Promotional taglines often reflect an underlying storyline for the fights in which they market. Stanzas such as “Rumble in the Jungle” and “Thrilla in Manilla” still linger decades after the event took place due to the fight’s timeless success and quality. Others like “Fight of the Millenium” and “Thunder & Lightning” are soon forgotten when the value of the matchup is exceeded by the hype leading up to the fight. One recently announced pay-per-view may have an obstacle in living up to it’s billing.
On the morning of the biggest fight of the year thus far, the announcement of Floyd Mayweather, Jr.’s return against Juan Manuel Marquez was strategically made under the match title “Number One/Numero Uno”. Such a title would imply that the end result of the Mayweather/Marquez collision will leave only the top fighter in the world still standing.
There’s only one problem. With one thundering left by Manny Pacquiao any credibility the Number One/Numero Uno title may have held earlier in the day diminished along with the decrescendo singing of the Hitman anthem “There’s Only One Ricky Hatton” in the MGM Grand Arena.
The apparent definition of retirement by Floyd Mayweather, Jr. can be interpreted as simply “save my seat”. After spending several years as the pound-for-pound king, the end of Floyd’s reign came as a result of choice rather than the more common method of defeat. The return of the champion emeritus simply is not enough to propel him back to the front of the pack because his seat is taken.
Upon Mayweather’s departure from boxing the consensus number one of the pound-for-pound rankings has been occupied by Manny Pacquiao. The retirement of Joe Calzaghe erased any debate about the top spot that may have existed. After the destruction of Ricky Hatton, Pacquiao’s claim on the top spot is even more apparent.
Pacquiao and Mayweather share the previous two opponents of the other in De La Hoya and Hatton. The results from these matchups resulted in victories for both fighters but the intensity, domination and more immediate result clearly favor Pacquiao and erase Mayweather’s expected claim to the number one ranking upon return. Without a head-to-head encounter it will be difficult to sway public opinion unless Floyd is able to absolutely dismantle Marquez.
While Juan Manuel Marquez is widely considered to be one of the top three boxers in the world, any claim he may have to the top spot is trumped by his 2008 defeat at the hands of Pacquiao. Although a contingency of boxing experts have made the unofficial claim that Marquez defeated Pacquiao twice, opinion does not overrule the record books. The most recent bout between the two ended in split decision and if the three knockdowns in the first round of the original matchup had been scored correctly the draw would have had a different result favoring Pacquiao in two victories.
Given the unanimous result of the pound-for-pound rankings and the evidence presented above, why would the promoters choose “Number One/Numero Uno” as the namesake of this event? Golden Boy Promotions was founded under the premise to fix what is wrong with boxing. Giving credit and respect where it is due may be a good start. Instead of using “24/7” as the reality series to promote the fight, maybe HBO should pair with Mark Burnett to release “Number One/Numero Uno Contender”.
Mayweather vs. Marquez will provide a clash between two of the best fighters the sport has to offer. Victory will not give either an absolute claim to the pound-for-pound throne but perhaps it can satisfy the missing piece of the hypothetical tournament finale to crown the true “Number One/Numero Uno”.
