#TRUTH
For Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, the moment of truth has arrived on May 2nd.
It is common knowledge that Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather are two very different elements, and I liken them to oil and water. For no matter how much water you pour on it in an attempt to suppress it, oil will always rise to the top.
But this is misleading.
Oil (like water) can take on many forms, and often times, it is of the unsavory variety. It shows up on your driveway in the form of a nasty leak. It'll stain your clothes and never come out. It gets in your hair and causes a mess. It gets under your skin and creates ugliness.
You see oil- would much rather be water and envies it. It knows that it can boil or that it can freeze... It knows that it can cause things to melt and that it can evaporate, only to evolve and reappear as rain, cleansing nearly everything in its wake except oil.
It leaves oil to face the sun.
It leaves oil behind, all over the world's canvas, as if a shiny reminder of the ugly difference between the two for everyone to see. It makes it obvious that this is now something you should step over and avoid... Which happens to rhyme with Floyd.
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Larry Merchant once said that he wishes he were 50 years younger and that he would kick Floyd's ass. Well I'm about 50 years younger than Larry, and if I had 3 wishes, one of them would be to kick Floyd's ass. If I were to wear Manny Pacquiao gear to get ready to face Mayweather (as I did in this whack-ass song and video, mocking a "ducking" Floyd Mayweather), I would do so knowing that it doesn't make any sense. It would make no sense more than Larry's comical, sarcastically tongue-in-cheek remarks from a few years ago.
I would do so knowing that the demand for me to face Mayweather would be in very short supply, compared to what it would be for me to face say, Ben Thompson with "FightHype". Writer's should write and fighter's should fight. This fight has made nothing but sense for six years, and the only thing that makes sense for it not happening before- is Floyd Mayweather.
The only reason why, in my opinion, that this fight is FINALLY taking place, is because writers like myself have been able to fight for this fight on behalf of fans whose demand just wouldn't go away.
Even if Mayweather wanted "it", Pacquiao, and them to just go away.
The only thing that Pacquiao has consistently demonstrated over six years has been a desire to fight Floyd Mayweather. I can remember clearly the image of Manny Pacquiao, full of bandages and bruises after facing Miguel Cotto, telling an L.A. reporter that he wanted to fight Mayweather next. Instead, we got Joshua Clottey on the date that was initially reserved for Pacquiao vs. Mayweather on March 13, 2010.
The same issues that were resolved recently, were for all intents and purposes, the same issues that could've been resolved a long time ago. The only reason why it wasn't made until now, lies in the differences between the two men. They are as different as oil and water, and I'll let you guess who's who.
T@z
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FINALLY.
Unless you're hanging out in Morocco enjoying lattes and fight cards with the late Muammar Gaddafi, you do know by now that Pacquiao and Mayweather will indeed mix it up on May 2nd.
By now, there's been so many articles and stories written about what will take place, even though they are well after what I'd already written nearly two months prior (sorry, I just had to lol). So for that reason alone, I decided to be among the last to write about the longest running soap opera in the history of sports.
The fact that the public will make this the richest sporting event ever, is a testament to what I believe comes down to two things; its love for Manny Pacquiao and its hatred for Floyd Mayweather. A quick look at the timeline between these two should underline that point, but I believe what's happened fairly recently is enough.
Let's be very clear- Floyd Mayweather did not want to fight Manny Pacquiao at all and he's never wanted to.
As I sat to write this, on a crisp and cold Monday morning at roughly 11:30am EST on the 23rd day of February 2015, I'd just listened to Stephen A. Smith (someone I do actually respect before I say this..) on ESPN's "First Take" basically tell the entire world he's a huge ass kisser of Mayweather, and I feel the need to offer fans an objective retort.
Stephen A. not only defended Mayweather's reasoning for not fighting Pacquiao ("He (Floyd) felt Pacquiao was juicing"), but then he had the audacity to tell us that he believes Floyd will stop Manny via 11th rd TKO (I'm actually still laughing about that). For someone as intelligent as Smith is, I have a hard time understanding how he logically believes anything that he has to say regarding this subject.
First regarding the contract and the signing. That very same contract first appeared in pictures with Manny Pacquiao's signature on it WEEKS AGO, but Floyd denied that this was the case (as recently as last week's All-Star game), only to produce pictures of that same contract this past Friday with his signature on it.
He felt the need to tell fans the other day that he made the fight happen for them, and I'm not buying it.
Nothing can explain why he also felt the need to tell you why he wouldn't fight Pacquiao, as he did in this video. You really think he's changed now, or that he has any more desire to fight Pacquiao now? Of course not.
He was forced into this fight.
THE TALES OF THE TAPE
This was before he ran from a rematch with Oscar de la hoya and actually retired from the sport because he knew his father would be training Oscar. Mind you, this was an Oscar everyone felt was past his prime, as Pacquiao emphatically demonstrated in destroying Oscar.
