Floyd needs to step up, or step aside

Monday, May 03, 2010

By Michael Parente

The only positive reinforcement I can offer “Sugar” Shane Mosley following his performance Saturday night is be thankful, Shane, you didn’t fight Andre Berto after all, otherwise you’d have been knocked into a permanent state of delirium.

Unfortunately, there’s nothing I can say to console those who foolishly plunked down their hard-earned $54.99 ($64.99 for you HD viewers) in the midst of our nation’s worst recession to watch a fight that not only didn’t need to happen, but also had no chance of ending any differently than it did. That, by the way, goes to all two and a half million of you who reached into your back pockets Saturday night to watch Floyd Mayweather Jr. tease, tantalize and absolutely embarrass Mosely at MGM Grand in what we should all hope is Mosley’s last hurrah.

Mosley was supposed to fight Berto for the WBA title, but Berto returned to his native Haiti after a catastrophic earthquake struck in mid-January and displaced most of his family. Needing something edible to satisfy our palates, Golden Boy Promotions fed “Sugar” Shane to the wolves in a match-up that perhaps would’ve been great five years ago back when Mosley could still get out of bed each morning in less than 40 minutes.

I’m not part of the crowd that thinks Mayweather is a boring fighter because he doesn’t throw enough aimless flurries or try to knock anyone out (although I honestly don’t think he’s attempted to put the final nail in anyone’s coffin since the late rounds of his lopsided win over Juan Manuel Marquez last September). I just have no interest in watching a fight where the underdog has less than a 10 percent chance of winning.

Until someone cracks the password for Floyd’s defense and actually forces him to counterpunch, there’s no reason he should do anything other than flip lightning-quick jabs, pop overhand rights and rack up points while weaving his way unharmed through the line of fire.

The real problem here is the level of competition at the welterweight division, or lack thereof. Outside of Manny Pacquiao, the only fighter I’d pay to see lock horns with Mayweather is the aforementioned Berto, not because I think he can win – he can’t – but because he’s one of the sport’s next stars at 147 pounds. And, for perhaps the first time in nearly a decade, I’d like to see Floyd face a Top 10 welterweight in his prime.

My only criticism of Mayweather is he plays it safe outside the ring almost as often as he does in between the ropes. When’s the last time you honestly thought he’d lose? Certainly not Saturday night against an aging Mosely and definitely not against glorified club fighter Ricky Hatton. Ditto for his predictable bouts against long shots Oscar De La Hoya and Carlos Manuel Baldomir.

You can argue that Mayweather’s undisputed dominance shows just how great he really is. I say the welterweight division stinks.

The last fighter to make Floyd sweat was Hall of Fame hopeful Jose Luis Castillo eight years (and 12 pounds) ago back in Mayweather’s days as a lightweight. Castillo went the distance with Mayweather twice in 2002, losing both fights, but coming within three points of a victory on the scorecards in the rematch.

What boxing really needs is for Mayweather to drop the smoke screen and step into the ring with Pacquiao, who is not only pound-for-pound the best fighter in boxing, but the only welterweight with the necessary combination of speed, power and obtuse punching angles to knock Floyd off his throne. The only other solution would be Mayweather moving up to light middleweight (155), where he’d face real danger against the likes of Alfredo Angulo, Paul Williams or perhaps even Sergio Martinez, if Martinez were willing to drop the extra five pounds.

Since the latter will never happen – why would Floyd challenge himself when he can stay at 147, dominate with ease and earn enough money to swim in? – all we can do now is pray for a Mayweather-Pacquiao showdown.

This uber-bout was supposed to take place March 13, but negotiations fell apart when Pacquiao refused to meet Mayweather’s demands for Olympic-style drug testing – an unprecedented request in professional boxing and a clear insinuation that Mayweather believes Pacquiao’s success is fueled by performance-enhancing drugs.

Either you think Mayweather is creating a ruse to avoid facing Pacquiao, or you believe Pacquaio has something to hide. All I know is while Pacquiao refused to be tested randomly within 30 days prior to the fight, he did agree to have blood drawn the day after. That still wasn’t enough for Mayweather. I also know Mosley admitted to using steroids in 2003, but never failed a drug test. Likewise, Mayweather is known for using the painkiller Xylocaine, which numbs his hands and is also banned in most states outside of Nevada, yet he, too, has never failed a drug test.

Is Olympic-style drug testing fool-proof? No. So why is Mayweather so adamant that Pacquiao undergo such rigorous scrutiny? No idea.

You be the judge.

My mind’s already made up – I’m keeping my wallet shut the next time Floyd steps into the ring, unless it’s against Pacquiao or in a more competitive weight class. “Money” Mayweather is not stealing my cash again. Step up, Floyd, or step aside.