Floyd Mayweather Jr. is a chicken in my book. A very shrewd chicken.
Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao is the matchup the boxing world most wants to see.
The longer Mayweather puts off fighting Pacquiao, the richer both of them will wind up.
Mayweather, 40-0, was rated by The Ring magazine as the best “pound-for-pound” fighter in the world from July 18, 2005, through June 2, 2008. Pacquiao, 51-3-2, with 12 straight victories since 2005, currently holds that prestigious tag.
Mayweather has won six world titles in five different weight classes. Pacquiao is the only fighter to have won seven world titles in seven weight classes.
Mayweather was The Ring magazine Fighter of the Year in 1998 and 2007. Pacquiao was The Ring Fighter of the Year in 2006, 2008 and 2009.
Pacquiao was The Ring Fighter of The Decade. Mayweather was second, with the magazine’s Michael Rosenthal noting: “Sorry Floyd, but you need to fight the best to be the best.”
Mayweather was born Feb. 24, 1977. Pacquiao was born Dec. 17, 1978. Mayweather might be slightly past his prime. Pacquiao has never been better. I think Mayweather knows that.
They were supposed to fight Saturday night, but the fight collapsed months ago when Pacquiao refused Mayweather’s demands for blood testing up to the date of the fight. Pacquiao, who vehemently denies he has ever used performance-enhancing drugs, has refused blood tests within 30 days of a fight because he says giving blood makes him weak. He has agreed to be tested immediately after a fight against Mayweather. That sounds good enough to me — and probably to most of you.
Instead of fighting Mayweather, Pacquiao took on Joshua Clottey Saturday night at Cowboys Stadium. Pacquiao totally dominated the fight before 50,994 fans, the largest crowd for a boxing show in the United States since 1993.
Imagine what Pacquiao-Mayweather would draw at Cowboys Stadium. It would be as much an event as a boxing match. Everyone packed into the stadium could see the action on the mammoth screen overhead. I believe 100,000-plus people would pay to be there. Pay-per-view records probably would be smashed — particularly with a few attractive bouts on the undercard. Boxing could use a night like that.
The earliest we’ll get to see Pacquiao vs. Mayweather is this fall. Mayweather will fight May 1 in Las Vegas for Sugar Shane Mosley’s WBA welterweight title. Mosley is 38 and probably will be outclassed. “Pretty Boy Floyd” isn’t going to jeopardize a potential record payday against Pacquiao by taking on someone who could beat him. Bodog.com odds are Mayweather -340 (bet $340 to win $100) and Mosley +260 ($100 to win $260).
The all-time record purse for a fighter was Oscar De La Hoya’s $58 million for a loss to Mayweather May 5, 2007. Mayweather made around $25 million.
He’s looking for more for a possible career-ending loss to Pacquiao, and he’ll probably get it.
I wonder if something is wrong with Rachel Alexandra. The connections of the 2009 Horse of the Year announced on Sunday that she won’t be entered to run against Zenyatta in the much-anticipated $5 million Apple Blossom Invitational April 9 at Oak Lawn Park. Coming off a six-month layoff, she ran out of gas in mid-stretch in Saturday’s second-place finish to Zardana (Zenyatta’s stablemate) in the $200,000 New Orleans Ladies at Fair Grounds. It looked like she needed the race and trainer Steve Asmussen had plenty of time to get her 100 percent fit by April 9. Now I wonder if they’ll ever run against each other or if Rachel Alexandra will run again.
Zenyatta did her part Saturday with another exciting last-to-first victory in the $250,000 Santa Margarita Handicap before an adoring crowd at Santa Anita. She spotted seven rivals 12-to-19 pounds, overcame traffic in the stretch and won going away to boost her career record to 15-0. The only thing she has ever lost was at the ballot box — to Rachel Alexandra for 2009 Horse of the Year.
The Rochester Knighthawks have seldom been in worse shape on the field or at the box office. That probably isn’t a coincidence. The Knighthawks were shut out in the first half of Saturday night’s 9-4 loss to Steve Donner’s Orlando Titans and drew under 6,000 for the second straight home game. The boobirds were out and they should have been.
The Knighthawks looked lost without John Grant, who missed the game because his wife went into labor earlier in the day. It was a chance for a few of the other veteran mainstays to step up. No one did. There can be no excuses. Orlando was playing for the second night in a row and was missing injured superstar Casey Powell.
Incredibly, Rochester ranks last in the 11-team NLL in scoring, with a mere 9.6 goals per game. No team can match the Knighthawks in big-name scorers, but time has taken a toll. The roster looks much more impressive than the performance on the floor.
The Knighthawks are 5-5 with six games to play and very much alive for a playoff berth in a balanced division, but some of the old legs need to find some spring. They’re looking more and more like the NLL version of the current Boston Celtics. The NLL trade deadline is Tuesday. The team needs some fresh legs, but owner/GM Curt Styres isn’t likely to give up any stockpiled first-round picks to get them and I don’t blame him.
Kansas City columnist Jason Whitlock supplies some bulletin board fodder for Syracuse: He calls SU “a fraud” and writes that SU “has overplayed its level of talent and got exposed at the end of the season. Kentucky is the only real threat (to Kansas).” … If the Big East Tournament counted in consideration for Big East Player of the Year — and since all 16 teams participate, I wonder why it doesn’t — West Virginia’s De’Sean Butler would’ve been a more deserving selection than winner Wes Johnson of SU.
Sunday night could put Rochester native Jon “Bones” Jones on the fast track to the UFC light-heavyweight championship. He’ll fight veteran Brandon Vera in the main event of the UFC on Versus 1 card. The 22-year-old Jones is being touted as a future mixed martial arts superstar for his strength, spinning elbows and Greco-Roman wrestling skills. But some MMA insiders wonder if he’s ready for the 32-year-old Vera. An impressive winner could rise to No. 3 status in the light-heavyweight division. Jones is favored (bet $285 to win $100) over live-underdog Vera (bet $100 to win $225).
