I would say to just do it for the love of God, but I?ll even settle for the root of all evil.
If ?Money? talks and something else walks, then this would seem a no-brainer, because though we know he does that and can be full of the other, he only converses with $$$ signs. As such, there has never been a fight that speaks to him so clearly and with more fondness.
. But Floyd Mayweather does not want to fight Manny Pacquiao.
. His fans will defend him until they are blue in the face. Don?t believe me? Visit a few social media sites that revolve around the sport of boxing. You?ll observe a notable collection of grown men lose brain cells, time and ?money?, daily, while giving you the impression that they?re about to run out of breath ? if not life itself- in defense of a man who?s the best in the world at defense.
He doesn’t need their help- and its offensive.
What he needs to do is challenge himself, and history, against a man whose legacy will always be attached to his regardless. So why not fight him?
When Mayweather went out of his way to tell the world that Pacquiao is a ?has been? while promoting his fight with Saul ?Canelo? Alvarez , he stood a man two years older than Pacquiao, that seemed to more or less ?hope? this was the case.
He?s no more a ?has been? as Amir Khan is a ?never has been?. He has tried to con a public into believing that Pacquiao is irrelevant, after trying to convince that same public he was a PED cheater.
Nothing has worked.
Without bemoaning a point that has been beaten more soundly than Brandon Rios was a few days ago by Pacquiao, all the smokescreens and childish finger pointing needs to end. Floyd Mayweather is supposed to be the ?world?s best fighter?. Not only that, he is now seen as the prohibitive favorite in a bout over Pacquiao, that was once seen as a pick em fight.
Here?s what I believe.
I?ve watched Mayweather either become completely undone or fall apart at the seams at the mere mentioning of Manny Pacquiao. He becomes rather, uh, defensive. And I don?t care who you are- it?s very revealing to watch their contrasting reactions to each other. Pacquiao is very relaxed and very definitive in his belief that he?d beat Mayweather.
Floyd gets angry and offers excuses.
What he sees in Pacquiao is an ?A? side southpaw fighter who?ll compete with him for ring space and ring generalship. This is not Victor Ortiz – someone who actually struck him often – before a moronic mental breakdown. Pacquiao is a fighter who has lighter feet than Floyd, is awkward, strikes in combination from different angles, and one who will more than likely change his features. Pacquiao damages every opponent he faces and Floyd knows this.
He also knows that he?s unlikely to defense his southpaw attack consistently, without being in a real fight, against a battle tested warrior who has no fear of him and carries a vendetta. He doesn’t want to deal with a volume puncher whose punch sequence and movement he cannot predict, who has speed to match and rival his own.
Floyd is a singular striker that is used to an opponent ?waiting on him?. He likes to face counter punchers much in the same way that Pacquiao prefers aggression. The real problem is, Floyd would be the aggressor in this fight given the way Pacquiao moves around the ring, and that is not something he wants to do.
In short, Pacquiao is all wrong for Mayweather, which is why it?s so right for all of us. He would open up Floyd?s closet and pull out skeletons you didn?t know existed. But because he?s great, Floyd is capable of pushing Pacquiao?s ass in there and closing the door.
And for all the tea in China, I sure as hell hope he summons the courage to just sign a damn contract and fight Manny Pacquiao.
