Sometimes, some things are just meant to cling… even oil and water. Pardon the contraction, but my point being, no matter how unlikely some things can be, there are just some things that can not be denied. Call it destiny. Throw out all facts and reason, Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr. will happen.
To those who have followed this saga closely, it’s a known fact that dispute about the cash percentage and Floyd Jr.’s vile relationship with Pacquiao’s promoter, Top Rank boss Bob Arum, would be the main hurdles that may prevent this dream fight from happening. And I don’t know if my fellow Examiner Michael Marley truly took time to comprehend my article that he quoted in one of his for him to say I got caught up with the Pacquiao fever and mentioned that I was wrong for saying Floyd was afraid of Pacquiao. I did not say Mayweather was afraid of Pacquiao, but I did ask the question and said that fear does play in boxers, fighters and athlete’s heads in general, no matter how much they deny it.
Is Floyd afraid of Pacquiao? Only Floyd knows the answer to that one for sure. Even the Tiger Woods and the Kobe Bryants of the world fear losing. With the way Floyd has nitpicked his opponents in the latter parts of his career, Marley’s exaggerations and hyperboles are harder to believe than the thought of Floyd fearing defeat at the hands of formidable competition like Paul Williams, Shane Mosley, Miguel Cotto and even Manny Pacquiao.
Am I saying Floyd is afraid of Pacquiao? No. Did I ask the question? Yes. Because I myself do not know the answer- I’m not Floyd and like I said, only Floyd truly knows the answer to that inside his chest. But has Floyd not fought the best possible competition out there for him? DEFINITELY.
Manny Pacquiao (AP Photo/ Jae C. Hong )
Honestly, if this was truly about money, Pacquiao should be the one he’s facing. If this is truly about challenge, why not Paul Williams? If Floyd came out and said he is fighting Marquez who is a worthy opponent and has a good Mexican following for it to generate good Pay-Per-View buys, then that’s cool. But to say Marquez is the best fight out there for him and is tougher than Pacquiao and add that this is the best money fight out there for him? Come on… Really? The last time I checked, 1 + 1 was still two and when a reader told me about Marley quoting me and misunderstanding my context, I still can’t finish any of his articles because a lot of it to me doesn’t make sense. Perhaps my intelligence is just too inferior to comprehend Mr. Marley’s creative writing in the same way I guess that I simply can’t buy into what Floyd Mayweather Jr. and his dad Sr. have been saying. I’ve been called a “Pac-hater” before, (just read my recent article about Miguel Cotto) but my views about Floyd’s statements and career have nothing to do with being a Pacquiao fan just like other boxing fans whether it be from England to Pacland. I actually admire Mayweather’s skill set. I even called him the best “boxer” in terms of craft, but I simply call things how i see them. So if I write another article being critical of Pacquiao when the time comes, I’ll thank you for calling me a “hugger” or whether if you agree or feel indifferent with my commentary, because I am simply doing my job and sharing my varied opinions about the sport of prize fighting.
And if I didn’t know any better, all this ESPN interviews and hype Mayweather has been conjuring up lately are simply seeds for a Pacquiao-Mayweather battle and the two will definitely end up fighting each other in the same ring. Why? Simple really- It’s what the boxing world wants to see. There’s just too much money out there to be made on this fight for any rational person to pass up. It is boxing after all, and it doesn’t take a genius to know that, it matters not if Pacquiao is the Pound-for-Pound king and if Mayweather hates Arum like Tyson hates Don King, because in the world of boxing, MONEY is KING.
Michael Marley’s Quote: (Examiner.com 5/21/2009)
I think my colleague, Indiana Fight Examiner Dennis Anthony Guillermo got caught up in Pacman Fever when he penned these lines:
?No offense to all pro boxers out there, I?m sure they mean it when they say it?s their job and would fight anybody in the ring- up to a certain point. Sometimes though, things like ego, money, pride, personal vendettas and yes I said it, fear, gets in the way of a fight from happening.
In the curious case of Floyd Mayweather Jr. against Manny Pacquiao, what reason is there really behind Floyd?s recent tirades against Pacquiao and for him to claim that he does not need to fight Pacquiao? Businesswise, lil? Floyd has always said he was about making money, and practically if he wanted to make the most money, dancing with Pacquiao is the biggest money-making fight there is out there for him. So why did Floyd go out of his way to sign and announce a fight against Pacquiao?s nemesis Juan Manuel Marquez on the same day Pacquiao fought Ricky Hatton?
Perhaps Pacquiao?s ascension as the sport?s #1 Pound for Pound best fighter in the world after he retired, hurt lil? Floyd?s ego.?
As much I appreciate the Pacquiao story, and his entire homage from selling cigarettes in the slum streets of Manila to overcoming early pro ring defeats en route to becoming the National Fist a/k/a Megamanny, that is an untruth no matter how you slice it.
Guillermo got the ?ego? part of the equation completely right but using the four-letter word ?fear? is completely wrong.
I don?t care how massive a Manny fan you are, I don?t care how much of a sniveling Pacman syncophant you have become, you need to acknowledge the Gospel According to Marley truth and that is Floyd Mayweather Jr. fears no man.
