Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s name has been making news in the recent weeks. Recent reports talked about his possible comeback to the boxing scene and much hype is passed around about his possible square-up against Marquez, Hatton, Pacquiao or Mosley.
What I do not get is why boxing reporters are giving Pretty Boy so much hype. Well it is a given that he is an undefeated boxer and the former pound-for-pound best, a title which he does not very much deserve.
How can he be pound-for-pound best when he hasn't even fought the top fighters in his own division?
I also do not get why some writers anticipate his return like its the event to watch out for. Mayweather is a boring boxer, a very boring one in fact. Having seen plenty of his fights, I am surprised that people still watch him do his stuff in the ring. If you are wondering what I am talking about.. get a copy of his fights and tell me if you are entertained.
Each time I watched his fights with some friends and six-packs, it never fails to get those "oh man, will you just stand your ground and fight like a man" comments. It's boxing for crying out loud and people do not pay to see someone throw one punch and run around like a chicken. Heck even I am embarassed by his "please dont hurt me" style.
Mayweather was given the nickname "Pretty Boy" because his face has never been cut or bruised in a fight. Well of course. That's a given considering his fighting style if it could even be considered fighting.
My point is why give a fighter much hype when he is bad for the sport? I remember one a hall-of-fame commentator saying, during Mayweather's fight against Dela Hoya, that he hoped the fight will be as good as all the hype during the pre-fight events. This was an obvious concern over the fate of boxing with the growing popularity of another combat sport in Mixed Martial Arts.
If it wasn't for Dela Hoya's pressure from time to time, the fight would have been a lot more boring than it was. The fight sold record pay-per-view numbers of course because Dela Hoya is a house-hold name in boxing. There was much hype in that fight with all the celebrities at ring-side and serious and casual boxing fans glued to the their sets on PPV.
The fight however was a disappointment. There were no knockouts. Even Dela Hoya did not get a single bruise from all Mayweather's one-punch and run tactic. And it was bad for the sport. During a time when the sports world's attention was focused on boxing, Dela Hoya gave it all and Mayweather did his usual running.
Fighters like Pacquiao and Marquez have kept boxing alive and exciting. Mayweather's return may and will cause some excitement. But it will be short-lived and overshadowed by his boring style. And it is bad for boxing.
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