May 3, 2013
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On Saturday night, Floyd “Money” Mayweather will attempt to keep his perfect record in tact against Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero. Although he is considered one of the generation’s best boxers, Mayweather still seeks to cement his legacy as the greatest of all time. Other than an enormous bank account and a perfect win/loss record, there are other intangible assets Floyd possesses that are sometimes overlooked….
Las Vegas, Nevada—-In less than 36 hours, Floyd “Money Mayweather and Robert Guerrero will command the attention of millions around the world as they square off for the WBC welterweight championship. Although the match-up is not the one many fans and boxing enthusiasts were screaming for (Mayweather vs. Pacquiao), Floyd Mayweather remains extremely popular and more committed than ever to elevate his name to the top of the list of boxing all-time greats.
When boxers become culturally relevant, they no longer “have fights” and, instead, start “putting on events”. Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Joe Louis, Jack Johnson and Sugar Ray Robinson are just a few of boxing’s champions that have transcended boxing barriers and into cultural significance. Whether their actions outside the ring are groundbreaking (Ali’s defiance of the U.S. military draft) or if they are simply personal decisions (Mike Tyson’s divorce with Robin Givens), the transcend-ers sometimes become more relevant socially than professionally. Some of us eventually start watching their pugilistic performances to affirm that they are what we think they are while others may have managed to villain-ize the fighter and tune in hoping to see the boxer get his ass kicked. Regardless, their cultural relevance is verified by the attention their fights generate or, in layman’s terms, the revenue the event raises.
Mayweather is currently the best in the game at generating interest and, ultimately, pay-per-view revenue. In terms of pay-per-view orders, “Money” was a part of the biggest night in boxing history (vs. Oscar De La Hoya) and has 3 of the 10 most successful boxing pay per-view events of all-time. Floyd’s numbers prompted Showtime to steal his services from HBO in what has been reported as the most lucrative individual sports deal in history (possibly $250 million for 2/12 years).
Not only is Mayweather the best fundraiser in the game, he is currently, in terms of skill, the pound-for-pound king of boxing. His influence in the sport of boxing over the last 16+ years has even birthed an entirely new style of boxing as well as another world champion, Adrien “The Problem” Broner. Broner is an undefeated 2-time, 2-divison champion that openly brags that Floyd is his big brother and how Mayweather was a major influence in his development into a championship-caliber fighter.
And when talks of “greatest of all time” include Mayweather’s name, Money May brashly embraces the idea. In a recent interview with ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, Mayweather responded to Smith’s question concerning Floyd’s legacy by saying, “You think I gave this sport my whole life to say that there’s another fighter that is better than me? Absolutely not.”
On the surface, the answer seems a little cocky and conceited. Take the fact that it was a response from boxing’s bad guy out of the equation then ponder how a candidate for the title of “greatest” in any sport should answer the question. From that perspective, Mayweather answered how any great athlete would and should. Humility is important, but confidence is imperative. The chances of an athlete truly being among the greatest are slim if they haven’t admitted it to themselves first.
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Mayweather emphatically stated that he was the “best boxer of this era” after a 2007 spilt decision victory over Oscar De La Hoya. Their mega-fight is still the largest pay per view event in boxing history.
In addition to the money, skill and confidence, Mayweather’s work ethic has allowed him to reign as the consensus pound-for-pound champ of the boxing world. Mayweather’s drive to reach perfection in his craft is common knowledge among his peers and fans and a large reason he remains undefeated and socially relevant. If Mayweather wasn’t borderline maniacal about being the best, he wouldn’t be fighting in his 9th consecutive pay-per-view event. There are very few boxers that ever get a chance to fight on any PPV card, let alone headline one. This will be Guerrero’s first pay-per-view headliner and before the first punch is thrown, Mayweather will be counting on his hands and Guerrero’s unfamiliarity with the magnitude of the event to cause “The Ghost” to make mental mistakes in the ring.
When Floyd speaks in terms of fighting against himself, he often mentions how “the event” becomes “too much” for his opponent. And although any fighter Mayweather faces has certainly been in big fights, it’s no doubt that Mayweather fights are “events” that bring a new set of dynamics than any other contest. What separates Floyd from his opponents is that he understands the process (the media build-up, the bright lights, etc.) and uses it to his advantage whereas most of his opponents think they know. And when his opposition gets caught up in the whirlwind of the “event”, Floyd goes to work and implements his game plan, making his opponent have to adjust on the fly. These are the moments that get etched in our memories. And with all eyes on him, Floyd Mayweather Jr rarely gets shaken up. We have seen Mayweather rise to the occasion time after time and demonstrate this skill.
A fighter’s road to greatness always begins in the squared circle but typically does not remain, solely, in the ring. Their ability to improve their craft and stay focused as their personal life becomes increasingly complex determines how great they become. Mayweather’s life has certainly not been without controversy. After serving a recent 2-month stint in Nevada’s Clarke County Detention Center, boxing fans are interested to see if “Money” still has IT. Will Mayweather continue traveling down that road or will Guerrero derail him and start his own path?
Boxing Blotter’s Mayweather vs. Guerrero Pre-fight Analysis / Prediction:
Robert Guerrero is a worthy foe (Ring Magazine #2-ranked welterweight), but Mayweather should easily outpoint Guerrero. Look for Mayweather to serve up a healthy dose of lead straight right hands and counter left hooks over Guerrero’s jab. Mayweather is the best defensive fighter in the game today and even when he does get hit, the opponent rarely lands clean punches. Guerrero will fight in flurries. Look for Mayweather to implement his famous “shoulder roll” to dodge and deflect many of Guerrero’s punches. Plus, Mayweather has been fighting at the 147 pound limit (welterweight) since 2005. This fight will be only the 3rd fight as a welterweight for Robert Guerrero since jumping from the lightweight division (135 lb limit) less than 1 year ago. Although Guerrero will probably be more aggressive than Mayweather, look for Floyd, Jr to be the stronger, bigger man.
Mayweather by 12-rd decision.
Image may be NSFW.
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