Floyd Mayweather Jr – Businessman or great fighter?

I was watching the 30 minute promo segment right before the Mayweather-Marquez fight pay-per-view broadcast. A clip from the promo shows an interview with Floyd, and he was quoted as saying “if you’re not watching a Floyd Mayweather fight, you’re watching the wrong fights.” It was at that moment that it occurred to me that Floyd was ‘wrong’ !! It’s more like the other way around. A revised version of Floyd’s quote should read, “If you’re watching a Floyd Mayweather fight, you’re watching the wrong fights.”

Floyd came out quickly and threw a shutout over Marquez in a landslide victory. Floyd had a great performance after a 21-month hiatus against a very good pound-for-pound fighter in Marquez. The question I had to ask myself after the fight was: Does Floyd want to be a great fighter or is he just a businessman? The answer is simple. He is a businessman who has transformed from a talented boxing prodigy who lived and breathed boxing to a “celebrity” character who talked about money, gambling, jet set and jive. Some may say that Floyd has just evolved and has become who he is. As a purist, I can do without it.

As an elite fighter and long the pound-for-pound king before his “retirement” in 2008, Floyd Mayweather Jr. was a household name. When he retired, it was a lot like the screen going blank in the Sopranos season finale. We didn’t know how it ended, but somehow, we knew that there will eventually be a conclusion to the story.

He had beaten Oscar De La Hoya in May 2007 and followed up with a 10-round takedown of Ricky Hatton in December 2007. Before the Hatton fight and during training camp, he appeared as a contestant on Dancing with the Stars. This helped him move into the public consciousness of boxing fans. Since De La Hoya and Hatton’s fights performed so well on pay-per-view, Floyd began to think that he was the reason the fights attracted, many pay-per-view buys say. And why shouldn’t he think that? He is the most talented and skilled fighter in the world and has never been defeated.

The reality is, like Bernard Hopkins, his fights are built on skill, experience, defense, and playing it safe. It’s definitely not a crowd-pleasing style. His pay-per-view success was based on Oscar and Ricky’s fan base, and many boxing fans who just wanted to see him lose. He walked away from the sport at the top, but for most fans, an incomplete legacy. Now he’s back and hopefully he’ll be able to cement his legacy.

Don’t get me wrong, as a boxing purist, I think Floyd is amazing to watch. I am not here to disparage your ability. He is the most skilled fighter in the sport of boxing, and also the smartest fighter in the ring today. The problem is that only a purist can appreciate a fighter like Floyd. The precision, the speed, the almost impregnable defense, the great endurance and the wonderful footwork and the speed of the feet that allows you to avoid blows. The average fan who watches an occasional fight here and there would say it’s boring to watch. It would be hard for me to disagree with them.

Why didn’t he pressure Márquez and stop him? Why didn’t you turn it up a bit and put it on during the Oscar fight? Just why couldn’t it be more exciting? During these big pay-per-view events, the world is watching.

The answer is that in the ring, it is pure talent, skill and defense. At welterweight, he shows very little offense, but throws very accurate and effective punches. You rarely see a thrown combination. His skill and talent speak, and no one can convince him to do otherwise. It just doesn’t take the risks that the fireworks fans want to see provide.

Outside of the ring, he thinks he’s a star attraction. An essential fighter that everyone is bound to see. He will only accept the lowest risk and highest reward fights. I know boxing is a business, but if you fight just for money and to maintain your ‘Money’ image, it takes away the credibility and shine of your legacy.

Floyd wasn’t always like this. I remember for the first time seeing Floyd beat Genaro “Chicanito” Hernandez in the fall of 1998 for the WBC super featherweight belt. It was clear that Floyd had all the ability in the world with tremendous speed and fluidity that made him really fun to watch.

At the time, Floyd was only 21 years old. He had just won his first title. His father, Floyd Sr., was a professional wrestler who once wrestled Sugar Ray Leonard in 1978. His uncles were also professional wrestlers. Roger “The Black Mamba” Mayweather and Jeff Mayweather. Roger had been an elite wrestler in the ’80s and’ 90s who had fought Hall of Fame fighters such as Julio César Chávez and Pernell Whitaker. Jeff had been a perennial lightweight fighter who fought Oscar De La Hoya in 1993. At the time, he was convinced that he had everything he needed to be an all-time great fighter. He had the name Mayweather, boxing was in his genes. His future looked bright and I was very excited that a fighter similar to my favorite fighter of all time, Sugar Ray Leonard, had arrived.

Floyd put his talents to good use and faced every participant in the super lightweight division from 1998 to 2001, defending the title 8 times with impressive victories over Diego Corrales, Ángel Manfredy and Jesús Chávez. Floyd was in his prime during this period. At 130 pounds, he had power and he let go of his hands. The effervescent fighter would overwhelm Corrales with speed and power and knocked him down five times before Corrales’s corner threw in the towel after 10 rounds. Corrales was the best junior lightweight fighter to challenge the “Pretty Boy.” Floyd cut him like a hot knife through butter.

As good as Floyd Mayweather Jr. was, he didn’t have a huge following. He was arguably the most talented fighter on the planet since Roy Jones Jr. His skill was revered in boxing circles. The purists respected his talent and dedication to being a great fighter, but he was not a household name. He moved up to lightweight in 2002 and fought José Luis Castillo and won a controversial unanimous decision. Floyd would fight Castillo again in a rematch and win a comfortable unanimous decision. He showed fans that the first fight, which many believe he lost, was an aberration due to Floyd fighting with great pain in his hands. Even with these victories over tough and formidable lightweight champion Castillo, his first two fights at lightweight, Floyd still hasn’t won over the fans. In fact, Floyd didn’t headline a pay-per-view event until June 2005, against the late Arturo Gatti, in his ninth year as a professional boxer.

It wasn’t until the De La Hoya fight that Floyd’s head really started to grow. He was in the national spotlight since he was battling the cash cow that was Oscar De La Hoya. A new series on HBO, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, described each fighter in the camp and their private lives before the fight. Floyd knew he was a great fighter, but he never had the status of Oscar De La Hoya or Sugar Ray Leonard. This was her time for camera time. Being in living rooms across America constantly for a month before the fight. Floyd was shown with his diamonds, jewelry, his cars, his mansion, his entourage, which included rapper 50 Cent, and his personal barber. It was around this time that Floyd’s ‘Money’ image was born and he subsequently changed his boxing nickname from “Pretty Boy” to “Money.” The fight ended up being a split decision win for Floyd and he sold 2.4 million pay-per-view purchases. Floyd reportedly made around $ 25 million for the fight. The money man got his big pay. It’s a shame that payday was formulated with his skills outside the ring and not inside the ring. The fight did not live up to expectations and most of the pay-per-view purchases were due to Oscar’s fan base.

However, it is not too late for Floyd. You can still save your legacy. With impressive victories over Manny Pacquiao, Miguel Cotto and Shane Mosley, he would be considered one of the best fighters in history.

Maybe one day we can reflect on these potential fights by watching ‘The Tale of Mayweather vs. Pacquiao ‘on HBO or’ The Tale of Mayweather vs. Cotto ‘. Hopefully these struggles will materialize. Also, let’s hope someone like Pacquiao or Cotto can pressure Floyd into a memorable battle similar to Leonard vs. Listen to I or Chávez vs. Taylor I. Come on Floyd, forget about the ‘Money’ personality and give us some legendary fights to remember.

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