The Moment: Mayweather-Maidana folly

On Saturday, Floyd Mayweather Jr. will return to the ring against Marcos Maidana in an event dubbed as ‘The Moment’ as part of his six-fight, 30-month pay-per-view deal that the Grand Rapids native inked with Showtime Networks a year ago, which was described by the boxing world as the “richest individual athlete deal in all of sports” and will make him $200 million plus richer when he is done with the contract.

At present, Floyd Mayweather, Jr. commands the biggest purse in boxing and owns, or is part of, the biggest pay-per-view returns in boxing history. And there is no doubt that Mayweather is a major draw, not only because of his talent and skills inside the ring, but also because of his colorful personality outside of it, and at first glance, the investment by Showtime seems to be justifiable.

But if we dig deeper into Mayweather’s recent fights, most boxing fans will agree that with the exception of Canelo Alvarez, who posed the possibility of ‘danger’ (yes, danger here is in parenthesis because some people in boxing have come up with allegations that the fight was rigged, so as not to squander the huge investments by the network) to Mayweather’s myth of ring invincibility, there is no other fighter out there (aside from a few that include Manny Pacquiao, who he won’t dare fight even in his sleep) that can touch him.

In an ideal world, Floyd Mayweather, Jr., being crowned as the world’s no. 1 pound-for-pound fighter and proclaimed as the best in the business by many boxing organizations and media outlets, should have been tangling with a fighter that is equal or near his caliber on Saturday night. And Marcos Maidana should have been fighting Adrien Broner in a rematch of their highly-competitive fight. But this is the world of boxing nowadays, wherein the legitimacy of many major events is questionable and most of the time, the paying boxing fans are left with nothing but disappointments at the end of every major pay-per-view fight.

And if only the fight fans will realize who really holds the ‘power of the purse’ in this business and begin to show their disdain for inconsequential fights that insult their intelligence, then this Mayweather-Maidana charade should have never been considered nor made in the first place.

So, the buying public is left with no other recourse but to accept what the powers that be at Showtime, aided by their rah-rah boys in the boxing media, put on their plate and swallow hook, line and sinker that Marcos Maidana deserved the shot to be Floyd Mayweather, Jr.’s next dancing partner?

Forking over $70 of hard-earned money for a fight that both the die-hard observers and casual fans alike at this day and age consider to be a sparring session is insane. And no disrespect to Marcos Maidana and his never-say-die attitude, but he is not in Floyd Mayweather, Jr.’s class, and Maidana is not who the boxing world really wants to see squaring with Mayweather inside the ring on Saturday night.

Picture this: Marcos Maidana, a natural light welterweight and the smaller guy, will climb into the ring against Floyd Mayweather, Jr., who is considered to be the most talented and the best fighter in the world, and is a natural welterweight/junior middleweight. What else would we expect the result will be?

Picture this: Marcos Maidana, a slow and plodding boxer (his power punches notwithstanding) trying to hit Floyd Mayweather, Jr., one of the most elusive fighters in the world blessed with fast hands, very good footwork, and superior boxing IQ to boot, and we think that Maidana has a chance of pulling an upset?

Just two scenarios point out that it doesn’t take a genius or a rocket scientist to realize that this so-called championship fight is a mismatch and a sham. That is why whatever contempt and derision held by the fight fans towards The Moment is just right and justified.

Note: This article was first published on Detroit Boxing Examiner

Pacquiao-Bradley II: "Manny Knows"

In a few hours, the boxing world will know whether Manny Pacquiao’s vaunted killer instinct is history or if the Filipino superstar at 35 is still at the top of his game. And Timothy Bradley will be the catalyst that will prove or disprove Manny Pacquiao’s relevance to stay in the game.

Much has been said about Manny Pacquiao’s demise and a lot of people have written him off ever since his ignominious defeat to Juan Manuel Marquez: that he is shop worn, battle-weary, and old -- that his heart and mind are no longer into boxing anymore, replaced by his venture into the world of politics, and his time consumed and occupied by his newfound faith.

Yes, Manny Pacquiao, in the eyes of his critics and supporters, has changed, and many are claiming that despite his pronouncements, he is only fighting for the money, milking everything and squeezing the last penny out of his gloves before he finally calls it quits.

That’s why for this fight, many people are putting their money and casting their lot on the reigning WBO welterweight champion Timothy Bradley, the same muscular boxer who stole Manny Pacquiao’s thunder in their first fight in Sin City -- albeit in a fight that was described by fans and pundits alike to be the biggest robbery in boxing history, which led to Manny Pacquiao unceremoniously tumbling down from the top of boxing’s pound-for-pound list and the beginning of his career turmoil.

We all know what followed next right after that lackluster fight: his shocking defeat to his nemesis Juan Manuel Marquez via a single punch knockout, so brutal that many opined that he will never recover and would not be the same fighter again.

Yet Manny Pacquiao took and dismantled the rugged but slow Brandon Rios in his comeback fight in Macau. This time, with the knockout loss still fresh on his mind, he elected not to take too many risks and decided to cruise by showing his under-appreciated boxing skills (which were actually impressive) in carving out a unanimous decision victory, but failed to satisfy the blood lust from some sectors since they were so accustomed to seeing him destroy his foes to oblivion. The fact that Miguel Cotto was his last stoppage victim added more to the fuel regarding his diminishing punching power and the heart to finish off his opponents unlike in the old days.

Tonight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Timothy Bradley, who went to hell and back with Ruslan Provodnikov and beat Juan Manuel Marquez at his own game, will be the litmus test for Manny Pacquiao. This is Manny Pacquiao’s chance to gain the doubters back to his corner again.

In Timothy Bradley, Manny Pacquiao will face an accomplished, never-say-die fighter. A brave and very determined boxer, a pugilist who knows how to adjust and come back from adversity and win in the end. Timothy Bradley is a livewire and an undefeated fighter in his prime.

And Timothy Bradley is also very vocal about his desire to knock Manny Pacquiao out this time around to ensure that his controversial win against the Filipino in 2012 was not a fluke. In his mind, Manny Pacquiao is ripe for the taking, and Bradley has gone overdrive in the mind games department, taunting and daring his opponent to show him what’s left of him tonight. But whether Manny Pacquiao is affected or taking Bradley’s shots out of the ring seriously remains to be seen.

That’s why the grudge match is more critical for Manny Pacquiao’s career than Timothy Bradley’s. Manny Pacquiao cannot afford to lose because a loss at this stage of his career would be simply devastating. It will surely be the end of the road for one of the greatest fighters of all time.

That’s why the pressure is on Manny Pacquiao to win. And not only to simply win, but win in convincing and devastating fashion. A lackluster win will not only diminish Manny Pacquiao’s crowd-drawing capability but will also kiss his pay-per-view stock goodbye. More so, his dream of fighting Floyd Mayweather, Jr. for all the marbles will just remain an elusive dream.

That’s why this scribe is joining the minority in the boxing writers' circle who believe that Manny Pacquiao will rise to the occasion this time and stop Timothy Bradley inside the distance.

And judging by Manny Pacquiao’s positive demeanor amid Team Bradley’s pronouncements that Timothy Bradley will end his career in the ring tonight, we can only deduce that all the questions about Manny Pacquiao’s heart, mind and skills will be answered tonight.

Because “Manny Knows.”

Note: This article was first published on Detroit Boxing Examiner

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