Eight Count with Shawn Krest
One!
This is what happens when you let non-boxing people plan your life. Early next week, I will be going on vacation with my wife and kids. While I love spending time with them (yes, honey, I know you?re reading. Kiss kiss.) it?s a shame that I will miss out on the aftermath of the fight event of the year. So, pardon me if I?m jumping the gun a little bit, but I have to file my report a few days early. Here, then, is my reaction to the big de la Hoya-Mayweather showdown.
Two!
Floyd Mayweather had better look closely at what happened over the weekend. Eventually, it will happen to him. Sure, Pretty Boy Floyd can be secure in his status as Baddest Man on the Planet after his short, brutal beat-down of Oscar de la Hoya Saturday night. And sure, he has conducted similar executions of Diego Corrales and Arturo Gatti in recent years, making each look just as hapless and helpless as the Golden Boy did, unable to match Mayweather?s speed and accuracy. That?s what the Baddest Man on the Planet does, even to the best foes, but a fighter can only be BMoP for so long.
Three!
Oscar de la Hoya secured his status as BMoP in the mid 1990s with a pair of dominating knockouts of Julio Cesar Chavez, humiliating the great Mexican warrior?himself a BMoP a few years earlier. Even though he suffered close losses to Felix Trinidad and Shane Mosley, the first true challenger to de la Hoya?s BMoP title was Fernando Vargas. With the bad blood leading up to the bout, Oscar knew that a mere win wouldn?t be enough against Vargas. If he was truly the Baddest Man on the Planet, he would need to knock the challenger out, which he did in perhaps the most satisfying win of his career.
Four!
Oscar knows the score: The BMoP doesn?t have the luxury of sportsmanship or compassion. As Mayweather landed right handed power shots down the pipe near the end Saturday night, with de la Hoya long past blocking or dodging, Oscar must have known that the carnage was necessary. Anyone who\’s watched a nature documentary knows about the cycle of life. Yesterday?s king of the jungle is fertilizer for the grass on today?s veldt, and yesterday?s baddest man on the planet is an eye-catching name on the resume of today?s pound-for-pound best. Oscar knew that when he signed the contract for the fight. A man?s last big payday is often his most brutal loss. Pretty Boy Floyd can only hope he recognizes the significance when he signs a similar contract a few years from now.
Five!
But now isn?t the time for Mayweather to be thinking of the end of the line. Rock stars don?t set aside money in a 401K and a BMoP can?t afford to think about the future when the present is his for the conquering. Mayweather has vanquished the biggest names in the sport, having seen his onslaughts send both de la Hoya and Larry Merchant into retirement. He?ll continue to chase names in higher and higher weights, continue to call out many more fighters than he actually faces. Perhaps he?ll face Kassim Ouma or Winky Wright, or make the jump to try Jermain Taylor. Or he might drop back down to finish things with the lower divisions?perhaps signing a long-awaited showdown with Ricky Hatton or Miguel Cotto. All of the above would quicken the pulses of boxing fans, but none would present a legitimate threat to Mayweather?s BMoP title. None could do to Floyd what Floyd did to Oscar.
Six!
Despite his talk of retirement, Mayweather will continue to fight for the foreseeable future. Men may retire as champion, but the Baddest Man on the Planet must be beaten. In the last fight of his career, Lennox Lewis entered the ring against Vitali Klitschko as heavyweight champion but not BMoP. Bernard Hopkins lost a pair of tight bouts to Jermain Taylor, but BMoP was never his to lose. Leaving the ring as champion was more important to B-Hop than crushing his challengers. Floyd is in one of the few positions that has no need for a transition plan. Tony Soprano won?t shake the hand of his successor Vic Mackey will never retire. When Mariano Rivera is no longer the Sandman, there will be no doubt.
Seven!
Floyd ascended to his current status through a combination of talent and focus. Which is why his shocking post-fight announcement that he will serve as Las Vegas liaison for Golden Boy Promotions is destined to fail. De la Hoya?s late career has clearly suffered from the time he?s devoted to his business concerns. Hopkins was nearing the victory lap portion of his career when he took over GBP East. Mayweather can?t run a business and rule a sport. Which is why we?re not currently rocking out to the latest release from Philthy Rich Records.
Eight!
So the mega-fight turned out to be a mismatch. Mayweather staked his claim to the most rarified air in all of sports. Take a moment to reflect on the legendary career of the Golden Boy. Remember him for his glory days as BMoP and not Saturday?s ending. Then give Mayweather the respect he tore from the dazed bleeding de la Hoya. Hate him or really hate him, he is the undisputed BMoP.
Unless you count Manny Pacquiao.
