THE PRO’S & CON’S OF FLOYD MAYWEATHER

February 24th, 2010 By Kevin Perry

Los Angeles, CA- To set the record straight, this scribe is not the biggest admirer of the world’s best pound for pound “boxer” Floyd “I Need Da’ Money” Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs). In an effort show fairness to an athlete that has done what he was supposed to “win his fights” I will go over the Pro’s and Con’s of “Pretty Boy” Floyd. As much as the guy gets hated on by the media and the public, he deserves some credit for having a unique personality that generates a lot of attention.

PRO’S
1) Boxing IQ
There is no fighter who adjusts to a style the way Floyd does. He fights in an improvisational manner, takes few risks and receives little if any punishment in fights. Oh yeah, did I mention he is unbeaten?

2) Conditioning
One way to determine a fighter or an athletes dedication to their sport is by how keep themselves in shape. In boxing, where an athlete must constantly make weight this is even more essential to success. To this day Mayweather has yet to show up for a fight less than 100%, unless he has had hand issues. In my humble opinion, Floyd does respect the sport in which he applies his trade.

3) Charity work
While known for his love of strip clubs, gambling and “making it rain” money also gives back to the community. His Floyd Mayweather foundation has programs such as Fight for Your Education, which will include various workshops in the Nevada area for K-12 students in financial literacy, life skills, and writing. Joi’s Diamonds is a mentoring program for young women. The foundation also feeds the homeless twice a month and is involved in supplying various resources for homeless shelters. While Floyd isn’t the most likable guy on the surface, with some research there seems to be a side that does exhibit some form of humanity.

CON’S
1) Attitude
For a guy that wants to teach youth about financial responsibility, it seems almost hypocritical when he gambles excessively, throws money around and creates a negative image of himself. The way he berates his opponents by putting them down and also his arrogance make him hard to like. He sometimes comes off more like a spoiled rich kid than the thug persona that he sometimes tries to exhibit. His interview with ESPN’s Brian Kenny and on satellite radio with underground rapper RA the Rugged Man are interesting to say the least as they provide insight into his character. If they are unfamiliar to you I have provided them below.

2) Selection of opponents
It is fair to say the dislike of Floyd for the part comes from former fans who got sick of the “risk vs reward” approach Floyd has taken with his career since his close battles at lightweight with Jose Luis Castillo (60-9-1, 52 KOs). His bouts against Sharmba Mitchell (57-6,30 KOs), Henry Bruseles (28-3-1,15 KOs) and Carlos Baldomir (45-12-6, 14 KOs) left fans far less than satisfied.

3) Style
Considering “Pretty Boy” is undefeated means his style is obviously effective. However the reason why Floyd is the best “boxer” pound for pound and not the best “fighter” is because he cares more about victory than entertaining fans. The Grand Rapids, MI native and Las Vegas resident has (and continues to have) hand problems and that has been a deterrent to him letting his hands go. I think it’s a general consensus that Floyd Mayweather is not an exciting fighter because he doesn’t possess punching power, fights defensively, and fights tactically. Whatever you’re doing Floyd keep doing it because at the end of the day people still pay to watch you fight.

Kevin Perry

Source: ringtalk.com