Larry Merchant told "not to mention Margarito" before interviewing Floyd Mayweather

Floyd did an interview (last year?) where he sounded like he didn’t fancy facing Margo. And it's hard not to feel that he picked weaker beltholders when making the move to ww.

 

That cheater Margarito deserves no respect. Easy fight for floyd. Imo.

 

50/50 fight at the time. Margo was on a roll back then. Nobody wanted a part of him including May

 

Mayweather would have probably won on points.

But he clearly didn't want to take the risk in late 2006.

 

73"

 

Floyd didn’t care to fight him, too much risk for him with an Oscar fight on the horizon. At least more risk than a fight with that scumbag Baldomir.

Margarito being a Top Rank guy also didn’t help, Floyd was trying to separate himself from Arum.

 

Not quite as bad as when HBO refused to renew Roy Jones commentating contract because he wanted it written in that there could be no mention of Dariusz by the team on air.

 

Honestly, there wasn't much of a window for the fight to be made, or for Floyd to "duck" Margarito.

Margarito was still the WBO 147lb champion in 2006, but hadn't faced anyone really notable, save for maybe Cintron. Mayweather had moved up to 147 in late '05, signed to fight Judah (who was lineal at that time). Since the fight was signed already, FMJ had to move forward with it even after Judah was upset by Baldomir. Plus, Judah still held the IBF strap.

He then faced Baldomir instead of Margarito...which makes sense because Baldomir was lineal and coming off two high profile wins in the space of a year. Floyd was going to have to face him in order to achieve lineal recognition at 147, so I can't really call that a duck since Baldomir held the title that mattered more.

Floyd's next fight was against DLH, still the biggest box office draw in the world and holder of a title at 154lbs. No way on this or any other planet that this qualifies as a duck.

Margarito lost to Paul Williams a couple of months later and probably would have needed a win or two to meet Floyd, who fought Hatton instead. Mayweather then retired for the first time after that fight.

So...the only time that I can think of for Floyd to come back and face Margo would be after Margo had defeated Cotto. Margo, of course, was smashed to bits by Mosley the next time out, so the fight would have to be made around, say, late 2008. If you want to fault Floyd for not coming out of retirement then, that's fine...But I personally think Floyd would have won anyway and Margo would have been dismissed as being "warn-torn" and "shot". That's just the way boxing fandom works, sometimes.

 

Mayweather would have won, but didn't really need the fight/sort of risk.

It would have been a clone of Terrence Crawford vs. Jose Benavidez Jr, in my opinion.

 

Merchant could get away with gloating about Mayweather's conviction for domestic abuse live on air but not mentioning Antonio Margarito? I never particularly liked Mayweather but this is absolute nonsense. Margarito was bang average without loading his gloves, apart from a granite chin he was mediocre in every department. Mayweather would've hardly broken sweat as he cruised his way through 12 rounds, although with Margarito's ability to get hit with everything his opponent threw a late stoppage wouldn't have been a shock either.

 

Yes it would, don't be ridiculous.

 

Consider the source...Merchant hated Floyd...