Boycott. The word keeps being repeated in forums and comments sections of every boxing article even remotely related to Pacquiao, Mayweather, or Mosley.
Boycott Mayweather vs. Mosley. Boycott articles. Boycott 24/7. Boycott everything Mayweather. Never say “Floyd”, say “Fraud”. Never say “Mayweather” say “Gayweather”. In the opinion of most Pacquiao fans, the criticisms are well deserved.
Mayweather graduated with honors from All Publicity is Good Publicity University. He thrives on criticism, so he continually does and says things to make sure he gets plenty.
Manny Pacquiao is a great fighter. Yes. That’s an understatement. This writer has been praising his talents and accomplishments for quite some time, and will continue to do so as long as he continues to dominate.
He’s literally revived the sport by attracting millions of new fans to the sport. That’s great for boxing as long as he continues to fight, but eventually he’s going to hang up his gloves. Then what?
Pacquiao would tell you himself that he’s not the only boxer on planet earth. He’s a boxer. He’s not boxing. True boxing fans can watch a couple of fighters they’ve never heard of go toe to toe and enjoy every second of it.
Jorge Andrade of Centerton, Arkansas is a sports fan whose interest in boxing was roused back in the glory days of the great Julio Cesar Chavez. Although Chavez was the main reason that Andrade became interested in the sport, he didn’t lose interest when Chavez retired.
Andrade said: “When you only watch the fights of one particular boxer, you miss a lot of good fights. There are a lot of other good fighters to enjoy. Sometimes the matches that feature fighters that nobody knows much about wind up being great fights.”
Andrade is a Mexican American who supported his favorite fighter, but not to the point of ignoring other great pugilists.
Many Arkansans support “The Pride of Arkansas”, Jermain Taylor. But every Taylor fan I know is also a fan of boxing in general.
There are plenty of boxers who are lacing up the gloves and putting on brilliant displays of pugilistic talent. We can look forward to the careers of guys like Juan Manuel Lopez, Nonito Donaire, Shawn Porter, Timothy Bradley, Amir Khan, and Andre Berto. Mark Jason Melligen is also establishing himself as a serious welterweight prospect. Yuriorkis Gamboa is a monster in the ring.
Yuriorkis Gamboa (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Of course, there is also a group of well-established elites who are more than worthy of attention.
For true boxing fans, Mayweather vs. Mosley is a must see event. These highly talented boxers are two of the world’s best. One of the most interesting aspects of this fight is the chance to evaluate how the winner might fare in a match against Pacquiao.
Regardless of what Mayweather has said, his fight against Marquez wasn’t a good indication of how a Pacquiao – Mayweather fight would look. To repeat the oldest and most overused term in boxing; styles make fights.
Nobody fights like Pacquiao, but Mosley’s busy, aggressive, and explosive style will undoubtedly provide an opportunity to find out if Mayweather can handle a top notch welterweight. If he can’t, it’s an opportunity to see him lose his first fight. Some pundits have brazenly shared their opinion that this is a real possibility.
In a recent interview with 8CountNews, former lightweight world champion, Nate Campbell, expressed his hope for a Mosley victory. Nate chats with 8
Why would any Pacquiao fan choose to pass on the opportunity to witness the possibility of a history-making upset?
It may be a long-shot, but it’s possible.
Regardless of who gets his hand raised at the end of the bout, the event promises to be a great one.
