SPORTS PRIMA DONNAS

Lebron, Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquiao are generational talents.
But are they who they say they are?

SPORTS Prima Donnas
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STRAYA

STRAYA Thy Kingdom Come.
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Lebron James 30000 Points Milestone

Against the San Antonio Spurs today, Lebron achieved a milestone only 6 other legendary NBA players have reached. This takes him further to lofty heights, joining the exclusive club of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387), Karl Malone(36,928), Kobe Bryant (33,643) Michael Jordan (32,292), Wilt Chamberlain (31,419) and Dirk Nowitzki (30,837 and counting).

Congratulations are therefore in order!👏👏👏

But before we pat his 💪broad shoulders further, and because this is Lebron who wanted to be remembered as the best ever, the accomplishment needs to be scrutinized in a harsher light that claimants to the G.O.A.T demanded and deserved.

So without further ado:

1. Lebron needed just 25 points to reach 30K in the prior game against OKC (148-124 win by Thunder). He scored only 18 and was crawling to get there. Had he really been the G.O.A.T. or a close approximation, he'd at least have 25 points and then some.

2. Lebron is now the youngest player to reach 30K👏👏👏. But wait, how many seasons did it take him to get there? 15 seasons. Uhhm, so he had a headstart (entering the NBA at a very young age). Displayed patience and perseverance to get there (give him that).

So how do he really stack up so far? Well, LJ is really great. There's no dispute in that. But compared to what others in the pantheon of NBA gods accomplished in the same span? He should have done  more than that! To him whom much is given, much is expected!

I mean he said so himself he's chasing a ghost! That's Michael Jordan who's regarded as Basketball's G.O.A.T (and you can make a case, maybe in all sport!). But notwithstanding that Lebron has only 3 rings in 8 tries, the most that will come back to haunt him is the fact that he couldn't dominate the current greats in front of him. Reinforced by Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, Lebron failed miserably against the great but aging All-Hail-Dirk-Nowitski! He's also lost twice to the greatest sharpshooter of all time that is Steph Curry. And just lately, he seemed to be losing ground against a demoralizing Kevin Durant. If you're the G.O.A.T how do you justify that? MJ destroyed the opponents in front of him while LJ is just trying to spin the narrative!

The verdict: Embrace the greatness of Lebron James and enjoy him while you can. He's a once-in-a-generation talent👏👏👏. But Lebron is not the G.O.A.T and it's too late for him at this stage.😱

Super Sucker Punch Reborn

No more running away from destiny.

Lebron owned GSW, now a 3 time Champion

Well done, Cleveland!!! With Lebron at the helm the Cavs are now NBA champions.👏👏👏

Lebron, the Cavs true north and only constant, also  made sure the world took notice that he is still the best basketball player and not Steph Curry. The last 3 games of the finals, he was a beast on both sides of the floor. A man on fire, the full realization of his potential was galvanized with his 3rd championship title. Brilliant.🎉

Still, 3 things I know to be true:
1. Lebron is a force to be reckoned with when fully engaged. But he always needed to be in a triumvirate of fellow all stars when he claimed his 3 championships.😁
2. Lebron did whatever it takes to win against GSW. He stepped over Draymond Green and baited him to a suspension. He flopped and flopped again to get Curry ejected. And through it all, he projected calm which showed full well he knows what he was doing.😇
3. Lebron climbed basketball's Mt Rushmore and is now possibly sitting at number 9. He'll probably be 6th all time when his career is done, rightly well behind Michael Jordan (who forever will sit atop at number 1).😚

As for Steph Curry, he needs to shine when the lights are brightest and the stage most grand. Well aware that 73-9 doesn't mean anything at all without the Larry O'Brien trophy.

Game 7 - Lebron Vs Curry

"You're no MVP, boy. You're nothing like the MVP. Now look at me." Lebron shouted to Curry after demonstrating his superiority by emphatically blocking the latter's shot. Lebron made sure the world knew too all throughout game 6.

It's Curry's turn to return the serve. It cannot get better than this. An all time great coming at him, injury plaguing his team, and one game to decide the coveted price. 

