Floyd Mayweather is favored to beat Manny Pacquiao in Saturday?s much-hyped welterweight title fight in Las Vegas. Mayweather?s record is 47 wins, no losses. But that doesn?t take into account the match he lost against my uncle.
Maybe you?ve heard of some of the history-making numbers in this fight, such as the purse: a record $250 million. The sponsorship: a record $5.6 million, paid by Tecate beer.
Here?s my favorite number: Mayweather vs. HBO boxing analyst Larry Merchant: 0-1.
Larry Merchant happens to be my uncle, and in my biased-but-honest critical view he?s a sweetheart ? unless you?re a fighter in one of the in-ring interviews for which he is famous. In those, he?s a hard-driving reporter in search of answers. After one such grilling of Mayweather, back in 2011, ?headwaiters embraced me, supermarket checkers told me I was a hero for standing up to a bully,? my uncle recalled recently.
[With eye on retirement, Floyd ?Money? Mayweather plans to cash in on Pacquiao fight]
It happened in Vegas, in the MGM Grand hotel ? the same spot where Mayweather will fight Pacquiao. Mayweather had just knocked out Victor Ortiz. The win was controversial, at least in the minds of many in the crowd who greeted the outcome with boos. Mayweather had landed his finishing punches while Ortiz had his hands down and was turning away; he had just finished apologizing to Mayweather for an earlier headbutt.
In the interview, when my uncle asked why he?d thrown those questionable punches when he was already winning the fight, Mayweather responded with verbal blows.
?You never give me a fair shake,? the champ lamented, grabbing Uncle Larry?s microphone with his taped hand. ?Put somebody else up here to give me an interview.?
?What are you talking about?? Larry countered, nose to nose with the prizefighter.
