Nobody ever tells Venus or Serena Williams to not be so sharp on the tennis court or to let their opponents keep pace with them for the sake of TV-friendly excitement. Nobody ever told a prime Michael Jordan to stop being so dominant because he was making the other NBA stars look ordinary by comparison.
So, it only stands to reason that it makes no sense for fight fans and members of the media to basically want Floyd Mayweather to be less of a boxer so his opponents can be more competitive.
We?ve seen this odd logic for quite awhile now, but never has this insanity been more prevalent than in the aftermath of the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao mega-fight May 2.
Pacquiao fans and even Pacquiao, himself, whined about Mayweather running, holding, and failing to engage. How was Manny going to get a crack at hurting and stopping Floyd, if Floyd refused to fight? In other words, they wanted Mayweather to hold still while their hero whacked him.
But that?s not how it works.
Mayweather, who is out promoting his September 12 PPV clash with Andre Berto is clear about understanding his own style and ring objective and has been vocal about Pacquiao being the one who let down the fans.
“The fans have to be mad at Pacquiao,? Mayweather recently told Showtime?s Jim Gray. ?They can’t be mad at me. I done my job?
?Everyone wants to say that the fight didn?t live up to expectations. I did what I always do,? the five-division champ said on SiriusXM?s Shade 45 Radio. ?I?m a smart, defensive wizard. I take my time, I pick my shots. And the thing is this: I?ve been around this sport a very long time, I know what I?m doing when I?m inside that squared circle. Everyone put this guy (Pacquiao) on a pedestal.?
Obviously, Mayweather is biased in his assessment, but he is by no means the only one pointing the finger squarely at Pacquiao when it comes to assigning blame for a boring fight.
“I’m not blaming Floyd for that fight, but it wasn’t a good fight? ESPN?s Teddy Atlas recently told Fighthype.com. ?Anybody who’s complaining about Floyd’s performance, something’s wrong with them…If you didn’t know that Floyd was going to fight this kind of fight, a defensive fight, a fight where he doesn’t take chances, where he takes the air out of the ball, if you didn’t know that, shame on you…you don’t know boxing…The burden was on Pacquiao…Pacquiao came up short as far as his intensity, his urgency, not really pushing the envelope enough in that fight.?
What it all boils down to is that Mayweather?s dedicated critics were counting on Manny Pacquiao to be the one who delivers Floyd?s long-awaited and brutal comeuppance. But, to be painfully blunt, Pacquiao just wasn?t good enough to get the job done. Mayweather fought like Mayweather while Pacquiao fought like a poorly-prepared fighter with no plan, no back-up, and no ability to adapt. Mayweather was the better man that night?Period.
