It?s true that Floyd Mayweather couldn?t care less about what you think when it comes to his career choices. And, if left to his own devices, he would not only fight Andre Berto next, but likely someone even less challenging.
But why does a man care so little about what the fans and media think when it comes to his legacy? It could be assumed that he?s just a big ol? coward looking to con his way to a half-a-billion dollar career and an undefeated record. But like him or not, boxing is not an occupation made of cowards on any level. Any real fan rejects the idea that cowards exist alongside the world?s bravest athletes.
No, Mayweather couldn?t care less about the critics because he learned a long time ago that no matter what he does, the critics will never stop attacking him and his legacy.
Of Mayweather?s last thirteen opponents, eight were those he had, at some point, been accused of ?ducking.? And as far as his level of opposition, across the board, you?d have to go back to January of 2005 to find the last time Mayweather didn?t fight someone ranked in the Top 4 of their division.
However, with each challenge faced and overcome, the critics re-write history and invent another obstacle for him to hurdle.
For years, Mayweather was hounded and derided for not fighting Manny Pacquiao. Now, after fighting and readily beating Pacquiao, people are downplaying the importance of the victory. They say he fought an old, injured Pacquiao and would?ve only gotten credit for beating prime Manny five years ago. But if Mayweather had beaten Pacquiao five years ago, there?s no doubt that these same critics would?ve cried about Manny not being a real welterweight.
Perpetually placed in a lose-lose situation, Mayweather simply stopped caring. Why exhaust yourself chasing after recognition that will never come, no matter what?
Now, with Pacquiao defeated, the new monster arbitrarily assigned by critics to make Mayweather look bad is Gennady Golovkin, a middleweight titlist and beloved knockout artist.
If Mayweather really wants respect, the critics insist, then he needs to beat Golovkin. Of course, they?ve also said this about eight previous Mayweather opponents, only to go back on their word and look for yet another monster to deliver a comeuppance to Floyd.
Even if Mayweather, as a fighter who has never weighed in above 151 lbs., manages to beat a KO artist who rehydrates to the light heavyweight limit, history tells us that he will get no real credit for it. There will always be some excuse as to why his opponent was not worthy and the silliness about Mayweather not ?testing? himself will keep going on.
So, if we do see Mayweather vs. Andre Berto as a career finale, blame the dedicated critics and hate-blinded fans for pushing this era?s best fighter into someone eager to just get away from the sport as quickly and as easily as he can.
