Newton’s Third Law states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction– and that is certainly the case when it comes to Pacquiao idolatry in today’s world of big-time professional prize fighting.
Aside from the copious reporting of Pacquiao minutia and the establishment of a Pacquiao-centric cottage industry of carpetbagging boxing scribes, the Pacquiao love has spawned an equally brutish and completely opposite reaction among fans of the Filipino fighter’s arch-nemesis.
In the face of unreasonable Pacquiao worship, some Floyd Mayweather fans have taken to message boards and social media sites with similarly ridiculous declarations and claims of inflated grandeur for their favorite.
So, as an indirect response to some of the off-the-wall statements I’ve been seeing lately, here’s my take on Floyd fans’ attempts to be as blindly loyal as their Manny counterparts– Mayweather doesn’t belong on any all-time lists and shouldn’t even be mentioned in fantasy match-ups against guys like Roberto Duran, Sugar Ray Leonard, or, heaven forbid, Sugar Ray Robinson.
Mayweather has forfeited his right to make any claim to greatness by cruising on semi-retired mode for the last five years of his career.
Every fighter has the right to decide how often he wants to fight, but every action has its repercussion– And the price for four fights in five years is instant dismissal from any all-time consideration, especially since the five years in question are prime, 29-34, years.