Time to shine.

KG said Michael Jordan is one thing and Curry is also a whole other thing. Game 7 against Lebron will finally tell us the answer.

Is he?

Lebron's Passive-Aggressive Tactics in play against the Warriors

Lebron baited Draymond Green, stepped over him - knowing full well how the latter would react and how the NBA would respond. For good measure, he tried getting in to Curry's head too.

That was Sun Tzu. When a direct approach won't win you war because the enemy forces are superior on all fronts. Brilliant.

Lebron had realized Michael Jordan's place is far beyond his reach. Jordan would have preferred the enemy at their best for them to understand and feel how great he is once he crushed them. And he did that many times over. 

Not so with Lebron.

He's supposed to be the best basketball player in the planet right now... Obviously, Lebron is not. That person is on the opposing team, the greatest shooter in the NBA.

Indicative that Lebron cannot rise against the competition and is trying to level the playing field by taking Green out of it and hoping that is enough to tilt the win to his side.  

But you have to admire that somehow. Lebron conceding that he's not the brightest in the sky, but he can be the moon to eclipse Curry's sun for a few more wins to steal the finals. If Lebron gets past game 5, think of what other tricks he has up his sleeves for game 6. This "Mean Lebron" is the real Lebron and that isn't all that bad.

Reminds me of the all out boxing war that was the Castillo-Collazo fight. 

And that everything's fair in love and war.

GSW Vs Thunder a treat - the basketball that is a boxing match

Durant and Westbrook - up 3-1 in the Western Conference finals - poked fun at Curry being a laughable defender and delivered a slight to GSW...

The Thunder had awakened a sleeping giant. Curry had regained a fraction of his supernova self and is proving he's still the sun in a constellation of stars. And Klay himself is never far delivering his own blinding light.

Now at 3-3, GSW showed a warrior's heart and proved they're ready for any fight.

Game 7 is when Durant will wish he could take it all back.
GSW will deliver the knock out.

Mayweather Vs Pacquiao Showed Changes Needed in Boxing

(It ended with a whimper! This is what I wrote a couple of weeks after the forgettable Mayweather-Pacquiao sparring match. First published at Boxingnews24, read on fellow aficionados!)

About 2 Weeks removed from the fight of the century, and with Mayweather and Pacquiao now hundreds of millions richer, it's time to revisit that farce of a boxing match.

Here's what we learned:
1. Mayweather looks to have really benefited from the match being held in MGM Grand, which is his turf. Watching the replay, the commentators made it sound that Mayweather was pulverising Pacquiao with the hand of God. Tuning out the noise, a draw is the best outcome Floyd could have hoped for. Instead, he was awarded the win.
2. There is a need for transparency in the way boxing judges do the scoring. It's high time we know the score after each round as well as how the judges arrived at the score so nobody gets conned in the end. Also, there's scoring integrity in real professional sports that is painfully lacking in boxing. Change is needed and soon.
3. Don't do the math in a Mayweather fight because things don't really add up. Less is more apparently and the judges somehow buy that.
4. Mayweather was robbed of an Olympic medal and it seems Professional Boxing overcompensated by favouring Mayweather whenever his fights went to the scorecards. Mayweather should not be winning any boxing match when all he does is run away without making the opponent pay. Otherwise, Joshua Clottey - another defensive Master, but more of a possum than a hare - should also be undefeated.
5. Pacquiao thought "Mayweather didn't do nothing." He was right.
6. Pacquiao thought he won the fight. He may be right.
7. Mayweather called Pacquiao a coward. That's after five years of Mayweather evading a fight with Pacquiao and 12 rounds of running away from an injured smaller fighter.

In hindsight, we're all better off not watching the fight. Having said that, any takers for a rematch?

http://www.boxingnews24.com/2015/05/mayweather-vs-pacquiao-showed-changes-needed-in-boxing/

Running Man Mayweather Awarded a Win Over Tepid Pacquiao

(My take on the forgettable Mayweather-Pacquiao boxing match. Read on fellow afficionados, this is worth your time and 100 times much better than the fight!)

