Only last week, the biggest story in boxing was the fact that Antonio Margarito had been approved to fight pound for pound king Manny Pacquiao in November.
There was controversy over the fact that he was approved for a license by the Texas athletic commission after two others turned him down. Questions asked about whether he and Pacquiao should be fighting for a vacant junior middleweight belt when neither have much of a recent resume at the weight, and the can of worms over his suspension was reopened and examined.
Just as it began to look like the public were really turning against the idea of the fight though, along came Pacquiao rival Floyd Mayweather and his now infamous Ustream video, in which he spewed forth a torrent of offensive, derogatory and racist remarks. After which the questions surrounding Margarito seem to have dissipated.
If it was Mayweather's intention to steal some of the limelight from Pacquiao and Margarito during their press tour by saying something controversial, unquestionably he managed it. With the bad press that the fight was already getting though, if anything Mayweather probably did them both a favor in terms of promoting their Dallas clash.
As offensive as the speech was, Manny Pacquiao isn't going to be losing any sleep over it. The more fans Mayweather ships through his juvenile conduct, the more the fighting politician gains, and equally the worse Mayweather makes himself look, the better Pacquiao automatically looks by comparison. Also although it hasn't happened on a wide scale as yet, sponsors that before would have looked to Mayweather as the face of the sport might instead find themselves drawn to the more tactful and balanced Filipino instead in the future.
Pacquiao isn't the only one who potentially benefits though.
The uproar created by Floyd's rant and subsequent apology has if anything also made the public suddenly warm to the idea of Antonio Margarito getting to take a high profile fight after serving a years suspension for being found with loaded hand wraps. Even repeated statements from Oscar De La Hoya declaring that Margarito should have been banned for life have had little negative effect, and since Floyd's online appearance his promotional partners in Golden Boy now appear to have gone into duck and cover mode to avoid any difficult questions.
Margarito's slowly improving public image is also probably thanks in large part to the fact that all speculation as to why the fight between Pacquiao and Mayweather was never made has now been removed. As he stated in both videos, Mayweather is not ready to fight at this time for some reason. Whether that's primarily down to his uncle's legal troubles, tax concerns or just a lack of motivation isn't clear and likely won't ever be fully revealed.
Given then that there is clearly not going to be any alternative in terms of big fights for the remainder of the year, the public now seem much more eager to see Pacquiao and Margarito square off. Perhaps before there was a feeling that both sides were at fault somehow in the second failed set of negotiations between Top Rank and team Mayweather. The blame now though has shifted firmly towards Mayweather, giving whatever alternative fight Pacquiao could have made much easier acceptance.
Norm Andrews, Pittsburgh: "Margo does look a lot better somehow after that nonsense from Money May. Then again that might have started after everyone saw how much bigger he is than Pacquiao on the press tour"
Julius Brown, Philly: "If he came out and just said why he won't fight people would go easier on him, it's because he always says he's taking time off after one easy fight that people aren't happy with him"
Comments
“Alam kong aalma ang maraming taong naapektuhan ng racial slurs ni Mayweather na nagpakita ng kawalanghiyaan niya sa sarili,” added Pacquiao,
Nice one there Manny.
IF HE, THAT ARROGANT UNEDUCATED PIECE OF CRAP IN THE NAME OF MAYWEATHER JR., IS UNCAPABLE AND UNINTERESTED OF GIVING THE PAYING FANS OR I MAY SAY BOXING ENTHUSIASTS A TRULY EXCITING FIGHT AND FOCUS ONLY ON EVERY CHALLENGE AND NOT BY JUST WINNING, THEN HE SHOULD AT ONCE SHUT HIS FUCKING BIG STINKING MOUTH UP!!! SHAME TO ALL HIS SPONSORS BY PATRONIZING THIS KIND OF CRUELTY AGAINST EVERY RACE IN THE WHOLE WORLD!!! THIS IS A-HOLE IS INSANE!!! GODLESS AND A TRULY SON OF EVIL!!!
MS.l MAYWEATHER..
The only one fight to prove that your the best
is to fight MANNY PACQUIAO....
dont distract his training coz the fans
sees you as the greatest ducker of all time..
a disgrace to boxing
www.youtube.com/watch?v=eywyZ6Qt-Rw
Like I said before, karma, everything Floyd does will backfire.
You need to make more sense when you write.
" The more fans Mayweather ships through his juvenile conduct, the more the fighting politician gains, and equally the worse Mayweather makes himself look, the better Pacquiao automatically looks by comparison."
Worst run-on sentence ever
gayweather hardliners are striking the writers..why not defend you Lord gayweather???huh???and lets see what will happend...
@anonymous - "huh???and lets see what WILL HAPPEND" ?? typo or a pinoy typing
...and the funny thing is, Manny doesn't have to say anything...
...and the funny thing is, Manny doesn't have to say anything...
nigga slave go home where you belonggggggggg....
if you dont no where..... in AFRICA
Please not this, there are sooooo many good black people and they are also in our land. Kill the girl FLOR MAE WEATHER and spare the blacks.
If Mayweahter's fists are as sharp and tart as his 10-pounder mouth and kisser, he just climb up the ring and fight Pacquiao. Cut all the bul..ls... and fight you ducking, coward. That way the millions of boxing fans will be delighted to watch - how he will kiss the canvass like Hatton when hit by a powerful Pacquiao punch. Stop those juvenile and immature stunts like "doesnt know english". Why you know how to speak Tagalog? Climb up the ring and fight Pacquiao - show the boxing world that you are indeed not a 'p4p ducker-champion' of the world.
Well atleast Mayweather exposed himself and the following were revealed:
We now know that a gag order preventing Mayweather to speak doesn't really exist.
