Mayweather Jr Blast HBO

[CountryBoy]

Mayweather rips HBO announcers for racial bias

by David Mayo | The Grand Rapids Press Friday July 04, 2008, 3:41 PM


Jim Lampley
GRAND RAPIDS -- Floyd Mayweather, who often heard himself pointedly criticized on HBO boxing telecasts, responded in kind Friday, during his first post-retirement interview.
Mayweather criticized the network's announcers for a bias against black fighters, and for not treating their own indiscretions as seriously as those committed by people they cover, during an exclusive interview with The Press.
Mayweather, the Grand Rapids native who returned home this weekend to host a holiday carnival and entertainment festival, was convicted on four counts of misdemeanor assault, and pleaded no contest to another, earlier in his career.
The convictions often proved fruitful topics for television one-liners.
"Jim Lampley, Larry Merchant, Emanuel Steward, they're always talking about the negative things in my life," Mayweather said. "But I've seen Jim Lampley in the same strip club as me before. They always want to talk about me going to strip clubs, but they don't want to talk about that.
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"He caught a court case himself, too. But when they catch a case, all they do is take them off the air a couple weeks, then it's over."

Lampley, the lead announcer on HBO boxing, last year received three years' probation for violating a restraining order brought by a live-in girlfriend who accused him of domestic abuse. Lampley never was charged on the original abuse complaint.

HBO televised 21 of Mayweather's last 22 fights, either on its main network or pay-per-view arm.
The two sides have quibbled before, most notably after Mayweather in 1999 called a long-term offer from the network a "slave contract." The fallout led to more than a year of acrimony, during which Mayweather fought two low-level bouts on HBO, one of them a non-title match.

Mayweather ultimately signed a reworked long-term contract with the network, beginning with his 2001 breakthrough win over the late Diego Corrales.

Mayweather reserved most of his criticism Friday for HBO's announcers, though he did blame network executives for participating in a sequence of high-level business events which forced him to plead no contest to an assault he insists he did not commit.

Mayweather was charged in conjunction with the 2003 incident at The Radio Tavern, later destroyed in a fire, where bouncer William Morris -- a former school mate of Mayweather's -- was beaten and bloodied.

Mayweather denied the charge, but negotiations for his first pay-per-view main event, against Arturo Gatti, stalled when Gatti's promoter, Main Events, insisted Mayweather resolve the case first.

Mayweather in 2005 pleaded no contest, then rendered the Gatti fight no contest in a six-round pummeling.

He now says HBO sided with Main Events in pushing him to cop a plea.

"In the past, different things have gone on in my life, like that case in Grand Rapids," Mayweather said. "I know I didn't do anything wrong. But they said they couldn't make the fight if I didn't resolve that case. So I had to plead no contest to something I didn't do.
"I'm not going to do that, because that's not me. That's not who I am. That's not how I live. But I had to plead to something I didn't do because I wanted the Gatti fight, and HBO said they weren't going to make the fight while that case was hanging."

Mayweather was aware of the stir his comments will cause after they circulate this holiday weekend.
"I'm happy. I feel clear. I feel free as a bird," he said. "I feel good that I can finally speak out, and say the things I want to say."

He said HBO should return to a format in which a prominent former boxer serves as an analyst. Sugar Ray Leonard, George Foreman, Lennox Lewis, Roy Jones and Kevin Kelley are among the former champions who have served on the network's telecasts in years past.
"There aren't any fighters commentating on boxing, that's the problem," Mayweather said. "They need to go to gyms, really learn what they're talking about. I'm not going to comment on stuff I don't know."

Mayweather said he isn't interested in the job.

[CountryBoy]

He is just afraid to fight the top guys at his weight.

[Pavlik]

It's not about race:

I glorify black fighters like Mosely, Lennox Lewis, Leonard, Foreman, Wright and Taylor because of the CLASS and HUMILITY they bring in and out of the ring.

Regarding pound for pound status:
PAC has fought the best in his weight class namely JMM, Barrera and Morales and he calls him a bum
Aside from winning in a boring fight against an ageing ODLH, who did PBF beat in the 147 pound division worth mentioning. For all we know he retired because the likes of COTTO, MARGARITO, BERTO and WILLIAMS would whoop his ass bigtime.

