatest upset ever. Like Floyd himself has said many times, “Which one is it”? Regardless of how you feel as a fight fan about these many subjects one thing is for certain, the sports best fighter is back and he wants to fight Juan Manuel Marquez, Manny Pacquiao and Shane Mosley in his next three fights and last time I check those 3 fighters were ranked Number 1,2 and 4 by Ring ****zine in their P4P rankings. Is there another fighter that could or would fight those 3 guys back-to-back-to-back coming off an almost 2 year layoff? Say what you want about Mr. Mayweather he is coming back with a vengeance and going straight to the top to prove he belongs in the same breath as Henry Armstrong, Ray Robinson, Muhammad Ali and Ray Leonard before him. A giant amongst men. Mayweather’s career has been nothing short of phenomenal so far and we are about to see part 2, we haven’t seen a guy put together the total package like this guy can while staying undefeated, he is a special fighter and we should treat him that way because a fighter of his skill level and stature only comes along every so often just ask Ali, Leonard, Whitaker and Jones Jr.

And finally to further illustrate the Mayweather double standard lets take a look at the recent rumblings of a possible Pacquiao-Mosley showdown in October of this year and Andre Berto’s win over 140 title holder Juan Urango. The mere mention of these two names gets the boxing world excited no doubt just like the Mayweather-Marquez fight it would pin two of the top four P4P fighters in the world in the same ring, both big names and both exciting fighters. But upon further review it is obvious that in comparison Mosley is much bigger than Pacquiao, even more than Mayweather is to Marquez. Mosley is 5 ft 9 while Pacquiao is 5 ft 6 ½. Mayweather is 5 ft 8 while Marquez is just an inch shorter at 5 ft 7. Mosley has spent the past 7 or 8 years fighting at 147 and 154 pounds while Manny has had 1 fight at 147 pounds in his career, not to mention Shane walks around 10 to 15 pounds heavier than Manny while Mayweather walks around at the same weight Marquez does around 147 or 148 pounds. Marquez has said recently that he walks around at about 145. So why is it that a potential Pacquiao-Mosley fight is excepted and talked about as a great match-up even despite the big size difference and yet the Mayweather-Marquez fight which matches up two guys closer in actual size is looked at as a mismatch in size?

The stats are the stats my friends, so what is it really? The past week current WBC 147 pound champion Andre Berto shut out 140 pound champ Juan Urango in which HBO’s Max Kellerman was singing his praises and making a big deal out of him cruising to a win over a 140 alphabet champion like it was one of the greatest things he had ever seen. Yet it is looked at as a joke or mismatch when in 2007 Mayweather knocked out the real 140-pound champion who was undefeated at the time. Floyd was criticized for it and asked why he picked on a smaller man (a smaller man that walks around 30-35 pounds heavier than Mayweather does of course). So why is it called one way for one guy and another way for another guy? Isn’t a nickel a nickel? So if things work like that in the real world, why doesn’t it work that way in boxing? Isn’t what’s right, right and what’s wrong, wrong? Writers and analyst’s such as Brian Kenney and Dan Rafael of ESPN and Doug Fisher of Maxboxing seem to not understand these facts and that you need to tell both sides of a story in good journalism not just one side, the side you want to tell or make up. It seems to me a matter of skill and that no matter who Mayweather fights it will possibly be looked at like this because whatever it may be one thing is for sure, there is a Mayweather double standard and until we start to fix this problem as the boxing world from the inside out we will continue to tarnish the career of one of the greatest fighters of all time and it needs to stop. We need to build up our sport and its stars, not drag them down and trash their names.

What’s the point? Do we want to see boxing become a dying sport? If we don’t stop the blackballing and tarnishing of its top athletes that’s exactly what it will become, a dying sport. We need to help not only build our sport to the die hards but also to the general public and right now with Oscar De la Hoya retired the name the general public can most identify with is Floyd Mayweather, he is the key to the mainstream and he is our key to keeping our sport alive and well. Mayweather gives us a dose of reality that no other fighter gives us he tells things how they are and doesn’t sugar coat them. He seems to speak the closest version of the truth and it is refreshing. Isn’t it about time we returned the favor?

[cortdawg25]

This will always be when it comes to floyd. There will always be an excuse and they will always want him to fight somebody else while he is already fighting someone.

just think, consensus P4P #2 isn't good enough for a comabck fight after a 2 yr layoff.

A fighter who arguably beat the #1 P4p fighter twice isn't good enough for Floyd in hs comback fight after a 2 yr layoff

[Vasyl’s dad]

Jordan and Mario didn't refuse to play against the respective champions in the other conferences.

They didn't have the luxury of picking the middle of the pack or lower tier teams to face in the finals.


Horrible way to try and get a point across.

[MANGLER]

Vinny Pazienza

[larry x]

point well said..whoever floyd fights people will say he should be fighting someone else..after a 2 year layoff people want him to go str8 to a difficult fight but hell he's fighting the p4p#2 fighter in the world and that still aint good enough..i remember when it was beleived he wasnt gonna fight jmm people were already saying"floyds ducking jmm"

[S A M U R A I]

Vinny Pazienza

Don't stop the fight, mangler.





| |

[MANGLER]

Don't stop the fight, mangler.

[IMG]//www.******rtsmemorabilia.com/Images/Product/33-95/33-95573-F.jpg[/IMG]

You missed the Golden Corral talk yesterday Sam. I want some now. Didn't get to go yesterday. Can't go today either. Friday I'm hittin that **** homey.

[Xyei]

I got some new kicks today. Came via Fed Ex to my work. I ordered them last week. Old shoes were worn the fuck out. This is what I got.

Pretty sweet and they are super water repellent.

[MANGLER]

I got some new kicks today. Came via Fed Ex to my work. I ordered them last week. Old shoes were worn the fuck out. This is what I got.

Pretty sweet and they are super water repellent.

My present Nikes have held up a good while. I almost always wear my damn dress shoes nowadays. Stuck on this business professional ****. Always gotta look proper.