By Reni M. Valenzuela
The issue is no longer between Pacquiao and Mayweather or between Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions. It has come to a point that the “unbeaten” boxer has to contend with the entire boxing world excluding puppets.
There’s not much problem with a boxer avoiding another boxer. But for a boxer to belittle the boxer he avoids and fears, malign and mock him with a litany of unfounded accusations, and then proclaims himself to be the best on the planet, it is the height of irony and delusion combined for any fans, aficionados and media to continue believing and supporting such a boxer.
Nothing is more defined than this: Boxing will have to ever say NO to Amir Khan, Marcos Maidana, Devon Alexander, Danny Garcia or any other Mayweather “solid guys” as future opponents for Mayweather until the fight with the eight-division champion “not on his level” is made first. Floyd’s latest vulgarity using social media proves one thing: He defies and challenges YOU, the people.
Brash Mayweather wouldn’t be thinking he rules boxing if he is not getting away with his despotic impudence. He wouldn’t be treating people as fools if he does not see people acting as fools by watching and getting interested in his “cherry-picked” fights while ducking certain opponents at the same time; by worshiping the perfectly maneuvered “perfect” record, and by enjoying Mayweather ring “shows” to exhibit superb skills in safe vaudeville.
Floyd behaves poorly being convinced that all of boxing is stupid to bring him millions of dum-dum dollars using the sport and people as stupid lucrative enterprise. No wonder he can throw and dishonor the World Boxing Council’s welterweight title as easy as he spews out a chewing gum.
If Mayweather dreads being hit by an arch rival, he should be into playing chess or Hollywood action movies, not competitive boxing. And if Mayweather cannot be brave enough to face the Filipino icon, we would rather have him retired now than let him dupe boxing in perpetuity and make the biggest fool out of us all.
How can Money May be declared the Fighter of the Year when he is more of an actor and businessman in boxing than a fighter? Disgrace. His “abandonment” of the WBC belt in order to avoid a mandatory challenger should be more than a cause to disqualify him as a recipient of any sports award.
Under what sane criteria will a normal person ever think of a champion being “so good” to be declared the Fighter of the Year for 2013 or any year (past, present and future) if he continues avoiding toughest oppositions to threaten his throne, a la King Herod? A concerned Mayweather “lover” emailed this writer: “If a boxer who dodges a fellow boxer they call a coward, what do you call those who praise the coward?”
Don’t you have in your list the names of rising greats to choose from as worthy receivers of the 2013 Fighter of the Year award? Those who didn’t duck yet emerged victorious and exhibited gallantry and skill extraordinaire like Danny Garcia, Guillermo Rigondeaux, Timothy Bradley, Ruslan Provodnikov, Sergey Kovalev, Mickey Garcia, Adonis Stevenson, Gennady Golovkin or even Manny Pacquiao for having proven “experts” and history wrong by fearlessly coming back smarter and stronger from a terrible devastating knockout loss?
Very clear: It’s Pacman or never for Floyd. The “Mayweather vs. Pacquiao” is THE MATCHUP – the one most compelling NEXT “show” for the pound-for-pound “number one.”
Pardon the pundits whose opinions and pieces achieve nothing good – or nothing but build obstructions to the mega bout. We openly discourse about Mayweather only by virtue and in light of Pacman as his mandatory and compulsory succeeding opponent, without putting into the picture other “solid guys” lined up for Mayweather by Mayweather.
Try doing that simple step and the popularly clamored, long-overdue event in boxing is certain to be realized soon. Or if not, Floyd will be constrained to hang up his gloves which in turn would validate the “duck and scare” issue to be true without an iota of doubt – to greatly affect his legacy as aptly suggested by ESPN’s Dan Rafael.
But if Mayweather retires under such circumstance, at least boxing is healed of one lingering illness and finally relieved of the “impossible dream” that creates chaos and divisiveness. At least boxing is freed from a “star” that robs the limelight from true warriors in the sport like Andre Ward and those earlier mentioned.
The choice obviously has narrowed down between People Power and Herod Power.
What can a “Floyd Mayweather Jr.” do but comport himself to be man enough who overcomes his frights by finally dancing with Pacquiao if all sectors in boxing are UNITED and DETERMINED to do what’s right for Floyd, healthy for the sport and beneficial for the people?
There is hope, though, as long as Christmas is CHRISTmas everyday. And it behooves the pound-for-pound superstars to initiate the talk. It is up to Mayweather or Pacquiao to grab the phone and set a meeting between their respective teams as soon as possible, sans Bob Arum.
But while we say no to every prospective opponent for Mayweather except Pacman, boxing will have to likewise say no to Bradley or any other probable challengers for the Arum cash cow until all means are exhausted to produce the “Mayweather vs. Pacquiao.” Or, upon having exhausted reason during formal talks, timid Floyd would insist on his habit of ducking.
Pacquiao would be better off without Arum and he’d be wise to leave Top Rank in favor of another or his own promotional outfit but not Golden Boy or Mayweather Promotions when his contract with Top Rank ends in the coming year. Though, Floyd’s date with Manny under Arum in May 2014 stands tough and strong. No delays.
Top Rank has a role to play in the said grand event production, but with Golden Boy and Mayweather Promotions as prime movers. “Big Boss” Bob has no reason to be unyielding to “reason-required” terms because, otherwise, his hubris this time may spell doom to his promotional outfit.
In what manner can Mayweather be acceptably accorded the “Fighter of the Year” honor from the year he started shying away from solidly genuine contests up to the year he refuses to fight a boxer he ridicules and whom the world longs to see him fight? None whatsoever.
So simple to end all these controversies and debates: Compel them to fight.
To Floyd “believers”: Instead of defending him in vain, why not just do your best convincing your boy to come to grips with his unfounded fear? You cannot gauge a boxer just by looking at him superficially. Dig deep down and you’ll be in a better position to see the real stuff. A soldier who loses courage loses all battles though he may win some. Like it or not, Manny Pacquiao serves to be the ultimate measuring stick for the pampered, extremely flattered “champion.”
This is no hating Mayweather, just loving truth more than him.
I mean truth, not “facts.”
Happy New Year!
renimvalenzuela@yaho.com
