Most of the criticism Floyd Mayweather often faces stems from the fact that he doesn’t have the warrior mentality that a lot of the top fighters have. He’s happy to take an easy fight if the money is right, and isn’t ashamed to admit that he’s still boxing for the money not because he likes the thrill of the fight.
That way of thinking coupled with a technical but often uninspiring style has meant that Floyd finds himself one of the best fighters of his generation, but without many defenders when it comes to his choice of opponent.
In earlier years Floyd faced the elite fighters that were available to him, but since moving up to welterweight he has taken a much easier sequence of opponents than anyone claiming to be the best fighter in the sport should have.
After the fallout from the collapsed mega fight between himself and Manny Pacquiao, most of the negative attention was put on Floyd, and he and his team still not having announced a next opponent isn’t helping this.
If Mayweather wants to rebuild his reputation and start the inevitable build up towards another attempt at a fight against Pacquiao, then he needs to look good against a top drawer opponent.
Shane Mosley is the best available fighter for Floyd by a long chalk, but last minute snags in the negotiations might put his one on hold as well. There are rumors that Floyd isn’t happy with the comparatively small purse he would make from facing Mosley, who remains a more credible threat to him than most of the other fighters that have been mentioned as possible opponents of late.
Sure he will get the lions share of the money, but at the same time he would be the one selling nearly all of the pay per views as well, and if he’s the big draw then the incentive isn’t there to face the best fighters. His last fight sold over a million buys against an undersized opponent who he had very little danger of being beaten by. Fighting Mosley for similar money is a big risk by comparison.
Another possible opponent being connected to Floyd is Nate Campbell, although having recently been a lightweight, few would see him as much of a challenge for a much bigger Mayweather. Going from a 36 year old Marquez to a 37 year old Campbell is hardly world beating stuff for someone with a decent size advantage.
If there were something concrete about a top opponent later on in the year, then fans might be more willing to accept a tune up fight along the lines of Matthew Hatton or Saul Alvarez. As it stands at the moment though, there are only rumors and hearsay about a Pacquiao fight being back on the cards in the autumn, and given the problems that particular fight ran into last time around, fans can be forgiven for being a little skeptical.
If Floyd reads even a fraction of what most of the boxing writers out there are saying about him, then hopefully his ego won’t let a Mosley fight slip through his fingers.
It might not be as much money as he wants, but this fight alone can put him squarely back up there with Manny Pacquiao at the top of the welterweight rankings. another fight against a lighter opponent