Basketball is a running game. Apparently, so is boxing. And Mayweather who showcased his running skills against Pacquiao naturally won.

It was a masterful performance once again by Mayweather. He ran around the ring and Pacquiao rarely caught up with him. But the fight of the century it never was. More like tag you're it. Mayweather playfully running away and Pacquiao just happy to be there.

We waited for the Big Bang from two boxing gods sharing the same ring, a Mayweather-Pacquiao supernova that will reverberate through time and space altering our perception of life or reinforcing it. Boxing becoming a religious experience once more, like the gladiator combat in all its glory way back in Ancient Rome.

Alas, Mayweather was always a blackhole. And Pacquiao's light always destined to be sucked in by the growing darkness - the inevitable death of a star.

It ended in a whimper. Mayweather fleeing after a few love taps and Pacquiao taking his own sweet time to run after Floyd with no sense of urgency at all. Boxing's ultra elites went through the motion - a sparring job at best - and happily collected their ungodly pay cheques.

Elsewhere, the Spurs and Clippers battled to the death in game 7. Blake Griffin was finally the monster we wanted him to become and Chris Paul gave his life and limb to overcome the almighty Tim Duncan. Super athletes rising to the occasion and elevating themselves. That was the real fight of the century.

The boxing match we've waited for and watched was however something else entirely. 

Mayweather's bogus win is a middle finger directed to the suckers that we are and Pacquiao's shoulder injury a good sell for a rematch.

The con remains at play.

Article first published at Boxingnews24.
http://www.boxingnews24.com/2015/05/running-man-mayweather-awarded-a-win-over-tepid-pacquiao/

Mayweather Vs Pacquiao - End Game

By Rasheed Catapang

Floyd Mayweather is a boxing genius. A tortured soul, the fight with Pacquiao had played out in his mind many times over. He'd thought Every move and counter, every feint and attack, every run and chase and its permutations. They all led to a single outcome - a whirlwind attack, a barrage of punches coming from every angle piercing the much vaunted shoulder roll. Floyd flat on his back, knocked out cold by Pacquiao.

A genius knows it's equal. And from the moment he laid eyes on him, Mayweather knew Pacquiao was his, and then some. But that was true 4 or 5 years ago. Floyd retired and evaded Pacquiao. He watched, waited and knew exactly when Pacquiao's skills had eroded. A decline which was more than his, it's time to cash in the chips - all 180 million dollar of it.

But then again, Pacquiao is a once in a generation talent who might have saved his best for last. He gave in to Mayweather's every demand just to secure the much coveted fight. Floyd, for all we know, is on death row. 

Roach said "Floyd can't run like he used to... We'll knock out Floyd." And so on May 2, the Tazmanian devil that made Dela Hoya quit and Cotto retreat will be unleashed again to devour Mayweather once and for all. Floyd, should he reach the 12th round by some miracle, can hope for a Bradley like win. That is highly unlikely, but still.

We all want the perfect storm, however. The yin and yang in reckless abandon, forces of nature colliding to destroy the balance. Pacquiao and Mayweather toe to toe - boxing's deadliest practitioners giving all they have and more. 

It may end with a whimper or with a bang. Either way, this is already so much more fun than the taunting game we've endured for years.

Article first published @ Boxingnews24:

http://www.boxingnews24.com/2015/03/mayweather-vs-pacquiao-end-game/#more-189770

Carl Froch Reigns

Maidana-Mayweather: The Emperor’s Naked Again

By Rasheed Catapang

WBA/WBC welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr (46-0, 26 KO’s) was amazing again last Saturday in defeating WBA welterweight champion Marcos Maidana (35-4, 31 KO’s) by a 12 round majority decision at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. Running away with the win as expected, in a fight were Maidana beat the stuffing out of him. That Floyd has kept his unbeaten professional record intact after the Maidana fight is truly remarkable.

Maidana, hand-picked by Mayweather and the perfect foil to make him shine, obviously didn’t read the script. Or if he did, then he wisely decided not to follow it. He gave Floyd 12 rounds of hell, delivering a sustained destructive attack Mayweather had not accounted for. Maidana morphed into a crazy but better Jose Luis Castillo – the exact type of fighter Floyd has always been avoiding, a volume puncher in his prime – and showed Mayweather the boss wears a blue “sombrero”.

