By Reni M. Valenzuela
Floyd “Money” Mayweather has the skills to win his fights, but he opts to keep his record “perfect” and “unblemished” instead. Until he ceases cherry-picking his opponents, the boxing world will never know if he’s the finest for this generation.
“Money” could be worth just a dime as a pugilist while having millions of real dollars in his pocket earned from fighting, nay, gained from rackets of “boxing today.” The “pound-for-pound” king may have ring qualities superior and better than those of others, but he sorely lacks courage to be considered number one per true scale and measure.
Putting on a show can’t be equated with competing in a genuine contest. Fans and judges may do scoring for the latter. They just trip themselves in the former. Mayweather is not and cannot be the best or greatest boxer as he claims to be for strong reasons he can solve by simply being brave.
What could have been the traumatic fight or fights in the past for Mayweather which might have caused paranoia in the psyche of the otherwise great and superb boxer? Could it be that the landed punches of Jose Luis Castillo or Oscar Dela Hoya that rocked his “zero-loss” god have created a stigma in Mayweather’s system so much so that he has since decided to weigh carefully and “wisely” his opponents?
It has been years that Mayweather merely plays in exhibition games to impress the gullible every time he steps in the ring – from Britain and Mexico then USA up to Puerto Rico and lately back to Mexico to kid a ghost. The trend seems to continue with potential other ghosts Devon Alexander and Timothy Bradley as his future opponents. And to be hand-picked of course by no less than Mayweather Junior who brags of being solely in-charge himself of “the king’s” boxing career/business.
Don’t junk your laudable exploits in boxing, Floyd. Your wins up to May 5, 2007 still mean something at the moment. Render not ineffectual and pointless your chances of becoming the best and being among the greatest boxers of all time.
You can’t go to dreamland and cherry-pick Canelo Alvarez or Manny Pacquiao.
Meanwhile, the “meek and humble” Pacquiao continues to stray in politics. He was re-elected to Philippine Congress in the recent elections to fully become the person alien and remote from what the people used to know and far from the boxer Pacman the Filipinos learned to love and cherish.
Pray that sad endings have sequels to bring renewed hope. But, sadly, there is never a sequel to a drama that has already come to a decisive conclusion. Destiny will always prove wrong the stubbornly self-deluded. And that’s how “destiny” can spoil and wreck a supposed heroic, admirable and inspiring story.
(Samantala, ang “maamo at mapagpakumbabang” Pacquiao at patuloy na nililigaw at hunuhubog ng pulitika sa Pilipinas. Siya ay muling nagwagi bilang representante sa Kongreso sa katatapos pa lamang na halalan upang ganap na maging isang tao na malayo sa pagkakakilala sa kanya ng madla at malayo din sa boksingerong Pacman na natutunan ng mga Pilipinong mahalin at arugain sa kanilang puso.
Nawa ang malungkot na katapusan ay may karugtong na bahagi na naghahatid ng panibagong pag-asa. Datapwa’t nakalulungkot na walang karugtong ang dramang humantong na sa dulo ng huling yugto ng pagpapasya. Sadyang ang tadhana ay palagiang pinatutunayang mali ang mga hindi mahimasmasang “bangungot” ng mga mapagmatigas. At sa ganoon na nga ring paraan na ang “tadhana” ay nakasisira ng mahalagang kasaysayan na dapat sana’y makabayani, kahanga-hanga at hindi nakapanlulumo.)
How tragic that some tendencies are seldom known and recognized until it is too late.
But as for Floyd, it is no damn good walking away from compelling challenges. The Pacman fight at 147 lbs. is waiting and Canelo at 154. You can’t go anywhere else other than facing your fears by facing the men whom you are resolved to avoid – those listed in your roster of boxers to dodge. Fighting each one of them in the remaining five bouts you contracted under Showtime is your only road to reality.
Or else, boxing (not blind sectors of media) will deny you of true honor.
Do yourself a favor.
Truly fight.
renimvalenzuela@yahoo.com
