Convenient excuse he needed money but avoided a big money fight ..And no I don't care about a boxers personal finances .
Hate is a funny thing. At the time, all the Mayweather haters lined up to complain about a potential rematch of that 'boring' PBF v ODLH fight. All of them b!tching and moaning about how Floyd didn't KO Oscar 'like he promised'. The howling grew louder when ODLH looked like isht against 2 Pounds. Now, 7 years later, you're grousing about the man not taking a fight you criticised him for considering in the first palce and that you didn't want to see at the time? Hilarious. But y'all get on back to ya Mayweather hate circle jerk, mayne. Be blessed.
He's a clown but he's a clown with good advisors. He's made tons of money while doing the absolute minimal and taking minimal risks.
It was an ego thing. Oscar still had the upper-hand in negotiating leverage, and Floyd wanted things his way. His "retirement" lasted a few months. He "retired" in June 2008 and by the end of the year, Elerbee was saying "we'll look at offers".
It was reported at the time that there was no rematch clause (from the NY Times) ODLH, one of the most well managed athletes in history, must have signed the worst rematch clause ever. One that required him to NOT fight for the belt he just lost AND move down to weight he hadn't been in years. Either that or, more likely: Cocaine is a helluva drug.
Well what you call an excuse was pretty much taken as canonical truth back then. The haters were laughing at Floyd for his economic situation and the fan boys were trying to insinuate that it was some other reason. Now the tables have turned. Funny how that happens. I still believe he needed money, otherwise he would have no reason to take a loan/ advance from goldenboy. Also had it not been for his tax problems I'm pretty sure he would have paid the fees for Mosley's wba strap. But when people have an agenda they tend to ignore the rational explanations and go with the irrational. I see this all the time with people who believe in conspiracy theories. Anyway I don't think Floyd ever ducked anyone, but if he did the only one you could make a case for is Paul Williams. That is a fight I would really love to have seen. Floyd has never faced anyone with that many physical advantages over him. But Williams did have an off night with Quitana...
He did it primarily to avoid Paul Williams, and the fact that that meant he would also avoid Margarito and prime Cotto were added bonuses.