We now know that his upcoming fight with unnamed or make it imaginary worthy opponent to be held in Dubai before this year ends which he soon to announce is bogus.
Uncle Mayweather legal troubles or tax concerns are not really his reasons of not fighting this year, he just don't have the urge.
Floyd confirmed that Pacquiao conceded to all his demand including unnecessary blood testing.
That Floyd stands on his belief that Pacquiao is on enhancement drugs, I hope Petrocelli is still on the look out
That Floyd is not the most gentle of men and Manny is getting into his nerve and Floyd is losing the pchsychological war against Manny, a rage Mayweather started.
THE GREAT AMERICAN MO RON MAYWEATHER AGAINST THE FILIPINO'S WITS IN PACQUIAO!
Now Atty Daniel Petrocelli could add the video to his case against the entire degenerate mayweather family.
I concur! Go and smoke this Duckweather in court. $30M Class A lawsuit baby! Pacquiao's gonna get a big payday without even fighting this coward
floyd did not have enough sex with dogs goats and sheeps like his ancestors did in africa so he went nuts or could have too much crack from uncle roger or the brotha gangstah rapper thugs wanna be. ooops i don't really have a racist bone in my body, just having fun, i apologize.
When is this defamation lawsuit gonna get started damn. This lawsuit should be put on the fast track considering no gag order on Mayweather's defamatory mouth.
One of you guys got it right, Margarito is huge compared to pacquiao! I don't care how good pacquiao is, this is like biting off a little more than you can chew. I hope he doesn't choke on it. This is gonna be one hell of a fight. David versus Goliath. At this point you would have to be completely ignorant to even suggest that Pacquiao had anything to do with not making the Mayweather fight happen. It was 100% floyd both times. If pacquiao had agreed to this testing nonsense the first time I guarantee you Mayweather would have fabricated another excuse or put up another roadblock.
His problem now is that he will have to fight Pacquiao next, nobodies gonna take him seriously next time around if he fights some club fighter or antique like mosely!
to Floyd Mayweather Jr., this is how you make an apology:
"I, Floyd Mayweather Jr. of Grand Rapids, Michigan, do hereby sincerely apologize with all my heart to Honorable Congressman Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao as well as the Filipino people for the racist and hate-filled remarks that i have posted on Ustream a few days ago. my hate-filled diatribe was unnecessary and totally uncalled for. it would seem that my ego has climbed to new heights that I am not aware of the effect my post would cause. i would also like to apologize to my fans, who has their share of criticism for supporting someone of low self-esteem and confidence as me."
"But now I promised that that would all change. I would show the world that not only I am a great boxer, but a human being who come to realize his mistakes and would try to rectify it. I would like to answer the calls for me and Congressman Pacquiaoto finally settle the score inside the squared circle, to match wits and skills in the art of the sweet science of boxing. I understand that he has an upcoming fight with Antonio Margarito this coming November 13 at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, but I am now totally open and ready to face him should he decide to. We would be having having this fight, if not this year, then perhaps as early as April or May 2011."
"I would also like to extend my condolences to the entire Arum family for the tragic event that took place. nothing is more painful than for a parent to lose his child. I would also like to inform him that I would be interested in re-opening negotiations with the mega-fight with Mr. Pacquiao, so that I would give the boxing fans all around the world the one thing that I have selfishly denied them these past few years - to the fight that would finally decide who is the best pound for pound fighter in the world."
"once again I am truly sorry for my inadequate and immature actions, and hoping that in the long run, I would be able to earn once more the respect not only of the boxing fans, but people around the world. Thank you very much and MABUHAY ANG FILIPINAS!!!"
Yes this reinforce defamatory lawsuits of Manny. This is bigtime screw up from Floyd. Maybe 20 Million is enough. Ouch that hurst. Hey Floyd , I hope some of your fans can defend you.
Pretty Li'l Boy Floydie Jr. comes with great genes in him. An ex-convict father, found guilty of selling illegal drugs, a drug crazed mother, an ex-convict uncle Roger, accused of beating up a FEMALE boxer training in his gym. So what can ya expect morons?? A dysfunctional chimp won't give birth to a thoroughbred, damn it.
Mr Scott when are you going to ask Oscar dela Hoya on his opinion about floyd's tirade? When he kept calling Antonio Margarito to be ban for life. Let's hear his opinion on Lil' floyd. Isn't he the promoter of floyd?Correct me if I'm wrong isn't he also the face of boxing entertainment (Ring Magazine). Where did
his self righteouness all go? Shouldn't he come out and say something?
Mayweather should first learn the definition of "fight". He can trash talk but first sign the f--king contract!
exactly, his tirades came in a right time for both pac & marg. this somehow justified the fact that indeed floyd doesnt want to fight from the first time this fight was negotiated. furthermore, his racist comments make pacquaio more looked good in the eyes of many around the world. it helped advertise the november 13 fight. it was a loss-loss situation for floyd, it elevated pacquaio's status more and that's without him fighting floyd. floyd should not be rewarded by giving him opportunity to fight pacquaio
Floyd will whoop Manny's ass on Youtube .
marquez is the best
floyd will beat manny outside the ring.... but inside manny will beat the crap out of floyd jr so floyd surely dont want to meet manny inside the ring no matter what, cos he know manny cant hurt him there.
Any sponsors who pay this flawed Mayweather millions of dollars to fight in the ring are themselves flawed. Mayweather is not worth any company or organization's risking their reputation by paying him millions since he is a flawed person, not really a man of honor or courage. Because the public and the consumers will recognized that the company or organization's integrity is also flawed and will no longer do business or buy the products of the company or organization. A flawed person like Mayweather is only worth the risk of thousand of dollars in the ring, and not millions. Sponsors, be smart, because consumers are smart.
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