By Terrell Monroe
I am a huge fan of Floyd Mayweather Jr. in fact he is my favorite current boxer right now. I also enjoy other fighters like Pacquiao, Marquez, Cotto,Bernard Hopkins,Chad Dawson the list goes on, I love the sport. I tend to look past Floyd Mayweather Jr. and his families notorious bad guy personas and appreciate the skill and craft they bring to the ring. In a recent interview that I saw posted online of the elder Mayweather making assumptions that Manny Pacquiao was taking Steroids or Supplements was a very tasteless act. I always thought of Floyd Mayweather Sr. as a man who has changed his ways from petty drug dealer to a man who in the paste few years has publicly stated he has stopped cussing or reduced his cursing and is a man of God. Would a man who claims to be a changed man stoop so low to accuse another man who is also a religious and spiritual human being of steroid usage? I think not. I mean there is a chance that Mayweather Sr. is right, but where is his proof? He had no medical,clinical or even written proof of evidence to back his claims.
The reason why what Mayweather Sr. has said is so wrong is because it is a very dangerous and slanderous statement that can tarnish another man’s reputation for good. I know how casual fans are or the public in general, and many times they believe whatever they read or see in the media. When they see “Steroids” in a headline and Manny Pacquiao’s name many times they will automatically believe he is taking steroids.So when they think of Pacquiao in the future they will say oh that guy who took “Steroids”? This is why words are very dangerous it can ruin another person’s career and image. I hope Mayweather Sr. comes up with some hard evidence backing his claims instead of blind accusations out of disbelief in how great Manny Pacquiao really is as a fighter. Many others have discredited Pacquiao’s wins because in their minds they cannot believe what they saw, how is it physically possible for an ex-Flyweight to demolish bigger men and look so fast and so explosive and strong on his way up? So in come the excuses,”Erik Morales was Shot” “Oscar De La Hoya was weight drained”, “Ricky Hatton was a shot fighter”, now the newest excuse is Manny Pacquiao according to Mayweather Sr. is on steroids. Many times these people make claims out of disbelief but also jealousy and hate. I guess when you are on the top of your game you will always get some sort of hate from nay sayers. But the ultimate insult in sports is to be labeled a cheat.
The media is a very powerful thing it can be used to build up a person and to ruin them, Mayweather Sr. needs to be careful what type of things he says because some people might just believe it.
Terrell M,
Lansing, Michigan
