Floyd Mayweather Sr cried out loud in protest to the Boxing Writer?s Association of America (BWAA) naming Manny Pacquiao as the past decade?s Best Fighter.
He argued that Manny lost once during the period 2000-2009 and therefore did not deserve the award more than his son and namesake Floyd Jr.
He went on to ask what accolade will the boxing body bestow his son if Junior beats the ?whoppin? ass? of Pacquiao.
Before he whines about it, Floyd Sr better tell his son to go beat the crap out of Manny.
But of course he already said his son will never fight the Hall-of-Fame bound Filipino Pacific Storm.
Therein rests the difference between a good boxer and a truly great boxer.
And in the eyes of boxing writers in the US, Manny Pacquiao, for all his technical flaws as a boxer early in his career, represented the past decade?s best in an era where crass commercialism took the better part of the sports.
Manny was not a product of media hype. In fact, he burst into the international scene as an unknown and uncouth boxer from, of all places, Asia who relied on his blinding left straights to knock out his opponents.
Pacquiao was more active than Floyd Jr between 2001 to 2009 – racking up 27 fights, of which he won 24 of them (20 by knockouts). He lost only once – to Erik Morales ? while held to a draw by Juan Manuel Marquez and the late Agapito Sanchez.
In contrast, Floyd fought 19 times winning all but 10 by knockout.
(Both records excluded their 2010 fights and all prior to 2000).
In all his major victories, Manny came in fighting the bigger and more established opponents. He pummeled Marco Antonio Barrera over 11 rounds while moving up in weight. By the time he avenged his only loss in the decade to Erik Morales, he was already campaigning in the 130 pound division. He went up in weight again in punishing Oscar de la Hoya into retirement. Along the way, he captured six world titles in as many weight divisions. Adding his flyweight title, which he won in 1998, Pacquaio became the only boxer to capture world titles in seven weight classes. Manny?s latest world title winning fight was against Miguel Angel Cotto, a full welterweight after starting 2000 as a super bantamweight. That is a five-weight jump over 10 years.
Floyd Jr, on the other hand, started 2000 as a super featherweight and stayed for most part of it as a super lightweight.
If greatness and being the best are measured solely on fight record, then Floyd Jr should win the honors hands down.
But that also meant past winners of the accolade ? the likes of Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, Roy Jones Jr ? did not deserve to win because all of them, at one time or the other, lost while fighting at their bests in the decade they were supposed to be unbeatable.
Greatness is measured by the opponents one has to take in order to win the award. Greatness is conferred not demanded. Greatness is valued by the way one fought against anybody offered in the squared ring, not by handpicking an opponent. Besting the best competition available, in short.
Pacquiao never backed down from a fight against anybody during his reign as the best fighter of the decade. He took everybody offered to him and even sought a handful of them.
Floyd fought and bested everybody he chose.
That was the difference between the two fighters.
Floyd avoided Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito when he had the chance and was challenged by the two guys. It took almost a decade before he agreed to fight Shane Mosley.
Whining is Floyd Sr?s best defense mechanism in repeatedly ducking and refusing to have his son atop the ring against Manny Pacquiao.
Floyd Jr may be the better boxer than Manny. But unless he proved himself atop the ring against Manny, he won?t get that distinction from boxing writers even from his home country.
It is winning not whining, Mr Floyds.
