Featured Articles
Floyd Mayweather Can’t Win

The thing about drug addicts and alcoholics is that it’s hard to feel sorry for them. It’s not that we don’t recognize the validity of their struggle. It’s not that we don’t know their pain is real. It’s not that their disease isn’t a tangible thing. It’s that they did it to themselves.
Floyd Mayweather has put himself in a similar position. No matter what happens with a potential Mayweather-Pacquiao superfight, the undefeated 38-year-old will be hard-pressed to come away from the next few months unscathed, and he has nobody to blame but himself.
If you have a limited supply of empathy available to you, I urge you to reserve it for drug addicts and alcoholics instead. Let Mayweather stew in it. A man with as few redeemable qualities as he could use a little time alone with his thoughts.
Even those outside the confines of a typically pro-Pacquiao boxing media have grown weary of Mayweather’s tired antics. Yahoo’s Kevin Iole, who at times seems to go out of his way to give Mayweather the benefit of the doubt when it comes to fight selections and negotiations with competitors, lambasted Mayweather in his column on Tuesday.
“If Mayweather wanted it done, it would be done,” Iole wrote. “On the few occasions he chooses to speak publicly about the talks, he routinely mentions he’s the more powerful A-side in the talks. That unquestionably is true. But then he’ll bring up the nonsense that he repeatedly spews – which his fans repeat like clapping seals – that he’s the boss and Pacquiao is simply an employee of Top Rank. The insinuation is that it’s tougher to make the fight because Pacquiao doesn’t run his own promotional company, though clearly that has nothing to do with making the fight. Let’s be honest, though: If Mayweather truly were the boss, it would be his adviser, Al Haymon, who would be getting punched in the face.”
And that’s the thing about all of this: If Mayweather truly wanted to fight Pacquiao, the fight would be made. It would have been made six years ago, too. Or five. Or three. Or whenever he wanted, but it never was. And now he’s put himself in a really bad situation, one even Mayweather can’t win.
Just think about it. If Mayweather doesn’t fight Pacquiao on May 2 and ends up in the ring with either Miguel Cotto or Amir Khan, nothing he can do in those fights will really matter. He could fight and beat both on the same night, and the first question at the post-fight press conference would be about Pacquiao. All the while, HBO and former promotional partner Golden Boy will hammer his wallet by putting the proposed Canelo Alvarez vs. James Kirkland fight on the same night in competition with his precious PPV date and fight fans who have long clamored for him to face Pacquiao will revolt and be relentless in mockery of him.
Even if Mayweather does fight Pacquiao, he’s bound to lose that situation, too. Most folks consider Mayweather the favorite in the fight. The reasoning typically stated is that Mayweather is naturally larger and a fantastic counter-puncher, the latter of which he shares with Pacquiao’s great nemesis Juan Manuel Marquez. Assuming that’s how the fight plays out and Mayweather does defeat Pacquiao relatively easily, only the cringe worthy “Money Team” seals who clap for him no matter what would give Mayweather anything more than a nod.
After all, while Pacquiao has maintained elite status over the past few years, absolutely no one who watches boxing believes he is anything close to what he was as a fighter when the fight should have happened way back in 2009 or 2010. So while Mayweather would finally meet and face Pacquiao, as has been long expected of him, the mark on his record would forever have an asterisk affixed next to it with a footnote that reads ‘Yes, Mayweather defeated Pacquiao but not the one we wanted him to.’
And here’s what should be scariest to Mayweather, though he’s likely too concerned with propagating his image of power and money to realize it. Pacquiao can absolutely beat him in 2015. Oh sure, he’s not what he once was, but Mayweather hardly is either. The fleet-footed Floyd of five or six years ago would lose nary a round to a crude brawler like Marcos Maidana, and he certainly would never have gotten tagged flush on the chin so very many times over the course of two fights. Moreover, Pacquiao is absolutely the hardest fighter in the world to prepare for. It simply can’t be done. The only southpaw in the world with the speed, dexterity, power and technical skill of Pacquiao is the one he’ll face on fight night, and no matter how much he believes he’ll be ready for the absurd combination of attributes he’ll be up against on May 2, he won’t be ready for it when the bell rings. No one is. It took Marquez 36 rounds to learn all of Pacquiao’s tricks. Mayweather will have a third of that.
Pacquiao isn’t as destructive as he used to be, but he’s smarter now. He’s content to let his handspeed and aggression carry the day for him. He steps back at times when he used to push the pedal to the metal for the knockout because he’s finally realized that judges like his style of fighting just about better than any other out there. Pacquiao doesn’t have to knock Mayweather out to win the fight. He simply has to move forward and out-throw him, and it’s almost certain he will.
