Is Floyd Mayweather, age 32, all growed up? Has he heeded the Biblical direction that the time comes for man to put aside childish things?
You may be cynical. You may not be buying Gangsta Floyd Joy Mayweather Junior’s sudden public conversion to solid citizen.
You may not believe he’s given up gunplay at the roller rink and disrespecting all other fighters in favor of handing out sandwiches to the downtrodden and denied and dripping honey in discussing colleagues/rivals such as Shane Mosley and Manny Pacquiao.
My Las Vegas scout, 40 year denizen of Sin City, James L. “Catfish” Hunter swears he spotted Mayweather or a lookalike browsing in the Self Improvement section at a Barnes & Nobles bookstore the other day.
And, Hunter reports, the heretofore vainglorious one was not inspecting the “Swim With The Sharks” type tomes but rather looking at non-Machiavellian material such as “Love: Killer Application.”
So, maybe this isn’t merely a conversion for commercial convenience and not just a wise old head such as Al Haymon pulling Money May’s coat and telling him to play it like he’s miraculously morphed into Mellow May.
Time will tell but whoever though they would see a lovefest, a boxing bromance going on between Mayweather and ESPN’s no nonsense Brian Kenny?
Or how about L’il Floyd flipping his usual script and noting that Pacman “has been making a lot of noise” in boxing?
In the meantime, in between time, here’s how Mayweather can repair his warped public persona.
Look, I’m only here to provide the ingredients.
It’s up to Gentleman Floyd to mix them all together:
1. The genuine humility of MANNY PACQUIAO.
2. The pleasant personality of SHANE MOSLEY with no Sugar substitutes.
3. The wit of “did you call me Roy?” MUHAMMAD ALI.
4. The quiet but deep confidence of MICHAEL SPINKS.
5. The media warmth exuded by SUGAR RAY LEONARD.
6. The value for money fighting style of THOMAS HEARNS.
7. The dignity of MARVELOUS MARVIN HAGLER.
8. The winning with grace manners of BIG GEORGE FOREMAN.
9. The historical boxing appreciation of MIKE TYSON.
10. The likeability quotient of SMOKIN’ JOE FRAZIER.
