VW's Mailbag Q&A's on Pac & Floyd...thoughts?

Jeffery M. (Miami, FL): I would like your opinion on this assessment: Would it be fair to say that Floyd Mayweather jr. and LeBron James are two of the most physically talented men in the history of their respective sports; yet neither may ever be viewed as truly great because they chose the easiest path to reach a legendary status.

Vivek W. (ESB): I'll start by saying I find your assessment to be a very intriguing comparison. While it's an excellent talking point for those out there who don't particularly like the two men, the reality is that the reasons they individually chose to take their respective paths professionally vary, and both can be validated to an extent. In the case of Mayweather, you have to remember, he's the proverbial "man-we-love-to-hate", so it's fashionably correct to look at him in the current, yet fail to acknowledge his efforts of the past. I'd be the first to strike down his outside-the-ring antics, but I can truly say the man is very skilled at what he does and there was never a discussion about him ducking fighters until he began to irritate people with his self promotional antics. When Genaro Hernandez was the man, he took the challenge and defeated him. When Corrales (RIP) was the man, he overcame a great height, reach, and 18lb deficit on the night of the fight and made it look easy. When he faced Castillo and some felt he lost, he solidified his claim of fighting "injured" by giving an immediate rematch and subsequently dismantled the same Jose Luis Castillo..

We saw this many other times beyond that point, culminating in a streak that made him the only fighter (that I can think of) in history to defeat three pound-for-pound competitors in a row - (Ricky Hatton at the time was the undefeated jr. welterweight Ring Champion and ranked within the top 10 P4P globally, Marquez was listed as the #5 P4P fighter in the world, only losing to Pacquiao and the undefeated Chris John within a near 10 year span, and Mosley was listed as a top 3 P4P fighter at the time they met). There are many out there that will contend that he didn't face the best fighters of the welterweight division, but it should be duly noted that the same reason his fight with Pacquiao has been so difficult to ink borders on the same reason why he didn't fight those contemporaries that most would have liked to see him face. That reason is that the two key figures were Top Rank fighters, (Cotto/Margarito), and the bitterness between Arum and Mayweather has never truly simmered. Neither side is EVER willing to give in. With Margarito, Arum new that Baldomir's camp put up an $8M offer, yet Top Rank never increased the offer - making Baldomir the default selection, considering he was the lineal champ with two straps and offered comparable money.

With Cotto, back in '05, it's common knowledge that his camp turned down an offer to face Mayweather as jr. welterweights, and as welterweights, there was never an offer presented at all by Top Rank. So, some can dispute Mayweather's path to greatness, but the reality is that the period in which the questions began, ('06 as a welterweight), every single fight he took had major implications. Zab was a solid matchup, Baldomir was lineally recognized, ODH was a jr. middleweight champ and cash cow, and Hatton, Marquez and Mosley were P4P recognized fighters. I can live with that track record, personally. In regards to LeBron, I'll just say that he honored his contract, and ended his obligation. That entitled him to play WHERE EVER he chose, which just happened to be with his best friends. In the Olympic games, we assemble the best team available to solidify victory. These three friends (Wade, Bron, and Bosh) simply sacrificed quite a bit to duplicate that very same template. True pioneers.....because I can guarantee you this won't be the last time you see this effort attempted.


Kerwin B. (Queens, NYC): We have reached the mid-July point, but we haven't reached a deal between Mayweather and Pacquiao. Why hasn't this fight been made?

Vivek W. (ESB): This is a question that I don't think anyone on the outside looking in can truly answer. With the eyes of the world on the NBA last week in anticipation of LeBron James' "Decision", I thought to myself "there's only ONE other decision in the world of sports close enough in magnitude to share this stage", and I hoped inwardly that the news would drop of a finalized deal on the same day.....to no avail! What's even crazier is that from the info I've gathered through various sources, the true sticking points have been all agreed to. The drug testing issue is resolved....the money is said to be resolved...to my understanding there's a collective rematch clause by both parties! All angles seemed to have been covered, but then the stories surfaced about possible tax implications, and the looming trial of Roger Mayweather. I can't be too opinionated about the tax implications because the IRS is NOT someone I'd want a problem with, (been there done that, trust me, they don't play)!

Beyond that, I can't really take any excuse as a valid one for Team Mayweather not moving forward. Floyd Snr. is more than adequate to train little Floyd, and in the Mosley fight, many may remember how frequently Floyd looked over to his Father in the seated audience for guidance, despite having Roger in his corner. I can understand the chemistry concerns, but hey, Roger took over as a result of Floyd Snr. being incarcerated. I think Floyd Snr. is more than capable of rekindling that old flame with his son in a case like this as well. Jeff Mayweather is certainly capable of assisting. So, whatever the case may be, I do hope that Team Mayweather either moves forward or goes public with a legitimate reason why the fight can't happen now, rather than leaving it up to 'sources' to explain. Not only does Floyd need to remain active, but the fight public deserves to know why their end of the bargain remains unfulfilled. I'd stop short of joining those who yell 'fear-factor', but a non-response would probably be enough to make me question a few things, as well.

David A. (St. Louis, MO): Why is no one talking about the fact that Arum/Team Pacquiao have yet to even mention Paul Williams' name as a possible candidate to face Pacquiao?

Vivek W. (ESB): Recently, there has actually been one person to bring Williams up as a potential candidate for Pacquiao. Trouble is, that ONLY person is his promoter! Aside from Goosen, I'd have to say that I'm a bit shocked as well that the fight public isn't demanding this possibility. I can remember at the close of 2008, I listed Paul Williams as a 'Dark Horse' to watch out for, and spoke of the fact that he gives true meaning to the term Pound-for-Pound, as he has truly gone from division to division literally seeking the best man available without any excuses. The fan buzz surrounded Pacquiao because he was a humble guy, and all of this good stuff, but the key difference between the two is that Williams has never asked anyone for a catch-weight and has literally called out every champ in each of the respective divisions he has gone too. Manny Pacquiao has done a helluva job zipping through the various divisions, but the catch-weight request have given his critics room to criticize.

What I like about this prospective showdown is that it helps tear down some of the hoopla in the sport today that gives certain fighters accolades based on star power, rather than true ability. Someone like Winky Wright and James Toney have always had the skills to compete with the best, yet didn't possess the star power, therefore they were never viewed as P4P contenders. Same holds true with Williams. He doesn't have the resume of Pacquiao, yet he doesn't get the same level of opportunity either, because no one will face him. This is a fight I'd love to see Pacquiao in far more than a rematch with Cotto or a Margarito showdown. It's a winnable fight for him, and at 147lbs, there should be no issue, particularly considering that he was on the brink of facing Cotto at a catch-weight of 151 lbs. Personally, I think this fight would do far more for Pacquiao's legacy, because this is a consensus P4P fighter, in his prime, who isn't tied to Arum's stable. Pacquiao is deemed to be the P4P king of the sport, eh? Well, now he can face a man who has made his argument in the ring as well, rather than the one who typically states his case outside of it!

(Not bad....agree that if all the major sticking points are done then i dont see why the fight shouldnt happen....Floyd needs to sign. Dont agree witht he Lebron point though....still feel Lebron should ave stayed and been the man on his own team! He made some other good points though...what you guys think?)

 

i do see his biase but i thought he still made good points no?