The sentiments of a letdown can linger to a point that is reachable neither by pout nor pint?
As much as we?re often told that heart and soul are but metaphysical elements of our respective lives, there are still times when we can just about feel something breaking inside ourselves. Of course, such feelings are easily explained in a biochemical breakdown, yet the sentiments of a letdown can linger to a point that is reachable neither by pout nor pint. This writer was fortunate enough to be included in the media melee which surrounded the highly anticipated superfight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. However, it may indeed be the only time that a chance to do it all over again would be soundly declined.
Although a few lawsuits have been thrown in the direction of Pacquiao due to his nondisclosure of a shoulder injury, the biggest of pictures may have unfortunately been missed. Just about any professional athlete walks around his/her everyday life in some sort of sports injury related pain. A rotator cuff injury is just about as painful as it can possibly get, yet most within the boxing know have been quick to point out that even a fully healthy right wing supported by the Pac Man?s scapula would not have been enough to break down the Fort Knox of professional prizefighting. If we are to subject Mayweather to the eye test and forget all about the ?wow? factor, then it should have been clear to the millions (if not billions) who watched the bout that he was simply too good to be beaten in the ring that night in Las Vegas.
Alas, the revered pay-per-view numbers are now officially counted. It should fall without any bewilderment that all previous records were thoroughly smashed, both numerically and most importantly to all involved sides, monetarily. The bout now sits at number one with 4.4 million buys, most likely at one hundred dollars each, as most were willing to pony up the extra ten for a high definition broadcast. What?s another ten when you?ve already dropped ninety? Regardless, just as Floyd did with his 2007 bout with Oscar De La Hoya and once again in 2013 with Saul ?Canelo? Alvarez (the second and third place bouts in terms of most PPV buys in boxing history), respectively, he showed why the sweet science is often too sour for many to digest.
As fans, we just missed the bus, completely. Hopefully, those of us who expected a toe-to-toe battle in the center of the ring threw a big enough party with a pitch in style of potluck dinner. One hundred bones spread around a big enough living room could have possibly left the cable TV guarantor of the house not running for the Maalox as quickly as the spicy spread of munchies may have caused. If not, we not only missed the bus, but the outcome of the fight had many of us feeling as if we?d been thrown under it. It?s not new and sadly, it?s here to stay.
Quite often, the gems of the sport are found on regular cable, Mexican TV or elsewhere. Thankfully, the deities of flying leather gave us the bar of platinum that was last Saturday evening?s firefight between the aforementioned Canelo Alvarez and James Kirkland in Houston, TX. What fun that was. The big one, as it was supposed to be has finally come and gone in a way which we?d likely hoped it wouldn?t. Legions of on-the-fence ilk boxing fans as well as general sporting public just couldn?t wait for Mayweather and Pacquiao to fight. Most of us are still waiting for them to fight. Actually fight, that is.
Regardless, it was made clear by so many sides going into this maelstrom of madness that the bar which was sought the most was clearly in terms of dollars and cents. Fans, by contrast, lost many dollars and felt without proper sense. To many, it just didn?t make sense. 4.4 million pay-per-view buys and $400 million in overall revenue. Records shattered, yet still many more expectations by much of the paying public shattered long before any figures had been tallied. Picture the Wall Street greed monger as he stuffs your dollars in the upper pocket of his Italian designer suit. Was there any pleasure in doing business with us this way? Will we know any better next time?