So while it doesn’t really matter for him, don’t be surprised if Mayweather fights Pacquiao on May 2. Don’t be surprised if he’s made a huge favorite, too. But when the fight is over and judges award a close decision to Pacquiao, when Mayweather’s face turns to a scornful scowl as his undefeated record at long last falls by the wayside to the one man his gilded legacy couldn’t afford a blemish against, don’t be surprised of that outcome either.
Remember, too, one magnificent oddity about the situation when it’s all said and done: whatever path he chose and whatever outcome unfolded for him, Floyd Mayweather couldn’t win.
And he did it to himself.
Follow Kelsey McCarson on the Twitter:
Featured Articles
Jorge Garcia is the TSS Fighter of the Month for April

Jorge Garcia has a lot in common with Mexican countrymen Emanuel Navarrete and Rafael Espinoza. In common with those two, both reigning world title-holders, Garcia is big for his weight class and bubbled out of obscurity with a triumph forged as a heavy underdog in a match contested on American soil.
Garcia had his “coming of age party” on April 19 in the first boxing event at the new Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, California (roughly 35 miles north of San Diego), a 7,500-seat facility whose primary tenant is an indoor soccer team. It was a Golden Boy Promotions event and in the opposite corner was a Golden Boy fighter, Charles Conwell.
A former U.S. Olympian, Conwell was undefeated (21-0, 16 KOs) and had won three straight inside the distance since hooking up with Golden Boy whose PR department ballyhooed him as the most avoided fighter in the super welterweight division. At prominent betting sites, Conwell was as high as a 12/1 favorite.
The lanky Garcia was 32-4 (26 KOs) heading in, but it was easy to underestimate him as he had fought extensively in Tijuana where the boxing commission is notoriously docile and in his home state of Sinaloa. This would be only his second fight in the U.S. However, it was noteworthy in hindsight that three of his four losses were by split decision.
Garcia vs. Conwell was a robust affair. He and Conwell were credited with throwing 1451 punches combined. In terms of punches landed, there was little to choose between them but the CompuBox operator saw Garcia landing more power punches in eight of the 12 rounds. At the end, the verdict was split but there was no controversy.
An interested observer was Sebastian Fundora who was there to see his sister Gabriela defend her world flyweight titles. Sebastian owns two pieces of the 154-pound world title where the #1 contender per the WBO is Xander Zayas who keeps winning, but not with the verve of his earlier triumphs.
With his upset of Charles Conwell, Jorge Garcia has been bumped into the WBO’s #2 slot. Regardless of who he fights next, Garcia will earn the biggest payday of his career.
Honorable mention: Aaron McKenna
McKenna was favored to beat veteran campaigner Liam Smith in the co-feature to the Eubank-Benn battle this past Saturday in London, but he was stepping up in class against a former world title-holder who had competed against some of the top dogs in the middleweight division and who had famously stopped Chris Eubank Jr in the first of their two encounters. Moreover, the venue, Tottenham Hotspur, the third-largest soccer stadium in England, favored the 36-year-old Liverpudlian who was accustomed to a big fight atmosphere having fought Canelo Alvarez before 50,000-plus at Arlington Stadium in Texas.
McKenna, from the small town of Monaghan, Ireland, wasn’t overwhelmed by the occasion. With his dad Feargal in his corner and his fighting brother Stephen McKenna cheering him on from ringside, Aaron won a wide decision in his first 12-round fight, punctuating his victory by knocking Smith to his knees with a body punch in the 12th round. In fact, if he hadn’t had a point deducted for using his elbow, the Irishman would have pitched a shutout on one of the scorecards.
“There might not be a more impressive example of a fighter moving up in class,” wrote Tris Dixon of the 25-year-old “Silencer” who improved his ledger to 20-0 (10).
Photo credits: Garcia/Conwell photo compliments of Cris Esqueda/Golden Boy; McKenna-Smith provided by Mark Robinson/Matchroom
To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE
Featured Articles
Chris Eubank Jr Outlasts Conor Benn at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Feudal bragging rights belong to Chris Eubank Jr. who out-lasted Conor Benn to
emerge victorious by unanimous decision in a non-title middleweight match held in
London on Saturday.
Fighting for their family heritage Eubank (35-3, 26 KOs) and Benn (23-1, 14 KOs)
continued the battle between families started 35 years ago by their fathers at Tottenham
Hotspur Stadium.
More than 65,000 fans attended.
Though Eubank Jr. had a weight and height advantage and a record of smashing his
way to victory via knockout, he had problems hurting the quicker and more agile Benn.