But like Jose Luis Castillo, who was robbed of the win when he fought Floyd in 2002, Maidana officially lost the fight. No gross injustice was committed, though, because it’s been established beforehand that it’s Mayweather’s world we’re living in. And in this world two rules apply:

1. Floyd’s perfect record is the central truth and sole constant, and;

2. All things must bend to sustain rule number one.

The judges, just as CJ Ross & Duane Ford before them, simply complied.

Sometime later, the greatest boxer ever tweeted he’d hope to see Mayweather rumble with Pacquiao. Ali’s not getting his wish.

Manny Pacquiao is Maidana with wings. And Mayweather, after getting his backside kicked by Maidana, is now fully cognizant that Pacquiao is not merely the embodiment but also the realization of all his fears. The road to Floyd’s defeat is thus forever blocked.

And so Floyd will keep his perfect record. But that does not make Floyd the best boxer of his generation. Not when the best boxer of the last decade was Pacquiao – a time when Floyd was at the peak of his powers.

Not when on one Saturday, Maidana overwhelmed Mayweather. And the one in the blue “sombrero” owned the night.

(Article first published at Boxingnews24.)

Mayweather's exposed. Not quite the All-Time-Great his sycophants portray him to be.

The emperor's naked once more.

What Pacquiao-Bradley 2 means to Mayweather

Pacquiao-Bradley 2 meant nothing and everything to Floyd Mayweather.

First published at Boxingnews24, read on Dear Readers...

http://www.boxingnews24.com/2014/04/what-pacquiao-bradley-2-means-to-mayweather/

In the height of his powers, Michael Jordan was a force of nature. In his hands, the defeat of opposing teams were a foregone conclusion – inevitable like death and tax. Prime MJ was the ultimate basketball player, absolutely devastating in both sides of the court. The same is true for the 2008-2009 version of Pacquiao which in the rematch with Bradley was nowhere to be found.

There were flashes of brilliance of course. Moments in the fight showing us glimpses of the punching dynamo Pacquiao no longer is. The buzz saw still churns but no more in a sustained mode.

Had the Pacquiao of old been inside that ring, Bradley would have fallen like timber. The Desert Storm should have fallen face down comatose by round seven. Fortunately for Bradley, as in their first fight, it’s the old Pacquiao across him.

The current Pacquiao is still fast enough to outgun Bradley. Although lacking the thudding fists the prime version used to annihilate better fighters like Hatton, Dela Hoya and Cotto. That Agent of chaos and destruction is a distant memory, replaced by this calculating and Maywetheresque lesser version. This Pacquiao is still good enough to beat elite fighters like Bradley but ill-equipped against the uncanny Mayweather.

Thankfully for Pacquiao, that fight is still not going to happen. Pacquiao, no matter how diminished now, remains the biggest threat to the risk-averse Mayweather. And Floyd can’t really be bothered. After all, he still will be the highest paid athlete of 2014 once he dispatches Maidana in May – a fight akin to the Ultimate Spurs taking on the helpless Milwaukee Bucks. The con remains at play.

All the better for Pacquiao who sees himself fighting for two more years. That would be MJ playing for the Wizards in basketball terms.

...which brings us to Pacquiao-Marquez 5!

End Game - boxing 2013

Watch this space!

Pacquiao Vs Marquez Quatro

(I was gobsmacked the way Pacquiao was beaten by Marquez. It wasn't a mere defeat but rather total destruction. First published in Boxingnews24, read on...)

Pacquiao vs Marquez 4: Last Man Standing
By: Rasheed Catapang

Pacquiao, the face of boxing for the longest time, hit the canvass and lost the fight. He lost all consciousness as well. Perhaps for the better. Because what he doesn't know won't hurt him.

