Kevin Iole: Floyd Hates Arum So Much He's Willing to Skip the Pacquiao Fight

Thread Stealer · Sep 20, 2011

I don't think I agree with him on that point.

Most of the article is regarding their sizes and careers not being all that much different.

http://sports.yahoo.com/box/news?slug=ki-iole_mayweather_pacquiao_careers092011

Floyd Mayweather Jr. has repeatedly intimated that Manny Pacquiao’s rise through boxing’s weight classes is due to something other than natural growth. But the statistics do not back Mayweather’s contention.

Mayweather is 21 months older than Pacquiao, but looking at what they weighed when they were the same age, they are remarkably close.

For the sake of the argument, let’s pick up the discussion for each man when they were 24. Mayweather turned 24 on Feb. 24, 2001. His first fight after that date was on May 26, 2001, in Grand Rapids, Mich., when he fought Carlos Hernandez. Mayweather weighed in for that bout at 130.

Pacquiao turned 24 on Dec. 17, 2002. His first fight after that date was on March 15, 2003, against Serikzhan Yeshmagambetov, in Manila. Pacquiao weighed 126, or only one class lighter than Mayweather.

When they were 26, Mayweather was at 134 and Pacquiao at 129 1/2. At 30, Mayweather was 150 to fight Oscar De La Hoya, while Pacquiao was 138 to face Ricky Hatton. Although, in Pacquiao’s bout prior to Hatton, he weighed 142 when he fought De La Hoya just 11 days before his 30th birthday.

By the time each man turned 32, they were both welterweights.

It’s not like there has been a great disparity in size between them.

Another argument Mayweather made last week in insinuating Pacquiao is using performance-enhancing drugs has been his dramatic improvement. At the post-fight news conference, Mayweather said, “Like I said before, we knew Sugar Ray Leonard [and] we knew he was great from his Olympic days. We knew he was going to be a great professional. Michael Jordan, from college, we knew he was going to be a great professional. Floyd Mayweather, from the beginning of his career, from the ’90s, we knew he was going to be a great professional.

“Look at all these different athletes. Kobe Bryant in high school, you knew he was going to be a great athlete. Now, you ask yourself, a fighter just don’t get 25 and all of a sudden become great. A fighter don’t just become 25 years old and pop out of nowhere. You know what? ‘I’m knocking junior middleweights out. I’m knocking middleweights out.’ That just don’t happen. That just don’t happen.”

That argument doesn’t hold water, either. Pacquiao won his first world title, the World Boxing Council flyweight belt, on April 24, 1999, when he was 20. Mayweather won his first belt, the WBC super featherweight title, by stopping Genaro Hernandez on Oct. 3, 1998, when he was 21.

By the time he was 26, Pacquiao had won world titles at flyweight and super bantamweight and drew in a spectacular bout with Juan Manuel Marquez for the featherweight title. Pacquiao had won the linear featherweight title by that point, when he defeated Marco Antonio Barrera a month before his 25th birthday, though he received no belt.

By the time Mayweather was 26, he had won two world titles, the WBC super featherweight and the WBC lightweight titles.

And Pacquiao’s rise in the last decade was aided tremendously by coming to the U.S. and hiring Freddie Roach to be his trainer.

The point is, Pacquiao’s rise to prominence does not on the surface raise suspicions that he’s used, or is using, performance-enhancing drugs.

I don’t believe Mayweather is afraid of Pacquiao, as so many Pacquiao sycophants insist. I do believe, however, that he despises Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum so much that he is willing to skip the fight in order to keep Arum from profiting from what would be the most lucrative fight in boxing history.

Hopefully, the fight happens because the prospect of it has the world captivated. So far, though, Mayweather’s arguments as to why it’s not happening are falling on deaf ears.

• If Mayweather is so sincere about ridding boxing of steroid usage – which would be a noble goal, if it is his goal – why didn’t he insist that all of the fighters with his company who fought Saturday’s undercard submit to the same kind of testing that he’s asking his opponents to take? We know that for a guy who refers to himself as “Money,” it can’t be a cost issue.

• Those who continue to complain about Mayweather’s punches to Victor Ortiz’s undefended face Saturday need to watch the replay on HBO on Saturday. Referee Joe Cortez very clearly can be heard twice shouting “Let’s go!” and moving his hands together to suggest the boxers fight. More than four seconds elapses from the time that Cortez says “Let’s go!” until Mayweather throws a punch. This is clearly on Ortiz.

