Celebrating my niece’s graduation at P.F. Chang’s in El Segundo, California ? I did not leave my wallet ? and sipping on Patron ? not a good idea on an empty stomach at 3 P.M. – my phone vibrated announcing the arrival of a text message.
Pondering how quickly my little niece had grown up and chewing the fat with a loud, Cuban dominated table, I transitioned from the tequila to hefeweizen ? how did this less than stellar beer style become so popular? – and flipped open my battle scared phone to read the incoming message from my boxing loving cousin.
?Mayweather announced his retirement. And his fight with De La Hoya will be canceled.?
I flipped the phone away and returned to the festivities at hand.
No second thoughts, no pondering, no mental flashbacks to the best of ?Pretty Boy? in my mind. Chain restaurant Chinese and my father’s jokes were the order of the afternoon.
After arriving home, I surfed the net and found the following statement on several website…
Dear Media:
It is with a heavy heart that I write you this message today. I have decided to permanently retire from boxing. This decision was not an easy one for me to make as boxing is all I have done since I was a child. However, these past few years have been extremely difficult for me to find the desire and joy to continue in the sport. I have said numerous times and after several of my fights over the past two years that I might not fight again. At the same time, I loved competing and winning and also wanted to continue my career for the fans, knowing they were there for me and enjoyed watching me fight. However, after many sleepless nights and intense soul-searching I realized I could no longer base my decision on anything but my own personal happiness, which I no longer could find. So I have finally made up my mind, spoken to my family, particularly my mother, and made my decision. I am sorry I have to leave the sport at this time, knowing I still have my God-given abilities to succeed and future multi-million dollar paydays ahead, including the one right around the corner. But there comes a time when money doesn’t matter. I just can’t do it anymore. I have found a peace with my decision that I have not felt in a long time. Finally, I want to personally thank all of my fans for their loyalty and dedication as my career comes to a close. I always believed that their enthusiasm and support helped carry me to victory with every fight I ever had. It was a great joy to have fought for all of you. Now I hope you understand my decision and wish me well with the rest of my life.
Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Again, no great, overwhelming feeling regarding the retirement of the man considered by most rational boxing minds as the pound for pound king and best fighter of his generation.
Why?
First and foremost, in recent years Mayweather Junior has made it a common occurrence to announce his eminent retirement following a victory. It happened after his fight with Ricky Hatton and Oscar De La Hoya. My mind blurry from over eating and intaking alcohol cannot recall if Mayweather did the same following his domination of Arturo Gatti.
We must also consider that this could be a business strategy to increase his market value for a September fight against Oscar De La Hoya or a fight next year against Miguel Cotto. Leaving boxing for a few years to fatten the payday pig is not uncommon in boxing.
Or he just might be following up on his promise of retiring on top of his game.
Either way, unfortunately, this writer will not be missing Mayweather. His skills within the ring are to be respected and I would never question his abilities, but Floyd has become ?Money? Mayweather and instead of testing his skills against the best in the business, he had become concerned with stacking his bankroll with each fight, fooling with professional wrestling, and flirting with the idea of testing mixed martial arts.
Hall of Fame bound he clearly is, but Miguel Cotto and/or Antonio Margarito were questions that might be left unanswered by a Floyd Mayweather who had become more spectacle than fighter.
On the flip side ? you all know how much I like to stick my knife in the bloodied bellies of Golden Boy Promotions and HBO? the network is left looking silly after putting displaying Oscar De La Hoya on HBO Championship Boxing against Steve Forbes as a prelude to an expected September money making rematch between the Golden Boy and Mayweather. Both Golden Boy and HBO will now have to find a suitable opponent to assist in extracting millions of dollars from boxing consumers.
Do not expect Miguel Cotto or Antonio Margarito against De La Hoya, but rather look for a marquee opponent that would produce an almost guaranteed victory for Oscar. If Hatton can legally wiggle himself out of a Fall brawl with Paulie Malignaggi, do not be surprised to see De La Hoya vs. The Hitman.