At least for 2 minutes - that seemingly forever stretch of time he was face-down comatose. After which, upon waking up, grim reality presented itself. This time appearing harsher than it already was.
Battered and down, Pacquiao's god was nowhere to be found. Meanwhile the Angel Heredia was seen celebrating by Marquez side.

The "fallen" in a dark corner could relate to how pacquiao must have felt - once up high that all of a sudden was at the bottom of the pit. Unnoticed amongst the crowd with mouth agape, he could prove to be Pacquiao's only friend.

After all, the devil is in the details. And so, Pacquiao might pick up salvation there. Though not the redemption he so badly needed.
How so?

Well, Marquez was one bad ass Avenger on Saturday night. He was Heredia's Captain America flattening Pacquiao with a hulk smash. But His intimidating new physique was more akin to Jekyll and Hide.

Marquez throughout his career softened his opponents through the accumulation of punches. It's usually a long kiss goodnight with the Marquez of old (or the old Marquez) as was clearly demonstrated in his fight with Juan "the baby bull" Diaz who ate massive amounts of counter rights before falling down, unable to beat the count. He's always been a matador guiding the bull to it's slow and inevitable demise, often a picture of a sweet dance. Never a butcher with blunt force, not even once.

Not until Saturday that is.

Pacquiao was always supposed to be the force of nature. The hideous beast with the destructive fist exhibiting one punch power. He was still that as clearly seen on fight night. But just Something that at 39 years old, Marquez miraculously surpassed.

Marquez previously drank urine to improve his chances of winning. It's a fair question to ask what potent elixir from Heredia this time around had he taken.

That was of course what the devil whispered. That there's an elephant in the room so big you just can't ignore it. So, we didn't.

Having said that, Pacquiao-Marquez 4 was a fight for the ages. The type of Armageddon boxing sorely needs, or heaven for those with eyes to see it.

It was two ultra-elite fighters never giving an inch, conceding nothing to the opposing side. It was a brutal yin and yang while it lasted, a warring left and right equal to the very end until that devastating doomsday punch by Marquez.

Between boxing gods, winning isn't everything. It's the only thing. Something Marquez would no longer be denied.

Marquez is crazy tough when the tough gets going. Pacquiao took him each and everytime to a deep dark place but he has never waivered, coming out stronger after every fight. What could not kill him only made him stronger. He hanged on and gave as good as he got. The mindset that set him apart from champions like Cotto or Mosley. Even from Mayweather.

Cotto was on his bike, moving away after tasting pacquiao's power. Mosley preferred to touch gloves than risked getting punched. While Mayweather never even contemplated getting inside the ring with pacquiao. Marquez, always the gunslinger, embraced the pain and endured. He asked for more, welcomed a world of hurt just to chase the one that got away. His reward - being the last man standing.

Just because you deserve it doesn't mean it would be given to you. So Marquez rightfully took matters into his own hands.

That wasn't Las Vegas where he decapitated Pacquiao's head. That was Rome. And Juan Manuel Marquez was it's new Emperor.

http://www.boxingnews24.com/2012/12/pacquiao-vs-marquez-4-last-man-standing/

Andre Ward overtakes Pacquiao & Mayweather the Gangnam Way

Andre Ward Overtakes Mayweather and Pacquiao with “Gangnam Style”

By Rasheed Catapang

(First published @Boxingnews24.com)

Andre Ward’s win over Chad Dawson marked the spot where he now stands in the grand scheme of things. Dan Rafael of ESPN said he’s the best boxer in the planet not named Mayweather. Kevin Lole of Yahoo stated something along the same lines, adding that Ward has already overtaken Pacquiao. They’re close but not quite.

Andre Ward is, at this point in time, simply Boxing’s No.1.

Pacquiao has long since been on the decline, never showing in his recent fights the buzzsaw skills that saw him dominating Dela Hoya, Hatton and Cotto. Now, he’ll be facing Marquez the fourth time, not really being able to master the man in so many tries. In fact, Marquez is looking more as the likely winner this time around. There goes the legend of Pacquiao.

