By Don Donatello
There is no blueprint to beating Floyd Mayweather, that is what Mayweather likes to repeat. Of course he is wrong. The blueprint is there, but he just avoids those who have it, it’s called cherry picking. The young Miguel Cotto had it, Manny Pacquiao still has it, Canelo Alvarez might have it, and Jose Luis Castillo had it and beat Mayweather in their first fight. Cherry picking played significant part in keeping his undefeated record intact.
After last night’s fight, does anyone think now that Roberto “Ghost” Guerrero was not cherry picked? The Ghost certainly was not visible last night, he never showed up. He disappeared like your money did, poof. Do you have that strange feeling that you thought you just saw a viable opponent against Mayweather?
Showtime thought they were buying a high-wire act. One filled with danger, intrigue, suspense, and drama. Last night a limited number of people saw the first of six fights that Showtime paid Mayweather. I think there are some sweaty palms right about now at Showtime. Sure, they will try their very best to put a spin on how good the fight was. But what do you expect from corporate owned media to say. The indication from last night’s fight is that Showtime did not get what they paid for. But from past Mayweather fights, Showtime knew or should have known what they were getting when they signed Mayweather. Floyd Mayweather is a low-wire while Manny Pacquiao is a high-wire act.
I need help on this one. I will now dare my very best and hope that my target audience, Floyd fanboys and his parrots, can somehow understand what I’m about to say. Will that be asking too much? I will explain the difference between a high-wire and a low-wire act. Here we go, wish me luck.
It takes skills to walk on a suspended wire that’s less than an inch in diameter. The risks are great. One wrong move could end it all. The viewer is transfixed, at anytime something could go wrong. Sometimes the risk and danger are so great that some would cover their eyes or turn away. It’s electrifying. There is no possibility of surviving if the performer slips and falls to the ground below.
The audience pays for the experience of being scared out of their wits, the scarier the better. That is why people love watching horror flicks, shark and predatory animals on the attack on YouTube, a lion being handled at a circus, and of course a prize fight between equally great fighters. Now with the high-wire act.
Mayweather wants you to believe that he is selling you a high-wire act. His show consists of danger, intrigue, drama, and suspense. The unknown is sold as entertainment. That is what all forms entertainment are. It raises your blood pressure, your mind is racing, and we love the adrenaline rush. We marvel at the high-wire performer taking risk, facing danger, placing his health and life on the line.
But the cable is suspended 5 feet from the ground, not from 1,000 feet. It’s the same act. All the same factors are still in play. It still takes skills, the performer could slip and fall to the ground below.
Mayweather has a long history of being labeled as risk-averse. He is the tight-rope walker. He walks on a suspended cable from 5 feet above ground level. He cherry picks a safe opponent where he knows there is no danger, no drama, no unknown.
But of course he is telling the paying audience that the cable is suspended from 1,000 feet above the ground. The cherry picked opponent is built up. The marketing and promotion will say the opponent is dangerous, Mayweather can fall anytime, will Floyd lose this time, will it be the end of his undefeated record? Mayweather is up 1,000 feet above ground walking the line. In actuality, Mayweather has taken all precautions to walk the line from 5 feet above ground. All the intrigue, drama, suspense, and unknown has been taken out of the equation. And it’s called cherry picking.
