Floyd Mayweather Jr. has stopped fighting. Unfortunately for us, he's still talking.
In his first published interview since announcing his retirement, Floyd essentially accused the HBO broadcast team of racism. He told The Grand Rapids Press that the network “is great,” but ...
“They talk about Kelly Pavlik, a white fighter, like he’s the second coming. Or they go crazy over Manny Pacquiao. But I’m a black fighter,” Mayweather said. “Is it racial? Absolutely. They praise white fighters, they praise Hispanic fighters, whatever. But black fighters, they never praise... I’ve noticed it for a long time but I couldn’t say anything because I had to do business with them. I’ll still do business with them, but I’m done holding my tongue.”
Mayweather Jr. happens to be speaking about the network that has made him a very, very rich man. It is the network that gave him a platform, not only to showcase his ring talents, but to showcase himself, with its much-heralded 24/7 series. He also once described a long-term, multi-million dollar HBO deal as a "slave contract."
He particularly cited the broadcast team of Jim Lampley, Larry Merchant and Emanuel Steward, who happens to be African American.
Mayweather Jr. was clearly the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world when he retired. And because of his tremendous talent, his fights were rarely competitive. That is the reason that the HBO broadcast team goes overboard when talking about Kelly Pavlik or Manny Pacquiao. They participate in action fights. And while it's not his fault, all too often, Floyd does not. He was simply that much better than the competition. A shutout or no-hitter can be compelling in a baseball game. Not so much in boxing.
The Grand Rapids Press then followed that story up with former champ Winky Wright defending Mayweather's statements, alluding to the fact that it has to do with style and race.
"Black fighters, we have different styles," Wright told the paper. "But the announcers, they want someone that just walks out there face-first. Boxing is supposed to be an art. Black fighters, we've got style, we've got pizzazz. All they want is for us to just go out there and slug."
I disagree. They don't want you to slug, they want you to win. Pernell Whitaker, Sugar Ray Leonard, Mike Tyson, Roy Jones Jr., Evander Holyfield, Lennox Lewis, George Foreman, Marvin Hagler and Thomas Hearns were all televised regularly on HBO. Some of them slugged, some of them boxed. Sometimes they were criticized, sometimes they were praised. At the end of the day, the only thing that mattered was that they won. Keep winning and you fight on HBO.
I think the more valid point that Mayweather Jr. made during the interview was this:
"Jim Lampley, Larry Merchant, Emanuel Steward, they're always talking about the negative things in my life," Mayweather said. "But I've seen Jim Lampley in the same strip club as me before. They always want to talk about me going to strip clubs, but they don't want to talk about that."
Here is a link to the entire interview in The Grand Rapids Press.
-- CASSIDY
Comments (13)
Mayweather is full of it! He retired because he has no heart to face Cotto. Larry Marchant pointed this out and he is right.
Mayweather is upset that Larry Merchant speaks the truth about his lack of heart to fight Cotto. Cotto would beat him silly.
Floyd being Floyd. He hasn't fought a meaningful opponent in years (see: avoiding Margarito, Cotto, Williams etc.) and generally refuses to engage in a fight. Those are two reasons why fans - who still recognize his great skill set - are highly critical of him.
Hopefully he fights Cotto on HBO and Cotto teaches him some respect and gratitude because clearly he lacks both.
Only two idiots wowuld have such stupid opinions. Both Margarito and Cotto are too slow and not skilled enough to beat Mayweather. Cotto is too short. These guys slug it out because they can't box. Zab Judah almost beat Cotto, and you saw what Mayweather did to him. Shane Mosley is almost 40 and almost beat Cotto. Are you kidding? Nobody in the world between 140 and 154 can beat Maywweather. Period.
By the way, Larry Merchant is a racist and an idiot. Max Kellerman is so much better.
Mayweather talks, the other fighters are still willing to fight. Sugar has what is needed to beat Floyd and the the others mentioned too who would go hit him. Pavlik would win and $ is jealous and could pay someone to threaten or hurt someone naturally taking spolight away. Check Pavlik's sponsor and connections of envy/jealousy and pray the police and all who help find and stop such people... whoever they are.
Come on Merchant; you're as biased as the real LM. Zab gave Floyd plenty of trouble early, and Floyd never even wanted to fight Mosley so there's no point of comparison.
We'll never know whether Floyd could beat any of the top welterweights since he hasn't fought any. Cotto and Margarito would present huge problems for him; even Berto would be a major challenge.
dont worry everybody i think the winner of cotto v magarritto will get a shot at floyd mayweather
all you people talk about margarito, cotto and williams. if floyd fought cotto instead of ricky hatton december 8th, he would have beat cotto and everybody would then say he is ducking ricky hatton. thats just how it goes for you mayweather haters because you dont know the game.
you people do not know how smart, intelligent and skilled mayweather really is until he fights them and beats them.
ok cottto beat zab judah and de marcus corley quicker than mayweather did but them 2 also bust cotto's face.
Floyd Mayweather knows what he is doing and knows his game to beat any fighter. he can knock most fighters out early but does not because he is a clever operator and knows what he is doing all the time.
Cotto, Margarito, mosley and all the fighters know who is the TOP DOG. its just the people like you haters and larry merchant who want to see mayweather loose but it will not happen.
to all you non mayweather fans i just want to say one thing. HI HATERS, BY HATERS.
ok lets all be real floyd has beat so really good righters paul williams, margerito, and cotto are just coming up. he knocked hatton a guy that was only knocked down once and never beatin so how can anyone make the claim he has not faught a good fighter in awhile
Floyd will be back next year to totally outclass Cotto for all you trash talkers. Larry Merchant is biased. He should retire. It's funny how flip floppy boxing "fans" are these days. In a couple of years you all will forget about Cotto and say he's dodging the next big thing. There is a very good reason why Floyd Mayweather Jr was p4p...because he was the best boxer alive and still is!
I totally agree with Floyd, it's crazy but it's true as a black fighter we do not get the same respect or pay outs that other fighters do and over all we are the best fighters that the boxing world has ever seen. Somthing is wrong with that. Roy Jones was and still maybe the M-Jordan of Boxing, he has did things that the world of boxing has never seen a fighter do and that is still not good enough but he if he was another race the world would love him. Just Think about?
I - Smith Jr. / Boxing's up & coming 147 Champ
Come on people! Mayweather has always been a runner, in the ring and dodging certain opponents. You cant avoid opponents and be considered a true p4p fighter! Look at who he has fought, that doesnt make him p4p, that’s all bs! And please don’t use the “Mayweather would beat this guy because this guy lost to this other guy that he beat…”, this only tells me you don’t know boxing. If you don’t know, remember this from now on- “Styles make fights”.
I will give Mayweather some credit, he is a good boxer but mainly a showboat and a runner. I would have liked to see him box (go toe to toe) more though than run all the time. Hes definitely overrated, he still had a lot to prove. Maybe he could have but he didn’t. And people, beating Oscar has no meaning, Oscar is no longer a boxer. Hatton, will give Mayweather some credit for this one but still doesn’t prove what people seem to think.
Oh and one more thing, please dont even mention Roy Jones as p4p because hes in the same boat, a few formidable opponents but not enough to make him p4p. He sure does make the list for the best knockouts though (the way he hit the ground).
This whole article was about Mayweathers mouth, well if he boxed the way he uses his mouth then maybe he could prove himself to be p4p.