Mayweather himself is on his last leg against Father Time, standing toe-to-toe more often and on his last fight taking the worst beating of his career from a similar past-his-prime Cotto. That’s simply not his style. Many experts not willing to let go put a positive spin to that - putting weight on the Cotto win and hailing that as a career-defining one. Well it was in a way because Mayweather had never really fought a quality opponent for the longest time, feasting on no-hopers or those that break on cue ala Victor Ortiz. Those kind of win from an unbiased standpoint however, doesn’t merit pound for pound points.

Andre Ward’s wins do. They’re a series of ugly moves and wins meshing in to create the wonder in the end. It was “gangnam style” for lack of a better word. The craze brought about by the Korean’s Psy fittingly describes what Ward and his reign is all about.

We’ve seen what Ward brings to the table in his fights. He’ll frustrate the opponent. One, who possibly within the first 2 rounds, has all the moves read by Andre Ward. He then, as he sees fit, proceeds to beat the opposition 10 moves in advance.

No surprises. No dramas. The win for Andre Ward to take is always within his grasp the entire time.

Sergio Martinez, another claimant to the throne, went down against Chavez Jr and escaped with a win. Of course Martinez lost in the grand scheme of things. It sealed the deal for the new king.

Mayweather, Pacquiao and Martinez are teethering on the brink of pound for pound irrelevance. They can sort out with themselves where they stand. But the top now surely belongs to Andre Ward.

http://www.boxingnews24.com/2012/09/andre-ward-overtakes-mayweather-and-pacquiao-with-gangnam-style/

Pacquiao - Bradley Boxing: DILLIGAF

After Dispatching Pacquiao, Bradley Will Easily Defeat Mayweather

By Rasheed Catapang

@Boxingnews24

Floyd Mayweather Jr may be the best boxer in the planet this time around but he’s sure to lose that title along with whatever belts he has should he fight Tim Bradley. Mayweather and Bradley are both undefeated inside the ring but the latter should be favored to win against the pound for pound king. After all, Bradley has the win over the feared fighter many thought and believed Floyd has always avoided.

For those with short memories, Bradley soundly defeated Pacquiao just weeks ago. It was a masterful performance that saw Bradley administering Pacquiao his comeuppance – the punishment for going against Obama, badmouthing the gay community and wielding the bible like the popes did during the dark ages. As Duane Ford eloquently stated, “Bradley gave Pacquiao a boxing lesson.” Ford, along with CJ Roth, helped secure the win for Bradley.

Of course, everybody else who watched the fight saw Pacquiao as the clear winner. It doesn’t matter. Larry, Curly and Mo, or their recent incarnations as boxing’s judges, in such instances reign supreme. Infallible like gods, the verdict was straight up from the 3 Stoogees Book of Mayhem and could not be overturned.

That notwithstanding, it didn’t stop the WBO from conducting an exercise in futility. Its independent judges found out what everyone knew all along – that Pacquiao won the fight. But as said earlier, nothing else would be done. What a massive waste of everyone’s time.

Pacquiao, who in his recent fights proved he is no longer the force of nature we come to admire, urged us all to respect the judges. We know better that such stupidity is not to be respected. By acquiescing, Pacquiao lost not only the title but also a moral high ground. Well, he’s guaranteed 26 million dollars win or lose while the rest of us mortals hang only to truth, justice or some semblance of such. We’re not giving up on that.

We know now that Pacquiao has lost the fire within, the pure joy we’ve seen before when he plies his trade is all but gone. He’s ripe for the taking. The judges as such stole for Bradley what rightfully belongs to Mayweather – the guy who waited so long for nothing. Floyd’s legacy will always have that question mark now.

As for Bradley, he really shocked the world. It doesn’t take superior skill to prevail in boxing after all. With the right judges, pedestrian skills could take you there.

Boxing’s now a joke and it’s not even funny.

http://www.boxingnews24.com/2012/06/after-dispatching-pacquiao-bradley-will-easily-defeat-mayweather/#comment-887544

Froch’s win over Bute kills any hope of Pacquiao vs. Mayweather

By Rasheed Catapang:

“I’m always angry.” Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner said in the Avengers movie signifying the beginning of the end for the enemies.  It might as well have been Carl Froch saying that. In his own word, he was an animal - the green behemoth unleashed upon a cerebral but helpless Bute. And as Froch ’s brutal honesty manifested itself in the fight as blunt force, the hopelessness of Bute’s cause became more obvious.

