I am willing to cut Mayweather some slack if he admits, immediately or sooner, that this isn?t his final fight?
Maybe we should call him ?Easy Money.?
Floyd Mayweather Jr. just sent a clear message to boxing fans who, since 1996, have been waiting to see him do something scintillating and truly memorable.
The message? Pffft.
Mayweather made it clear Tuesday that putting an exclamation point at the end of his career isn?t nearly as important to him as finishing with a zero in his loss column, and/or walking away from the ring with a lot of $$$. (But not mine. Not this time.)
The world?s No. 1 PVP actually had the stones to choose Andre Berto (3-3 in his most-recent outings) for what supposedly will be the final fight of his career. And he proved those stones are large and brassy by trying to pass this off as a pay-per-view event.
There is zero evidence ? only our own, irrational cravings ? that Mayweather will do anything but dodge and deflect Berto for 12 rounds on May 12. How many of us have any remaining patience (or expendable income) for that?
I am, however, willing to cut Floyd some slack if he admits, immediately or sooner, that this isn?t his final fight. If he tells me Berto is a stay-busy title defense, a good tune-up for Golovkin in the 50-0 fight … yep, I can be OK with that. Hey, Berto?s no humpty: He?s got fast hands and a puncher?s chance.
But if Mayweather really wants us to believe this is his swan song ? 49-0, tie Marciano, and adios! ? release the hounds. He deserves any criticism he gets.
?The Best Ever? should gallop into the sunset after gunning down Liberty Valance at high noon. If this is truly Floyd?s finale, we?ll watch him plod off on a Clydesdale.
Louis, Ali, Robinson, Leonard … those guys taught us to expect more.
Greatness? Floyd already has earned that label. But ?TBE? isn?t about risk-management.