And though Benn had the advantage of moving up two weight divisions and forcing
Eubank to fight under a catch weight, the move did not weaken him much.
Instead, British fans and boxing fans across the world saw the two family rivals pummel
each other for all 12 rounds. Neither was able to gain separation.
Eubank looked physically bigger and used a ramming left jab to connect early in the
fight. Benn immediately showed off his speed advantage and surprised many with his
ability to absorb a big blow.Chris Eubank Jr Outlasts Conor Benn at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Benn scrambled around with his quickness and agility and scored often with bigcounters.
It took him a few rounds to stop overextending himself while delivering power shots.
In the third round Benn staggered Eubank with a left hook but was unable to follow up
against the dangerous middleweight who roared back with flurries of blows.
Eubank was methodic in his approach always moving forward, always using his weight
advantage via the shoulder to force Benn backward. The smaller Benn rocketed
overhand rights and was partly successful but not enough to force Eubank to retreat.
In the seventh round a right uppercut snapped Benn’s head violently but he was
undeterred from firing back. Benn’s chin stood firm despite Eubank’s vaunted power and
size advantage.
“I didn’t know he had that in him,” Eubank said.
Benn opened strong in the eighth round with furious blows. And though he connected
he was unable to seriously hurt Eubank. And despite being drained by the weight loss,
the middleweight fighter remained strong all 12 rounds.
There were surprises from both fighters.
Benn was effective targeting the body. Perhaps if he had worked the body earlier he
would have found a better result.
With only two rounds remaining Eubank snapped off a right uppercut again and followed
up with body shots. In the final stanza Eubank pressed forward and exchanged with the
smaller Benn until the final bell. He simply out-landed the fighter and impressed all three
judges who scored it 116-112 for Eubank.
Eubank admitted he expected a knockout win but was satisfied with the victory.
“I under-estimated him,” Eubank said.
Benn was upset by the loss but recognized the reasons.
“He worked harder toward the end,” said Benn.
McKenna Wins
In his first test in the elite level Aaron McKenna (20-0, 10 KOs) showed his ability to fight
inside or out in soundly defeating former world champion Liam Smith (33-5-1, 20 KOs)
by unanimous decision to win a regional WBA middleweight title.
Smith has made a career out of upsetting young upstarts but discovered the Irish fighter
more than capable of mixing it up with the veteran. It was a rough fight throughout the
12 rounds but McKenna showed off his abilities to fight as a southpaw or right-hander
with nary a hiccup.
McKenna had trained in Southern California early in his career and since that time he’s
accrued a variety of ways to fight. He was smooth and relentless in using his longer
arms and agility against Smith on the outside or in close.
In the 12 th round, McKenna landed a perfectly timed left hook to the ribs and down went
Smith. The former champion got up and attempted to knock out the tall
Irish fighter but could not.
All three judges scored in favor of McKenna 119-108, 117-109, 118-108.
Other Bouts
Anthony Yarde (27-3) defeated Lyndon Arthur (24-3) by unanimous decision after 12 rounds. in a light heavyweight match. It was the third time they met. Yarde won the last two fights.
Chris Billam-Smith (21-2) defeated Brandon Glanton (20-3) by decision. It was his first
fight since losing the WBO cruiserweight world title to Gilberto Ramirez last November.
Viddal Riley (13-0) out-worked Cheavon Clarke (10-2) in a 12-round back-and-forth-contest to win a unanimous decision.
To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE
Featured Articles
Avila Perspective, Chap. 323: Benn vs Eubank Family Feud and More

Next generation rivals Conor Benn and Chris Eubank Jr. carry on the family legacy of feudal warring in the prize ring on Saturday.
This is huge in British boxing.
Eubank (34-3, 25 KOs) holds the fringe IBO middleweight title but won’t be defending it against the smaller welterweight Benn (23-0, 14 KOs) on Saturday, April 26, at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. DAZN will stream the Matchroom Boxing card.
This is about family pride.
The parents of Eubank and Benn actually began the feud in the 1990s.
Papa Nigel Benn fought Papa Chris Eubank twice. Losing as a middleweight in November 1990 at Birmingham, England, then fighting to a draw as a super middleweight in October 1993 in Manchester. Both were world title fights.
Eubank was undefeated and won the WBO middleweight world title in 1990 against Nigel Benn by knockout. He defended it three times before moving up and winning the vacant WBO super middleweight title in September 1991. He defended the super middleweight title 14 times before suffering his first pro defeat in March 1995 against Steve Collins.
Benn won the WBO middleweight title in April 1990 against Doug DeWitt and defended it once before losing to Eubank in November 1990. He moved up in weight and took the WBC super middleweight title from Mauro Galvano in Italy by technical knockout in October 1992. He defended the title nine times until losing in March 1996. His last fight was in November 1996, a loss to Steve Collins.