What did Floyd then do?
He announced his comeback against Juan Manuel Marquez, after most credible observers acknowledged Pacquiao as the best fighter in the world, and he did this while taking advantage of the promotion for Pacquiao vs. Hatton.
He came back out of jealousy to face a fighter 2 full weight divisions away from 147lbs at the time, and did so after faking an injury to delay it (it was originally scheduled for July 2009) so he could have even more time to cheat Marquez.
He did this because perception would then favor him with a victory over someone Pacquiao struggled with. But boxing insiders know that styles make fights.
He gave Marquez 600K extra to cheat him by 2lbs on the scales, coming in over the contracted 144lbs at 146 in their September 2009 bout. Please look at the physique of a never-before-welterweight Marquez then, and compare him to the version Pacquiao was on the verge of stopping prior to being struck by a once-in-a-lifetime "PED" shot in round 6.
There is no comparison.
Since Stephen A. felt the need to share to a worldwide audience what Floyd felt about Pacquiao, I'm going to tell you what Pacquiao felt and successfully sued him for.
It is widely reported in private circles that it was Floyd who introduced Marquez to Memo Heredia. And maybe, just maybe, that is why Floyd was so proud of the Marquez KO and kept posting pictures of it.
Its as if he said to Marquez, "Listen I saw you drinking piss to try to get an edge against me, but this is what you should really do. Call this guy... He'll help you. Oh and by the way, thanks for accepting my money to allow me to cheat against you."
It was a very "oily" thing for him to do, would you not agree?
THE PLAYING FIELD WILL BE FAIR.
Pacquiao not only successfully sued Mayweather for slander and defamation of character, but what lead to an undisclosed settlement in Pacquiao's favor was a challenge of Mayweather's own character for alleged use of PED's. Instead of continue to fight against Pacquiao, as soon as evidence was about to be formally introduced to challenge just how clean Mayweather was for fights against Marquez and Shane Mosley (look at Floyd's frame against Mosley.. I'm just sayin) in May 2010, Mayweather immediately settled.
When we saw Floyd Mayweather again, in September 2011, after Pacquiao had wiped out Antonio Margarito (someone else he feared) and Shane Mosley, Mayweather announced to the world "Pacquiao, you're next".
Could it be safe to conclude that Pacquiao was clean enough to fight then? And if so, why didn't he fight him next like he said? They were both still HBO fighter's at that time, so why didn't it happen?
Because Floyd didn't really want to fight him- and he never has.
You look at his video challenge of Pacquiao and tell me you see a confident fighter. Not only did he not fight Pacquiao "next", he infuriated HBO executives by facing what he thought was a shot Miguel Cotto. Floyd got hit like never before against Cotto, and never did you see Floyd's face look as damaged as it did against Cotto afterwards.
He trashed his father on HBO 24/7 cameras before facing a dangerous - but mentally and emotionally limited - southpaw in Victor Ortiz, only to want him back after his performance against Cotto in May 2012.
He then "practiced" for Pacquiao by facing a slow, plodding, blown-up super lightweight in the southpaw Robert Guerrero (by anyone's estimation a "B" fighter with absolutely no drawing power). He did this, after literally running away from HBO, which was irate about his avoidance of Pacquiao. By switching networks, Floyd felt he could absolutely avoid Pacquiao for sure.
He even sat next to his now estranged manager Leonard Ellerbe on the podium after that fight to tell us that "a Pacquiao fight would never happen", despite the fact that he knew the fans [he cares so much about] were demanding it (roll your eyes if you like).
So you have to literally laugh when this man reserved the right to hide a video camera in Pacquiao's hotel room to secretly record himself saying "We have to make this fight happen for the fans."
THE FIGHT ITSELF WILL BE ANTI-CLIMACTIC TO THE FIGHT HYPE.
If you believe Floyd did this for you the fan, then I've got some unbelievable swamp property to sell your sorry ass in the swamps of the Florida Everglades for millions of dollars.
See Floyd, what had happened was, "YOU" had to make a fight happen for fans you've not wanted to allow to see you lose. The same fans of both yours and Manny's, that you don't want to witness getting your ass beat by a man you know you can't beat.
I have to ask you all logically...
If you thought a man was cheating to beat fighters and you want to clean up the sport, why would you go and get the man (Alex Ariza) that you thought helped him cheat, to help prepare for that very fighter if you're really a person of integrity?
If its "just another fight" as he's said, then why would you need a greasy "leftover" (remember Floyd's favorite expression) in Ariza added to your circle for almost a year now, despite what he's had to say about YOU in the past?
Hmmm...
What else was he saying to Pacquiao in that hotel room a few weeks ago? Was he calling Pacquiao "Poochie", a "yellow-midget", or a guy with losses who wasn't on his level?
