By Kenneth Bouhairie
http://www.fightbeat.com
I've been a Floyd Mayweather Jr. fan for ten years, ever since he dismantled Genaro Hernandez for his first world title. I marveled at how easily he destroyed Diego Corrales; I was enthralled by his toe-to-toe war with Jesus Chavez. Floyd was under-paid and underrated--I couldn't wait to see him flaunt his skills against a box-office draw.
Today, my boy stands at the cusp of greatness; four million per fight, two successful pay-per-views and the top slot on every pound for pound list. The man who once called a six-fight, twelve million dollar deal from HBO a "slave contract" is now their poster boy. Like so many of his predecessors, however, he's forgotten how he got there. But I haven't. I haven't forgotten how he manhandled Augustus, Corrales, Hernandez and Chavez in a span of about a year. Then fought Jose Luis Castillo. Twice.
That version of Mayweather is fading fast. This Pretty Boy is a businessman; one who'll take on a pug coming off a loss rather than fight the one who handed it to him. The 2006 Floyd will weigh all options, at least until someone other than Antonio Margarito makes himself available.
The first act was forgivable. Baldomir upsetting Mayweather seemed unlikely. Zab's loss to the Argentine didn’t derail the anticipation of the all Hip-Hop showdown. But the snubbing of Margarito is inexcusable and I am tired of conjuring up reasons to explain away Floyd's recent actions.
What am I supposed to tell his doubters now? Floyd's got a November date and can't seem to find a partner. Shane Mosley has declared he would need at least two fights at 147 before tackling Floyd. Ricky Hatton's new excuse is Oktay Urkal (although he should be giving Luis Collazo a rematch as Floyd did with Castillo). Miguel Cotto has some healing to do. Cory Spinks? The winner of Baldomir-Gatti? I'll let someone else attempt to justify that one.
That eight million pound elephant in the living room is getting awfully hard to ignore. Why won't Floyd fight Antonio Margarito? Some say it's because Margarito is more lore than legend. Who has he beaten, they cry? I once used that argument until I forced myself to face reality.
FACT: Antonio Margarito is the longest reigning champion at welterweight.
The Tijuana native hasn't lost at 147 in ten years, since dropping a decision to Rodney Jones at the ripe old age of 18. His only defeat in that time was when he moved up a division to fight Daniel Santos in the Boricua's backyard--a technical split decision after nine. He performed admirably, out-brawling and, at times, outboxing Santos with his underrated jab and combinations.
After stopping "Six Heads" Lewis in '03, Margarito fell to the greater war between promoter Bob Arum and archrival Don King. King, in his infinite wisdom, ignored HBO's push for a Margarito-Ricardo Mayorga showdown in favor of one with another stable-mate, the aforementioned Spinks. Spinks then lost to the title to...you guessed it. Another King fighter.
This brings us to today. Guess who's still around?
FACT: Foe for Foe, Margarito Is The Division's Best Fighter
It’s easy to pick apart a fighter’s resume. I’ve even heard some lambaste Mayweather’s as if he were a fraud. They may not be dazzling, but Margarito's victories at 147lbs. are far more respectable than the other champions. Kermit Cintron and Hercules Kyvelos, two undefeated up and comers, were dispatched inside five. Antonio Diaz, Danny Perez and Six Heads weren't puffed up either. Mayweather has been at welter for less than a year, I would argue. But it would be a crime if he left without handing Margarito the same opportunity Arturo Gatti gave him.
FACT: Styles Make Fights
Nothing on Ricky Hatton's resume suggested he could beat an accomplished champion like Kostya Tszyu. But those who saw Tszyu's battering at the hands of Vince Phillips knew the chances of an upset were high. Hatton combined his mauling style with Phillips' perfect blueprint to stop Tszyu in eleven.
Mayweather has made some of the world's best look like amateurs. But he struggled against Jose Luis Castillo twice, almost staining his pristine record the first time. Yeah, I know he won the second fight handily but do you remember how insecure he sounded asking his corner if he was winning? The similarities between Margarito and the pre-Mayweather Castillo are astounding: Two 28 yr. old fighters from Mexico with four losses a piece; battle-tested champions with the size, strength and skill to hammer any pug in their weight class. Castillo used his strength advantage to keep the smaller Mayweather pinned against the ropes while pounding him with body shots and uppercuts.
Ultimately, Floyd's craftsmanship has always shone through. I don't know if Margarito is as refined. However, he's no John Ruiz--talent and technique won't be enough to overcome his size advantages. As all of Tono's opponents learned, he possesses enough skill to draw you in a war with him, rather than forcing the issue. Would Mayweather be able to do what he did to Castillo against a natural welter?
I don't want to sound skeptical but my customized chinchilla trunks are perilously close to becoming Salvation Army material. I hope my boy isn't avoiding Margarito. But I’ve grown weary waiting. A young, hungry champion--a man after his own heart--is calling him out and a fight on November 4th can still be made. The other opponents have bowed out; even Mosley believes Floyd should fight Tono. And he has eight million reasons to do it. Isn’t a career-high payday a sound business decision?
I still favor Mayweather to beat anyone in the division, including Margarito. He's far more skilled and, properly settled into the weight, should be able to handle Tono's onslaught. But not without a fight. And that's what I want to see, not Mayweather-Spinks, Mayweather-Cintron or any of the other names that have been bandied about lately.
Silence the critics or increase the doubters.
What's it gonna be, Floyd?
ON ANOTHER NOTE
It's Official: Mayweather is the new Roy Jones. The flashy, ultra-talented fighters established credentials early in their careers and used it to maximize earnings later. What's striking, however, is how these two have managed to polarize fans and the sites they frequent. Two writers from separate internet sites have turned the Mayweather debate into an all-out British Parliament brawl.
Doug Fischer of MaxBoxing tells readers, “I don’t suck a fighter’s d_ck. Never have, never will. That’s for other websites and you know who they are. When Mayweather was fighting badasses, I was comparing them to all-time greats. If Mayweather were beating top 15 P4P players (or top five and 10 players like PacMan) and giving linear champions hell like Wink, I wouldn’t be calling him a fraud and I’d have him in my no. 1 spot. But he isn’t doing that. He’s fighting former linear champs, like Judah. He’s fighting former title holders like Corley and Mitchell. The last linear champ he fought was Castillo, but it was too long ago to rate that over the recent work that Wright and Pacquiao have put in.”
The “other” website’s mouthpiece, BoxingTalk’s Greg Leon, retorts, “When you’re the best at what you do, there’s a certain level of hatred from peers, fans and the press that comes with that. Floyd is the victim of his own greatness. We expect more of him because he says he’s going to make easy work out of guys and then does just that.”
As usual, the truth lies somewhere in between. But the Mayweather fanfare begs the question: How does the media walk the tight line between providing fans unfettered access to their favorite subject and coddling him to the point of breast-feeding? There's nothing wrong with pointing out facts--facts which may not endear you to the fighter. I could’ve sworn that was part our job description. And Fischer makes some excellent points. It has been four years since Mayweather fought an elite opponent. However, I wouldn’t go as far as to put the Winkster or Pac-man ahead of him on the pound for pound list. Manny has lost recently and Wright’s dossier isn’t as impressive as Floyd’s.
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