Floyd Mayweather Jr. finished off his Showtime contract last Saturday night with a win, as expected. He claims it was his last fight but that is hard to believe:
- With the win, Floyd improved his perfect record to 49-0. That’s so close to a nice, shiny 50-0 mark that it is hard to ignore.
- Floyd is without a peer in boxing, even at age 38.
- He had no problem whatsoever following up his record-breaking showdown with Manny Pacquaio by hand-picking Andre Berto, a journeyman who had lost three of his last six fights, including one to recent Mayweather loser Robert Guerrero.
So, why in the world wouldn’t Floyd Mayweather Jr. take on at least one more fight to get his 50th win? Why wouldn’t he tempt the fate that the aging process has ruined so many other great champions with? He’s definitely arrogant enough to think he can keep his skills well beyond his prime.
And his system of fighting has gotten less perilous as he has aged. A big right hand by Shane Mosely shocks the world by landing. Berto was a joke of a sparring session.
Here’s saying Floyd fights on.
It is almost unthinkable that his fight with Pacquaio set such an astonishing record for live gate and pay-per-view sales, when his very next fight failed to sell out and did less than 500,000 on the pay-per-view market. Is Mayweather a huge star or not?
This is the price of being the anti-hero.
There have been many big-name fighters that did huge box-office with the help of a large part of the buying public tuning in to see them lose. Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, et al.
Maybe Floyd is the most hated fighter of all-time.
If there’s a chance to see him lose (Canelo Alvarez, Miguel Cotto, Manny Pacquaio) the fans of the opponent come out as expected, but the anti-Floyd fans are there in force as well. Enough to make a difference.
When there is perceived to be almost no chance that Mayweather will be beaten (Guerrero, first Maidana fight, Berto) the numbers are lesser than a bona fide box office draw would be expected to pull.
That’s Floyd Mayweather Jr. The best fighter of our generation, but not always entertaining to watch. A huge pay-per-view draw that brags about his financial assets. But unable to draw when there isn’t a compelling opponent.
And he’s at or near the end of his career.
So what will history say about Floyd Mayweather Jr.? It is hard to say at this point. He’s got bad behavior, especially the domestic violence problems, tainting his ability to be a mainstream star. But he is also the absolute best at what he has done for a living, when compared to those who have competed in his era. He gets criticized for ducking fighters, but he has names on his resume that make that a tough charge: Oscar De La Hoya, Miguel Cotto, Manny Pacquiao, Diego Corrales, Jose Luis Castillo. All wins for Mayweather.
Is he really a paper champion for not fighting Amir Khan, he of three losses, two by KO?
I’m not buying any of that. Mayweather has been a model of excellence in the ring. He’s also been a consistent point of controversy outside of it and some of it he has carefully planned, like the arrogant behavior in flashing his money and lifestyle.
What the mainstream sports fan or general public thinks of him going forward is hard to predict. A lot depends on how he behaves after his fighting career is over.
But I don’t think it is just yet. We’ll see Mayweather back in action next year and he’ll almost certainly put everyone to sleep with a clinic of a boxing lesson given to someone far below his skill level. That may not be Mayweather’s fault. He has truly perfected the skill of hitting and not being hit. Better than Pernell Whitaker or any other defense-first fighter. Mayweather is a master of what he does.
But the public generally doesn’t like it, so the bittersweet relationship with fame will continue. Unless Mayweather changes his tune, outwardly, he will continue to be the guy he is now and has been for a 49-fight career. He’ll be recognized for his immense talent, but not loved. He’ll be respected for his accomplishments in the ring, but not fawned over like a Peyton Manning.
And if he does fight again and hopes to do impressive pay-per-view numbers, his only hope is to find someone the public thinks has a chance to beat him.