Was he offering Manny $40 million again, while regurgitating that Bob Arum was the blame for the fight not happening bullsh*t? Was he calling this congressman "desperate" and "cornered with no where else to turn", while ridiculously stating that Pacquiao has avoided him?
Of course not.
Floyd absolutely knows that this is the very fight he's never wanted, and he came to that hotel room resigned to his fate. He was full of nothing but respect in that room, and he will be much more respectful in that ring.
He met Pacquiao at that Miami Heat game and probed him for a sign of intimidation or weakness. There was none. He did this after having seen Pacquiao appear on "Sportscenter" and everywhere else around the globe, challenging him to a fight.
The build-up to the fight over the next several weeks will be a lot of fun, fascinating, and very entertaining. Some observations have already caught my eye, and I'll start with the aforementioned Marquez, who until recently was always telling people that he'd favor Mayweather in a fight against Pacquiao.
Bear in mind, these statements are not only ironic coming from Marquez now, but it was Pacquiao who boldly suggested that if one of them were to test positive for drugs before or after this fight, that they'd be subject to a 5 million dollar fine.
Here's how Marquez and his trainer Nacho Beristain weighed on in this subject in a private phone conversation with a fighter I won't mention:
"I believe Floyd can get desperate in this fight. The speed, the pressure of Pacquiao and his level of intensity will be very shocking to Mayweather. We know that Floyd is a very intelligent fighter and how great his defense is, but Pacquiao's intensity is going to shock him."
Juan Manual Marquez
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"Very brutal fight for Mayweather. I know Pacquiao very well and this is not a very good fight for Mayweather. I am certain Pacquiao will beat him. The rocket straight left will be a major problem, also the pace and the movement of Pacquiao does not favor Mayweather at all."
Nacho Beristain
PACQUIAO VS. MAYWEATHER: "FAST & FURIOUS- FINALLY" 5. 2. 15
Consider this a movie trailer if you will. I'll give you clues and insight into what I think you can expect to see in this long awaited superfight, before getting more in-depth in a later piece.
This fight will be fought at a very fast and a very furious pace. This is a high octane action fight, which will feature an unusual amount of speed and sharpness from both fighters in a very dynamic way. It will be absolutely beautiful to watch, and will be closely contested for about 4 to 5 rounds, before it takes a decidedly dark turn for Mayweather. There will be incredible action in this fight because Pacquiao will essentially demand it.
I liken them to a Mongoose and a Cobra.
Floyd, a Cobra, is all about stealth, deadly accuracy, and economy. He coils behind a defensive posture and pot shots. He likes to strike in calculated bursts, often with singular shots, particularly more so as he's aged. He's shown a penchant for being hit cleanly with more frequency in recent fights, and was by observation a noticeably different fighter in terms of skills and reflexes during his rematch with Marcos Maidana.
Pacquiao, a Mongoose, features never-before-seen footwork, rhythm and motion. He is an ultra aggressive southpaw with knockout power in both hands, particularly the left. He's a dynamic, tricky, combination punching menace who attacks without fear. He'll do so sometimes in a very reckless fashion, not unlike the most daring Nascar driver. His complete whitewash of Chris Algieri was very revealing, as he was able to decimate a world-class athlete in elite condition who never stopped moving.
Algieri, who sparred with Maidana to prepare for Pacquiao, is not the skilled fighter that Mayweather is. But, Mayweather is no longer the athlete of endurance that Algieri is today, I don't give a damn how hard he trains for this fight.
Those 24 rounds with Maidana took a lot out of Floyd, and that will show up on May 2nd for the "Cobra". While conversely for the "Mongoose", Manny Pacquiao, he has emerged virtually unscathed over the last 2 years.
In beating the hell out of Brandon Rios (who is better than Maidana in my opinion), Timothy Bradley (who is better than Maidana in my opinion) and Chris Algieri (who is better than Maidana in my opinion), Pacquiao probably won 30 out of those 36 rounds without ever being hurt or in trouble. The same cannot be said for Mayweather against Maidana, who felt the need to give Maidana a rematch because of how close the first fight was.
Think about that.
And then there's something else that may serve as somewhat of an omen for Mayweather. I received a text from a friend reminding me that on May 2, 2015, it'll be exactly six years to the day that Pacquiao damn near killed Ricky Hatton with Floyd Sr. in his corner on May 2, 2009.
Pacquiao will not say this publicly, but he despises Floyd Mayweather Sr. almost as much as he despises his son. This will be the first time he sees Floyd Sr. across the ring from him since that night - and get this - he actually liked Hatton. Seeing Alex Ariza in that same corner is something I'm going to guess won't make Pacquiao any friendlier.
A very close version of that fighter who showed up against Hatton on that May 2nd, is what will show up on this coming May 2nd, as Pacquiao, in very violent and cold-blooded fashion, mercilessly annihilates Floyd Mayweather before he gets KTFO in the 11th round.
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