WTF is up Dan Rafael's ass?

[Taeth]

It's getting really tiring reading him bashing Mayweather so much. He acts like Mayweather has never faced a valid challenge before. IMO Oscar has been better than Mosley since Mosley's first loss. I think Mosley's physical attributes might make him a bigger challenge for Mayweather, but Oscar outboxed him pretty clearly in their second fight. At welterweight Mayweather faced Baldomir when he was the number 1 welterweight and linear champion, he faced Judah right after his fall from that position, but they were clearly the two most highly regarded WW's at the time.

I can't say Mayweather hasn't hand picked his opponents, but its on a financial basis that he picks his opponent. A guy has to be good, but also a draw for Mayweather to find reason in fighting him. Sure it might not be the most honorable method of finding opponents, but it's really worked for him and it wasn't him that backed out of the Pacquiao fight. He didn't shy away from Baldomir when people thought that would be really challenging, or when he faced Castillo immediately after his toughest test as a pro. I don't believe there is anyone within reason Floyd wouldn't fight if the money was right, and when it comes down to it, he along with Manny are putting boxing on a different level media wise. And I hate that Dan Rafael thinks he should be able to hate on the guy who is as responsible for boxing's resurgence as anyone else.

[JazMerkin]

Judging from the size of him, I suspect quite a lot. There has to be some serious digestion problems going on there or he's on the Trainer Monkey nutrional programme...

[Lance Uppercut]

I think the problem is a lot boxing fans(like Rafael) have with Floyd is that he promotes himself as the greatest ever, but in the past he has ducked almost all the other good welterweights of his error(Margarito, Cotto, Mosely, Williams).

The Baldimore fight was understandable because he was THE champion, but fighting Zab Judah after he got schooled by club fighter Baldimore was pathetic, Fighting Lightweight champion JMM in his comeback was questionable, and all the other excuses he made for why he could not fight the top welterweights were laughable.

However, it Mayweather actually goes through with his fight with Mosely, I dont think this will be a valid criticism anymore.

[JazMerkin]

I think the problem is a lot boxing fans(like Rafael) have with Floyd is that he promotes himself as the greatest ever, but in the past he has ducked almost all the other good welterweights of his error(Margarito, Cotto, Mosely, Williams).

The Baldimore fight was understandable because he was THE champion, but fighting Zab Judah after he got schooled by club fighter Baldimore was pathetic, Fighting Lightweight champion JMM in his comeback was questionable, and all the other excuses he made for why he could not fight the top welterweights were laughable.

However, it Mayweather actually goes through with his fight with Mosely, I dont think this will be a valid criticism anymore.

Ok, one thing that does bother me is the whole 'Mayweather says he's the greatest ever' thing, even when he recently said he hadn't done enough to prove it. Also one thing I've never got is how Judah (who he already had a contract with - try getting out of a contract with a Don King fighter) was a crap win for PBF, but was often cited as a good one for Cotto. He's either good for both or crap for both. I've never heard Cotto catch shit for fighting a guy who hadn't won in his previous 3 fights.

The JMM fight was ok as a comeback fight, which is what it appears to be. JMM got a big payday & Mayweather had a comeback fight that would sell on PPV. He wasn't going to come straight back and fight Mosley or Cotto, even Shane said he thought Mayweather wanted to see where he was at.

Imo, I don't think he's fought the guys he should have at Welterweight, but I wouldn't say he ducked them, and when he fights Mosley, I think that criticism will go away.

But, yeah on the subject of why Dan Rafael, and for that matter, Doug Fischer seem to dislike Mayweather so much, it almost certainly derives from a personal dislike or something that came about during an interview. I suspect that if Mayweather wrote a column about either, it would hardly be glowing, and that's life, no journalist is going to be able to completely cover his feelings up if likes or dislikes a fighter personally, it will affect their work.

[El Kabong]

Mayweather gives critics lots of stuff to complain about, he's never unified, he hasn't fought many dangerous guys at 147, he calls himself the greatest and he's nowhere close.....I mean he MAY be the greatest of his era but he thinks more highly of himself than his record shows

[OumaFan]

I've been annoyed with Rafael ever since he commented on the JMM-Chris John fight like he had seen it when he clearly hadn't. Very unprofessional.

[JazMerkin]

I've been annoyed with Rafael ever since he commented on the JMM-Chris John fight like he had seen it when he clearly hadn't. Very unprofessional.

What did he say?

It's only since coming on here that I've really begun to read Rafael.

[OumaFan]

I can't remember exactly what it was but seems if I remember right that he mentioned some fight in Aisa the week or so before that was controversial and then said this one wasn't like that as Chris John clearly outboxed Marquez. The fight was impossible to see here, and it took months for a torrent to show up, he could have got a tape of it possibly I guess (thought it would have had to been very quick) but the way he talked about it being a clear controversy free decision made it blatantly obvious he had just read a report coming out of Indonesia.

And the whole tone of the report was that he had seen it, not that he was relaying some other report.

[JazMerkin]

Yeah, that is bullshit and unbelievably poor journalism (although extremely common).

I remember it wasn't till like 6-7 months or something after the fight that I actually saw the John-Marquez fight, and I've still never talked to anyone who's seen it who can say it was a clear win.

It's sad when you think about it. Boxing journalism used to be the most respected in the sports world and attracted writers like Norman Mailer and Budd Schullberg. Now what have we got? Some fat bloke with a beard who admits he only started following the sport in his 20s, some pony-tailed asshole who writes as if he's sending a text message and a mass of others who basically work as Top Rank publicists

[El Kabong]

I don't see Big Dan being worse than anyone else, he's ok, of course I disagree with him sometimes but in boxing different people see different things.

Many see Floyd as a great fighter and some see Floyd as a fighter who had opportunities to become the greatest

[JazMerkin]

I don't see Big Dan being worse than anyone else, he's ok, of course I disagree with him sometimes but in boxing different people see different things.

Many see Floyd as a great fighter and some see Floyd as a fighter who had opportunities to become the greatest

Precisely my point. He's considered one of the better writers out there, but truthfully he's average at best. My comparison is more clear when you read older boxing reports and they're just infinitely more professional in their writing. To be fair, the writing in the magazines is still of better quality, but it just seems internet writers are the ones who're seen as the best there is now. I mean fucking Doug Fischer frequently uses LOL in his articles

[OumaFan]

I actually liked Doug Fischer when he was at maxboxing, I never go to the ring so I don't know what he's like now. He's not a great technical writer by any means but I liked his profiles of fighters (granted almost all So. Cal fighters but they're are a lot of them) and his gym reports.

Hauser's probably the best boxing writer.

I'm reading a book by a guy named Donald McRae called Dark Trade, its pretty good but I don't know if he's really a boxing journalist.

[JazMerkin]

I actually liked Doug Fischer when he was at maxboxing, I never go to the ring so I don't know what he's like now. He's not a great technical writer by any means but I liked his profiles of fighters (granted almost all So. Cal fighters but they're are a lot of them) and his gym reports.

Hauser's probably the best boxing writer.

I'm reading a book by a guy named Donald McRae called Dark Trade, its pretty good but I don't know if he's really a boxing journalist.

Hauser is a very good technical writer, but he's basically Bob Arum's bitch, which always puts me off him. When he's dealing with a situation that doesn't involve Arum in any way, he's a much better writer.

[Nameless]

Judging from the size of him, I suspect quite a lot. There has to be some serious digestion problems going on there or he's on the Trainer Monkey nutrional programme...

Bagels every morning... with no cream though.

[CountryBoy]

Mayweather was forced into fighting Mosley...Mayweather will get stopped May 1st....Just watch.