When it comes to the great and long-lasting Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao feud, there used to be a reluctant level of respect afforded to Pacquiao by the always-petulant ?Money? Mayweather. In the settled dust of their May 2 mega-fight, that tone has changed significantly. Now, disrespectful derision has replaced general disregard and, apparently, Mayweather feels completely entitled to this new treatment of the Filipino icon.
A recent video shared on Mayweather?s social media channels shows the five-division world champ slapping Pacquiao around in effigy, assaulting a mannequin in a tongue-in-cheek mock confrontation.
“So Manny, you out here telling people that I didn’t win fair and square. That this little arm is messed up. Is that right? Huh? Talk to me,? Mayweather says to the dummy in a confrontational manner before delivering two cracking slaps across its face. ?Stop lying, Stop lying.”
Post-Pacquiao defeat and post-shoulder injury debacle, Mayweather now feels entitled to his stance of utter superiority over his rival. Whereas past incidents of condescension and disregard were based on pure imagined superiority, the pound-for-pound top dog now feels completely justified in belittling Pacquiao every chance he gets.
It wasn?t always this way, though. One gets the feeling that Mayweather was willing to take the high road after the huge victory. The post-fight interview in the MGM Grand ring shows that, maybe, Mayweather was willing to put the nastiness behind him.
?He’s a hell of a fighter…I take my hat off to Manny Pacquiao,? Mayweather said in the ring, just moments after being announced the winner via unanimous decision. ?Now I see why he’s one of the guys at the pinnacle in the sport of boxing…Manny Pacquiao is blessed?He’s a true champion at heart…?
Of course, that good spirit ended when Pacquiao and his team brought out the story of Pacquiao?s injured shoulder and tried to inject doubt into the final verdict regarding whether Mayweather actually beat the real Manny Pacquiao in the ring that night. After that, all bets were off and Mayweather would ditch any stated respect he had for Manny, real or not, in favor of flat-out name calling.
?Excuses, excuses, excuses…I?m not going to buy into? it,” Mayweather replied days later in a Showtime interview. “and I don?t want the public to buy into it…He lost. He knows he lost. I lost a lot of respect for him after all of this.?
?I changed my mind,? Mayweather said regarding a rematch he had earlier said could be possible. ?At this particular time, no, because he?s a sore loser and he?s a coward. If you lost, accept the loss and say, ?Mayweather, you were the better fighter.??
And what does this mean in the grand scheme of things?
Forget about a rematch, forget about a respectful coming together of this era?s two best fighters, and forget about the great Mayweather-Pacquiao debate ever being resolved.
