Floyd
Mayweather Jr. should fight in the ring, or just go away.
By
Mike Cassell 3/22/08
I am tired of heari=
ng
all lip service from the people who defend the mouth and antics of Floyd
Mayweather Jr. 39 – 0 (25 KO’s) His
talent is undeniable, but deciding to put on a farce with a bunch of allegedly steroid ridden actors in=
the
WWE, as opposed to fighting “real” competition in the boxing ring, is somet=
hing
that bother boxing fans everywhere. I am referring to his latest publicity
stunt in which he is going to act out a wrestling match with the WWE’s 440lb
“Big Show”. Let’s face it; it is n=
ot
like there isn’t anybody out there to fight. There is a tremendous amount of
talent in the lower weight classes with men who have earned the right to
challenge Mayweather legitimately. Instead
of taking a shot at Cotto, Margarito, Quintana, Clottey, Cintron, and many
deserved others; he decides to waste the precious time he has left in his
career, embarrassing himself and the game of boxing for one thing and one t=
hing
only, money. At some point, he needs to take a cold hard look at what he sa=
ys
he is, and what he actually is. Kind of like his perception and actual real=
ity.
It is hard for me to
defend De La Hoya fighting Steve Forbes, but at least he is fighting someon=
e in
the world of reality. Does Forbes have a real chance, probably not, but De =
La
Hoya is man enough to give Forbes a shot, that’s real. Mayweather is not ge=
tting
any younger and his time is becoming his biggest opponent. Maybe he just has
enough money, or maybe he is bucking for some lame reality show. But I know
that in the real world, fans want to see the best, fight the best. At this
point in time, he is the best, and in his perceived superstardom, he can pr=
etty
do whatever he wants, whenever he wants to, and when an athlete has that fr=
ame
of mind, it is usually the sign of the end. As Miguel Cotto keeps busy and
builds a bigger fan base, Mayweather’s value will continue to dwindle until=
he
steps in the ring. Most fans don’t care if he can dance or act, they just w=
ant
to see him fight. Maybe that’s a reality he needs to come to terms with bef=
ore
it is too late. It is a hard lesson to learn, just ask Roy Jones Jr.
In the late 90’s, R=
oy
Jones Jr. was a monster in the game of boxing. It was comical to watch him =
face
world class competition in the boxing ring only hours after playing in a fu=
ll
court basketball game. It got to the point to where he began to live the
perception he created of his own invincibility. He thought he could do anyt=
hing
and the fans would always be there. And then reality hit home after his
knockout losses to Antonio Tarver and Gen Johnson. He became a ghost and fo=
und
himself marching around the United States looking for a fight. He himself h=
as
recently been quoted as saying he took his career for granted, and he should
have did more to preserve his god given talent as well as his legacy. He was
lucky enough to get another shot, but he is acutely aware that those shots =
are
few and far between at this point in his career. Mayweather should heed the=
Roy
Jones lesson and make a serious professional finish to his already brilliant
career. It is something that his loyal fans want, but more importantly, it’=
s a
reality they deserve.