You know what’s coming but still you’re not prepared.  “Hulk smash” is such a wonderful thing to behold.

It was perceived before the fight that Lucian Bute would win. After all, he was the talented fighter with the superior skill. The recognized technician should have made Froch crude than he already is and then should have proceeded to dissecting him. It didn’t come to pass.

Boxing is not rocket science. If it is, no one was paying attention to Froch’s evolution.

Froch is made entirely of different clay, an amalgam of elements forged by the heat of difficult battles. From 2008 onwards, he went against only the best his division could offer. He didn’t always triumph but he evidently came out a better man. A beast forged by fire that Bute is not ready for.

There is another thing we can take with us from Froch’s triumph. With Froch’s win over Bute, the superiority of Pacquiao over “Flawed” Mayweather is increasingly obvious. Mayweather has always look good on paper but he has also always taken the path of least resistance. We don’t need a Bunsen burner to know that paper burns.

Cotto showed us the real Floyd. Not the modern great many writers painted him to be in that fight but a “Flawed” Mayweather unable to impose his will on a not so willing victim. Applying Mayweather’s logic, and he’s right this time, Cotto is a Pacquiao leftover. How come then that Cotto is not as soft as Mayweather wanted him to be? Floyd couldn’t break him down the way Pacquiao did. He never came close. Floyd didn’t own Cotto. In fact, the opposite was true. Floyd’s face was a bloody mess reminiscent of Cotto’s bloody face when he was at the losing end.

Floyd has been feasting on no hopers that it rubbed on him. We are what we eat.

Floyd is Bute . And Pacquiao is Froch many times better. Not entirely the truth and not a lie either.  Bute is a warrior ever ready to take risk while Floyd would run from it.

Pacquiao would deliver his own “Hulk smash”. You’re dreaming if you think Mayweather will stand in the way of that. We weren’t really listening when all along Floyd has been screaming No Mas.

First published at Boxingnews24.com:

http://www.boxingnews24.com/2012/06/frochs-win-over-bute-kills-any-hope-of-pacquiao-vs-mayweather/ 

Mayweather Vs Cotto: Rich Coward Winning

I write to Bury Cotto, not to praise him. Miguel is a fine champion, one of the best of his generation. He is also Victor Ortiz but with pedigree - a fact that wasn’t lost on Mayweather, and perhaps the very reason why they will soon enough share the same ring.

It’s always darkest before dawn. And Floyd once more would prove true to form. The demon demands his pound of flesh. Cotto’s final shot at greatness will be put to rest.

“There’s no template to beat Mayweather.” The devil knows best to practice Narcissism. But truth be told, there really is none. There is, however, a template of how to be Mayweather.

When confronted with a superior force or a tough challenge that might mean a loss, a boxer may do one or all of the following: Retire temporarily, run away and fight the beatable next guy, or wait like a serpent for the superior force to weaken (after being in so many wars) before locking horns with it. Here is the gifted at his very best. Practice the con of the undefeated.

To be able to perpetuate the myth, on the other hand, is another thing entirely. And if memory serves me right, one of the sorrowful mysteries. How can a  rich coward (by Floyd’s own admission) be the Pound-for-pound King? How can one so risk averse as Floyd -who fears his health is in danger if he took the fight the world wants to see -  be boxing’s number one guy? You tell me.

Floyd’s more like a middle finger sticking out in the air instead of the towering figure some portrayed him to be.

And while Floyd is sure of himself that he cannot beat Pacquiao, he is sure as hell that Cotto is no threat now. Cotto could have taken him down years ago but that time has long since gone. Cotto is a shadow of the menacing figure he once was and Mayweather is well aware of that. Cotto losing the fight is a foregone conclusion.

Long live the King, the gift that keeps on taking.

http://www.boxingnews24.com/2012/05/mayweather-vs-cotto-wealthy-floyd-winning/