He maybe remembered as one of the best skilled fighters of the sport, but the fact remains that he will never be considered a boxing HERO. NEVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[CFH]

I don't think it's so much about race as it is about excitement. PBF has never been considered a terribly exciting fighter, and many of his fights didn't have much of a competitive element to them because he was far superior to his opposition. Pavlik is being pimped by HBO because he's a very exciting fighter who is willing to take on all comers, with a story-line behind him which many American's can relate to. No one can really relate to being raised in a boxing family and of being put in the gym from the age of 5, but many can identify with hardship and battling tooth and nail to overcome that hardship, whatever form it may have taken.
Exciting fighters bring more viewers and more cash to HBO, so they promote them (and whoever else is hot at the moment) in order to make as much money as they possibly can.

[ICB]

Im a Mayweather fan but that was utter BS

[Phil]

just proves to me that Mayweather will be back fighting, he retires no one really cares, so to make some noise he comes out with this bs. He can't stand not been in the limelight.

[Taeth]

It's not about race:

COTTO, MARGARITO, BERTO and WILLIAMS would whoop his ass bigtime.

Are you fucking kidding me? Also people are saying Mayweather was afraid to fight Cotto, I love Cotto, but where is he calling out the champion of the division who was also the #1 p4p?

[Spicoli]

Certainly sounds like Mayweather is already missing the attention huh ?I have no doubt that he will "Un-retired" down the road.He is as sharp a calculating self promoting opportunist as he is a defensive master.

Look,you can not deny Mayweathers in the ring ability,technical skills..blah,blah whatever.That being said,once again he comes off sounding like an overfed whiney brat in need of a diaper change.Remember his pity-party about "Slave wages" etc.When He falls back on this tired mantra,he really does an injustice to the ignorant B.S and racism still with us in the real world.

He sounds jealous and is craving the spotlight,what a drama queen!!

[amat]

Anytime you accuse someone of being racist whether it's subconscious or not you have a big problem on your hands.

I do think that HBO has been a bit to critical of Floyd in recent years. They poured on the guy for fighting careful against Baldomir but Wlad did the same thing and they seemed to be much more understanding. Is that racist? I don't know, I really doubt it. It's really hard for anyone in the world of boxing to be racist. Golf, tennis yeah there are definitely pockets of racism that really can't be denied. Boxing? I don't see how anybody that mainstream could be racist even subconsciously, it's to diverse of a sport you would be shooting your own foot.

That being said, if what he said about them making him accept a plea agreement when he caught that case then that is dead wrong and if that is true and his hand was forced then I really can't feel sorry for HBO as that is just not right. I remember the build up to that one and much was made of Mayweather's legal troubles by HBO and by Gatti and Floyd countered with Gatti's troubles with alcohol and everyone claimed Mayweather had hit below the belt. If that is true though then I wouldn't blame Floyd for blasting HBO.

Do I think they are racist? No that's just not likely. For Mayweather to be the first guy to expose racists who have been on the air for 20 years just isn't likely. He's not the first black guy with legal troubles to walk through their doors.

[Macho]

It's not about race:

COTTO, MARGARITO, BERTO and WILLIAMS would whoop his ass big time.

Are you fucking kidding me? Also people are saying Mayweather was afraid to fight Cotto, I love Cotto, but where is he calling out the champion of the division who was also the #1 p4p?

Hey Teath , for what Cotto will going calling out Floyd , if Floyd doesn't want fight with him , that's why Cotto never calling him out , few times ago Cotto been saying that he wont lose more of his time to calling anybody , IMO Floyd made a real big mistake to take decision to retire for then to return back , so if he return back to me for look good he will have to calling out Cotto or Margaro..................

And for this thing about racist , this is a BS...........
He was the first who started that sh....t , what is that thing " Slave Contract "...................Who said that was him ............
Yeah him , Is sad to hear this sh.....t , on this Times , You don't think that he probably have a " Inferiority Complex " , he been saying in other journals , that he felt bad because most of the time he heard that HBO always been praise to Pavlik , Pacquiao and others , but not to him because he is black ..................cmon , i know that everybody have their differences , but what , he now want make more money without work ? , why he didn't say this when he began with HBO ? , mann...... this comments could give publicity , but makes him look bad as individual.....

[frozensolid_702]

He's playing the race card now??