Animosity between the two families continues this weekend in the boxing ring.
Conor Benn, the son of Nigel, has fought mostly as a welterweight but lately has participated in the super welterweight division. He is several inches shorter in height than Eubank but has power and speed. Kind of a British version of Gervonta “Tank” Davis.
“It’s always personal, every opponent I fight is personal. People want to say it’s strictly business, but it’s never business. If someone is trying to put their hands on me, trying to render me unconscious, it’s never business,” said Benn.
This fight was scheduled twice before and cut short twice due to failed PED tests by Benn. The weight limit agreed upon is 160 pounds.
Eubank, a natural middleweight, has exchanged taunts with Benn for years. He recently avenged a loss to Liam Smith with a knockout victory in September 2023.
“This fight isn’t about size or weight. It’s about skill. It’s about dedication. It’s about expertise and all those areas in which I excel in,” said Eubank. “I have many, many more years of experience over Conor Benn, and that will be the deciding factor of the night.”
Because this fight was postponed twice, the animosity between the two feuding fighters has increased the attention of their fans. Both fighters are anxious to flatten each other.
“He’s another opponent in my way trying to crush my dreams. trying to take food off my plate and trying to render me unconscious. That’s how I look at him,” said Benn.
Eubank smiles.
“Whether it’s boxing, whether it’s a gun fight. Defense, offense, foot movement, speed, power. I am the superior boxer in each of those departments and so many more – which is why I’m so confident,” he said.
Supporting Bout
Former world champion Liam Smith (33-4-1, 20 KOs) tangles with Ireland’s Aaron McKenna (19-0, 10 KOs) in a middleweight fight set for 12 rounds on the Benn-Eubank undercard in London.
“Beefy” Smith has long been known as one of the fighting Smith brothers and recently lost to Eubank a year and a half ago. It was only the second time in 38 bouts he had been stopped. Saul “Canelo” Alvarez did it several years ago.
McKenna is a familiar name in Southern California. The Irish fighter fought numerous times on Golden Boy Promotion cards between 2017 and 2019 before returning to the United Kingdom and his assault on continuing the middleweight division. This is a big step for the tall Irish fighter.
It’s youth versus experience.
“I’ve been calling for big fights like this for the last two or three years, and it’s a fight I’m really excited for. I plan to make the most of it and make a statement win on Saturday night,” said McKenna, one of two fighting brothers.
Monster in L.A.
Japan’s super star Naoya “Monster” Inoue arrived in Los Angeles for last day workouts before his Las Vegas showdown against Ramon Cardenas on Sunday May 4, at T-Mobile Arena. ESPN will televise and stream the Top Rank card.
It’s been four years since the super bantamweight world champion performed in the US and during that time Naoya (29-0, 26 KOs) gathered world titles in different weight divisions. The Japanese slugger has also gained fame as perhaps the best fighter on the planet. Cardenas is 26-1 with 14 KOs.
Pomona Fights
Super featherweights Mathias Radcliffe (9-0-1) and Ezequiel Flores (6-4) lead a boxing card called “DMG Night of Champions” on Saturday April 26, at the historic Fox Theater in downtown Pomona, Calif.
Michaela Bracamontes (11-2-1) and Jesus Torres Beltran (8-4-1) will be fighting for a regional WBC super featherweight title. More than eight bouts are scheduled.
Doors open at 6 p.m. For ticket information go to: www.tix.com/dmgnightofchampions
Fights to Watch
Sat. DAZN 9 a.m. Conor Benn (23-0) vs Chris Eubank Jr. (34-3); Liam Smith (33-4-1) vs Aaron McKenna (19-0).
To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE
-
Featured Articles4 weeks ago
History has Shortchanged Freddie Dawson, One of the Best Boxers of his Era
-
Featured Articles3 weeks ago
Avila Perspective, Chap. 320: Women’s Boxing Hall of Fame, Heavyweights and More
-
Featured Articles3 weeks ago
Results and Recaps from Las Vegas where Richard Torrez Jr Mauled Guido Vianello
-
Featured Articles3 weeks ago
Filip Hrgovic Defeats Joe Joyce in Manchester
-
Featured Articles3 weeks ago
Weekend Recap and More with the Accent of Heavyweights
-
Featured Articles3 weeks ago
Remembering Hall of Fame Boxing Trainer Kenny Adams
-
Featured Articles2 weeks ago
Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis Wins Welterweight Showdown in Atlantic City
-
Featured Articles2 weeks ago
Boxing Notes and Nuggets from Thomas Hauser