Floyd Mayweather may call himself The Best Ever, But…

It’s been said the “The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.” The same can be applied to Floyd Mayweather.

Floyd Mayweather has convinced the public he is this grand figure, both in and out of the ring. While there is no denying his superior boxing skills, his fortress defense, his stinging straight right and overall ability to weather any onslaught from his opponents have been giving fans hope he his less than superior to his foes yet Maidana, De La Hoya or Pacquiao to name a few could not penetrate his defense and make Mayweather look average. Alas, Mayweather has proven to be too formidable an opponent to allow such things to happen to him in his realm.

However as gifted as Mayweather is in the ring, his gift of gab is even more of a mesmerizing feat he has accomplished. Mayweather has learned the art of manipulation, he has convinced anyone who has listened that he is the “chosen one” his God given abilities bestowed upon him to attain heights very few have ever reached. His brash attitude of how he lives his lifestyle and his affinity of boasting about money, cars, jets and anything else that comes with a man who has been ranked the highest paid athlete the last couple years will automatically get people lined up on both sides of the fence. His defenders and Derailers are both entitled to their opinion about the man who goes by the nickname “Money” and his rags to riches story. A kid from Michigan who was taught everything from his father who made it to the Olympics only to be upset to claim Bronze as a teen. The story has been rehashed so many times ad nauseam that the only thing he can actually talk about now his what new car he owns or some drama with his ex or a family member…

Yet after 8 years of this same story line people still tune in to what he has to say. He has convinced people he is this enigma and he thrives off of any and all publicity. He has reasoned that he is such a controversial figure simply because as he said to Katie Couric “I’m black. I’m rich. And I’m outspoken.” While I am not here to dismiss his belief that any of those three things has anything to do with the way he is viewed, Mayweather also says some things simply because he knows it will be controversial, it will grab the attention of the non Mayweather fan and hopefully they will become another sucker who will pay good money to see him lose.

Yet after all the hair pulling anti Mayweather fans have done after each victory Mayweather has notched only helps solidify his earning potential by continuing to be the villanesq figure he needs to be.

Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me.

Mayweather has fooled us over and over again. Avoiding threats when the fans wanted fights such as Pacquiao or Cotto in their primes, choosing to fight Carlos Baldmoir simply because at the time he held the belts even though there were far better opponents to fight. Failing to actually give the biggest fight in history a proper promotional tour and instead going with a one and done overhyped L.A. face-off that left virtually all boxing fans out and instead replaced the crowd with media outlets, most who rarely cover boxing all because Mayweather prefers the attention those outlets can provide him. Choosing the MGM Grand Garden Arena that at most holds 17,000 fans versus venues in other states that could house 60,000 fans and let’s not forget them dragging their feet on the actual sale of the tickets to the public until 2 weeks before the fight. If that wasn’t bad enough, only 500 tickets were made available to the public at a start of $1500 for the cheapest seat in the area and if all that was not a middle finger to the boxing fans who have supported Mayweather fights over the years, he also made the weigh-in a charged event as well. Albeit, all the proceeds went to charity (allegedly) the secondary market was charging up to $100 dollars to see two men weigh-in. Why? Because everything that could be a money grab was a money grab.

Yet this fight was for the fans. Unfortunately the fight was not for the fans, it was for the A list celebrities and athletes able to drop $50,000 on a floor seat, it was for ESPN to make a spectacle of the week leading up to the fight in Vegas, it was for the the high rollers who just wanted to be neat the action. As for the real fans of boxing, well they had to shell out $100 dollars to watch the fight in HD. Add the addition of two underwhelming televised undercard fights that killed the mood of any excitement before the fight actually started. Mayweather then made sure that any non boxing fans who watched the fight would not be back to watch any fight in the near future Mayweather or otherwise.

Because, as dominate as Mayweather is in hyping his fights, he is just as dominate in not actually making a boxing match a fight. Now, Mayweather fans will say that boxing is to hit and not get hit back and that is fine. Mayweather is a technician and he has every right to fight the best way he sees fit. However, I and many boxing fans in return are able to:

A. accept his style and continue to buy his fights or
B. stop buying into the Mayweather BS, don’t pay for any more PPVs or support Mayweather in any way.

I choose B.

I love boxing, enjoy going to the fights live, I’ve seen Mayweather more than once in person and after every fight I have seen I left feeing with a sense of regret. Many will argue that he is the embodiment of the “sweet science” and while I agree there are things that Mayweather does that I do appreciate, but watching the same fight over and over again is not one of them and that is what Mayweather does. Replace Pacquiao with Canelo with Maidana and they are almost the same fight every time.

I realize that I am in a very small minority when it comes to anything Mayweather even more so when it deals with his lackluster bouts in my opinion, but this is not coming from a bitter boxing fan, simply I have seen enough Mayweather that I am fine never watching another fight of his. If it was not for Manny Pacquiao being his opponent in this past bout, I would not have watched, but these were the two best of this current era and my distain for a Mayweather bout was outweighed for my love and enjoyment of watching boxing and specifically watching these two men finally face one another.

Alas, it was another Mayweather bout. All bark and no bite.

Many people felt the same way with social media sites firing off with funny and angry responses to the fight. Basking in the fact that many felt this was the end of boxing and now that Mayweather and Pacquiao fought that boxing has nothing else left.

Yet just a week later two fighters put on a fight that you couldn’t help but appreciate. Canelo Alvarez and James Kirkland stood toe to to for 4 exhilarating rounds one which saw bombs land from the opening bell. Both a fight that the fighters and the fans earned their keep that night. It was a exact opposite of the previous week’s performance and one that had social media buzzing with chatter and praise of both men. While James Kirlkland may have lost, his stock did not take a hit. Fans will watch his next fight, not because he a great fighter, but he fights in a way that you pull for him, you tune it to see him. You go out of your way to get his autograph when you see him in at the fights. He deserves a payday and then some. His style is made for T.V.

Mayweather talks the talk, but he most definitely does not walk the walk. When his next fight comes around I doubt I will watch. I know for sure I am not paying the PPV cost. I’ve seen the best Mayweather has to offer and no thanks. I’ll pass.