Unfortunately, boxing fans will not see Floyd Mayweather on this podium with Manny Pacquiao, as Mayweather will instead take on Paulie Malignaggi on March 13. While both fighters have tried to spin the fight's demise as the other's fault, there's plenty of blame to go around for each of them.Thank you so much, gentleman. The sad part regarding the uncontrollable egos of Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather (and their camps) run amok is that it didn’t just lead to the cancellation of an important fight; the sport of boxing is used to that. What it has led to is the denial of something far more rare: A chance for boxing to reenter the public consciousness, if for only a time. This would have been a chance for mainstream media outlets to temporarily turn their attention away from the MMA, NFL or even the Tiger Woods Bimbo Of the Month Club to focus on the Sweet Science. Yes, on boxing! Really! This also would have been a chance for fight fans to have an event to remember for the ages, a “Do you remember where you were?” moment when the two best pound-for-pound fighters went at it in their primes. It’s funny, actually; had they fought, the excitement would focus around who would lose. When this fight became null and void, it made losers out of everyone.
Various boxing scribes and talking heads will tell you that the fans were the ones who lost, that it’s a blow to boxing that will take a long time from which to heal. There is truth to that. As mainstream media indifference rears its ugly head because they don’t care two bits about Pac-Man fighting Joshua Clottey, as the mantra of Boxing Can’t Get Out Of Its Own Way is chanted time after time by these people, the boxing world will be forced to lament what could have been. But boxing will survive with more great fights (see Berto-Mosley) and more great events, like it always has. While that same mainstream media will blame boxing for this latest debacle, the boxing public knows better. That’s where Pacquiao and Mayweather are in for a very rude awakening.
First off, all Mayweather’s demands of Pacquiao come off as a guy who really doesn’t want to fight unless he has all the advantages. He came in heavy for his fight with Juan Manuel Marquez, who was a lighter weight fighter, anyway. Floyd also has a recent track record of fighting guys lighter than he is or, if they are equal in weight, will be a safer touch. He has an undefeated record that he doesn’t want to lose. Now he wants special blood testing. Fine. Maybe Floyd really did have a legitimate concern, but all this smacks of to many is Floyd having a big out should the fight not happen. Now Floyd can go around and tell everyone that he wanted to fight, but Pacquiao just wouldn’t, as if the Filipino was afraid of him or something. What Mayweather’s proven with this whole situation is that while being an incredible talent in the ring, he has no heart or guts outside of it. Mayweather will get to Canestota, New York, one day, but will anyone put him in the same category as Henry Armstrong, Sugar Ray Robinson or Roberto Duran? No way. Those guys didn’t duck people nor waste anyone’s time trying to protect some mythical undefeated legacy. The greatest fighters are that way because they overcome adversity; Mayweather is determined never to face it. Whether actually true or not, the spectre that Mayweather is afraid to fight Pacquiao will continue to gain more traction, even as Floyd continues to scoff at the notion.
Pacquiao, by contrast, had the most to lose, and lost it. Yes, he will always be beloved by the Filipino fans and their throng. Yes, he will always be an exciting, breathtaking fighter to watch. But will he be thought of fondly as a gladiator like Marvin Hagler or Thomas Hearns now? Hardly. He has destroyed all that. His petulant response to Mayweather’s demands exposed his absolute lack of awareness of the event or what it means to boxing. Pacquiao couldn’t even be bothered to be in the U.S. as the biggest fight he will likely ever have circled the drain. At least with Mayweather, you knew he cared more about himself than anything else; with Manny, everyone expected more. Instead of being the warrior that would say damn the torpedoes, take the stupid blood test, and kick Mayweather’s pompous ass around the ring, Pacquiao instead chose to file a lawsuit. Never mind that no one before or after had seriously questioned whether Pacquiao was clean or not, or that taking these blood tests would have proven Mayweather to be the pompous loudmouth that he is (and more defense for his suit, anyway). No, instead, it was all about MANNY being pissed off, and if MANNY’S pissed, then, well, there’s not going to be any fight. The big, bad Mayweather has said something not nice, so it’s time to screw all boxing fans while we sue that meany! All this does is make people wonder if Pacquiao really does have something to hide, not the opposite.
To a boxing fan’s trained eye, all this whole matter did was expose both fighters for the egotistical divas that they are. Maybe this was expected to a degree from Floyd, but startling was the revelation that the friendly, smiling, Manny-of-the-World Pacquiao could be so petulant and thin-skinned. Since both men have come out with statements apologizing to the fans and blaming the other guy (I confess – it’s his fault!), it’s clear that neither of them truly get it at all. No fight fan, unless they are a die-hard apologist of either fighter, is going to take a side. They have enough blame to put on both men. Boxing is used to having it’s reputation hit; what’s happened here is that the reputations of Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather have been irreconcilably damaged.
So, on March 13, both fighters will be in separate fights in separate venues against separate opponents that no one will be really excited about. Maybe Tommy Hearns or Marvin Hagler will be at one of the arenas. If so, there will likely be hands shaken, pictures taken and congratulations on those three great rounds in ‘85 that we’ve remembered for so many years. And maybe, as the action goes on in the ring, someone in the stands will have a hard time envisioning Hagler and Hearns calling off their incredible fight by letting their egos trump their greatness. Too bad the same can’t be said for Mayweather and Pacquiao. Here’s hoping they eventually get it done so that this debacle doesn’t burden their legacies forever.
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