• There are also many, including HBO’s Larry Merchant, chiding Mayweather for a lack of sportsmanship for punching Ortiz. But Ortiz blatantly head butted Mayweather and no one is chiding him for his lack of sportsmanship. People are defending Ortiz, who intentionally head butted several times in the fight and had a point deducted, and chiding Mayweather, who threw a legal punch when time was in. That doesn’t make a lot of sense.

• Mayweather’s behavior toward Merchant was unacceptable and showed a total lack of class. Merchant is 80 years old and one of the most accomplished men in his industry. He has done much for boxing. Mayweather didn’t have to do an interview with him, if he thinks Merchant was unfair, but neither should he have acted like a hoodlum ranting at an 80-year-old man.

• In my mind, Ortiz lost the fight at the weigh-in Friday when Mayweather reached over and put his hands on Ortiz’s neck. Ortiz took it and did not react. He shouldn’t have started a fight there, but he should at least have knocked Mayweather’s hand away. By doing nothing, it was a clear sign of intimidation and you can bet that Mayweather noticed it.

• Referee Wayne Hedgpeth stopped Saturday’s fight between Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Alfonso S. Gomez in Los Angeles way too soon. Gomez was hurt, but he was defending himself and blocking most of the punches when Hedgpeth stopped their WBC super welterweight bout.

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Gander Tasco · Sep 20, 2011

It's not Arum he just doesnt care to fight pacquiao anyway. He can make money without risking his record against Pacquiao, he said it himself. He's never wanted to fight pacquiao. This blood testing **** is just a front , and it's obvious. During the Ortiz post press conf, Floyd was told by a reporter that Pacquaio agrees to the tests and Floyd just shrugged it off and started bashing Pacquiao's career. The dude has no intention to fight Pacquiao. The only way I could see it happening is if he gets backed into a corner and his rep is on the line , and his ego might make him do it . Or Pacquiao looks terrible in his next fight and Floyd sees an easy payday. That's the only way.

compukiller · Sep 20, 2011

It's the other way around. Arum hates Mayweather for leaving him and becoming a bigger star.

Maybe once Arum is finished robbing Pac blind, he will go ahead and make this fight.

compukiller · Sep 20, 2011

Gander Tasco said: ↑

It's not Arum he just doesnt care to fight pacquiao anyway. He can make money without risking his record against Pacquiao, he said it himself. He's never wanted to fight pacquiao. This blood testing **** is just a front , and it's obvious. During the Ortiz post press conf, Floyd was told by a reporter that Pacquaio agrees to the tests and Floyd just shrugged it off and started bashing Pacquiao's career. The dude has no intention to fight Pacquiao. The only way I could see it happening is if he gets backed into a corner and his rep is on the line , and his ego might make him do it . Or Pacquiao looks terrible in his next fight and Floyd sees an easy payday. That's the only way.
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That is NOT what happened.

Floyd said that Pac and Arum agree to the testing in the media but behind closed door they still ask for cutoffs and special considerations regarding the testing.

That is what he ACTUALLY said. :deal

Exactabox · Sep 20, 2011

Kevin ******* is a known *****.

tinorknitz · Sep 20, 2011

compukiller said: ↑

That is NOT what happened.

Floyd said that Pac and Arum agree to the testing in the media but behind closed door they still ask for cutoffs and special considerations regarding the testing.

That is what he ACTUALLY said. :deal
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You mean, Pac only said he agreed to the test because that's the fans wanted to hear? :hey

compukiller · Sep 20, 2011

tinorknitz said: ↑

You mean, Pac only said he agreed to the test because that's the fans wanted to hear? :hey
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Exactly!:yep

oskar · Sep 20, 2011

Floyd jr is going to put another road block for the 3rd negotiation. Team Pac already said they're willing to bent over & accommodate Floyd jr's big ego so why still say "take the test"? Why not just say Bob Arum is lying or team Pac is lying with his no regard attitude surely Floyd jr can say this or why not say to the media if "they're honest to take the test" then let's make this happen... Floyd jr wont let this fight happen because he knows he is tailor made for Pac...

ordinary boxing · Sep 21, 2011

I blame ortiz for the headbutt. But he apologized and was penalized for that. The problem is he apologized too much that: (1) he forgot the first rule in boxing (protect yourself at all times; (2) he allowed to punches to hit him defenseless (one is enough, two is moronic); (3) he forgot that mayweather did not accept his apology and seize the opportunity to knock him out cold, if its not staged as some fans would insinuate.

boxon123 · Sep 21, 2011

compukiller said: ↑

Exactly!:yep
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Floyd's fantasy test. Don't you get the fact the Moron made up the test and had no idea what is was!

tinorknitz · Sep 21, 2011

compukiller said: ↑

Exactly!:yep
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:gayfight

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