This kinda shyt makes me sick

[uwey]

Mayweather is right, But I dont think it is a boxing problem, I think it is a society problem. Black fighter dont sell to those who bring the money to the sport. For what reason, It could be jealousy, people just tired of black fighters, A look for a great Non black HOPE. I see that in a fighter like Paul Williams. For some reason I dont think he is liked much in the mix of the WW division because he is a threat to the non black hopes. When Campbell beat Diaz was bad for the sport. I just think SOME Black athletes rub some people the wrong way with the arrogent attitudes. Sports is also a testimony to manhood and jealousy plays a big part. Let the man speak his peace because we live in the most ARROGENT country in the world.(USA) He is a product of his envornment. Most arrogent president,fighters, country in general. Hipocrits rule the Media, airways and all forms of this society. When 2 people of different colors do the same thing it is looked at differently. Solution is to be FAIR across the board. If u hate black arrogents but love other arrogents and see that as pride then the problem still remains. DONT BE HIPOCRITS.

[CFH]

Mayweather is right, But I dont think it is a boxing problem, I think it is a society problem. Black fighter dont sell to those who bring the money to the sport. For what reason, It could be jealousy, people just tired of black fighters, A look for a great Non black HOPE. I see that in a fighter like Paul Williams. For some reason I dont think he is liked much in the mix of the WW division because he is a threat to the non black hopes. When Campbell beat Diaz was bad for the sport. I just think SOME Black athletes rub some people the wrong way with the arrogent attitudes. Sports is also a testimony to manhood and jealousy plays a big part. Let the man speak his peace because we live in the most ARROGENT country in the world.(USA) He is a product of his envornment. Most arrogent president,fighters, country in general. Hipocrits rule the Media, airways and all forms of this society. When 2 people of different colors do the same thing it is looked at differently. Solution is to be FAIR across the board. If u hate black arrogents but love other arrogents and see that as pride then the problem still remains. DONT BE HIPOCRITS.

I don't agree with this for the most part. Not that I think racism is dead and buried or anything, I'm sure it has a role to play in boxing as in any other facet of life, but I think most boxing fans (Royal aside) are fairly impartial when it comes to race. Nationalism runs rampant in boxing, but race seems to play a much lesser role, in my experience at least.

Many of the most popular boxers have been black, so being a racist boxing fan would be a tough road. A fighter doesn't have to be well-liked to have drawing power either, look how many people watched Ali hoping that he'd get beat, despite his popularity with the younger generation of boxing fans at the time. George Foreman, also black, has gone from a villainous bastard to one of the most beloved American fighters, much like Ali. Joe Louis is revered as well, and he competed in a time of rampant racial bias.

Another example would be Kelly Pavlik, he may be covered in hype these days, but that is more due to his exciting style and his willingness to fight anyone than him being white. Prior to the Miranda fight, few people outside of Youngstown though he had a prayer, and Miranda was by far the more popular fighter coming into that match, regardless of skin color. Following that brilliant performance by Pavlik, the hype machine began to roll, but before that he was just some overrated bald dude with a padded record in the eyes of many.

Campbell beating Diaz was bad for boxing (even though I loved watching it) because an aging veteran with little drawing power beat a young up-and-comer with a fairly large following and a great deal of hype. I also think any arrogant athelete rubs people the wrong way, regardless of color. I dislike guys like Roger Clemens or Kurt Schilling much more than I do Kobe Bryant (though I don't much like him either). People dislike most athletes who lack humility.

[BoomBoom]

All Mayweather does is bite the hands that feed. He wouldnt be "Money" Mayweather if it wasnt for HBO, and he probably never would have been champion if it wasnt for his father, he may not have became a fighter at all. He hurt his own career by constantly poining his finger at everyone around him...and he still made millions despite his lack of likeability and charisma. The fact is boxing is fine without Floyd Mayweather. Talented fighter, no question. Does boxing need him, abolutely not.

[Preme]

Still makes me laugh, all this shit about HBO, color of the guy decide who wins lol...

all you gotta do is watch the first barrera/morales fight to see why certain fighters win certain fights...

Marco was 4-1 to win that fight. Anyone who didn't have their head up their arse know he won it withought question BUTT a certain judge give one stupid fucking socre? Bookies do not like to losse, but at times they do... they never losse big though and marco was the result of it...

HBO, the color of said fighers skin; doesn't me jack, it's all about the odds, always will be.