LOTIERZO LOWDOWN: Why Did ANYONE Think Floyd Would Lose in Vegas?

Now that the “Letdown of The Century”–better known as Mayweather-Pacquiao, has come and gone, what’s left to say that hasn’t been covered or said?

Many observers realized before the bout that Mayweather was too physically big for Pacquiao and owned the style match-up. The fight was just as expected, not terribly exciting and pretty drama-less after the fifth round, sixth at the latest. Although it was clear before the bout that the fans were being duped, it’s abundantly obvious now. And sadly, once a little time passes and the stench from the fight has dissipated, it won’t take much to get them to buy a rematch between Floyd and Manny.

No, they won’t pay one hundred dollars again to watch it in their living room, but I’d be willing to bet that they’ll fork up seventy five or eighty dollars to see it again. Once the spinsters have weaved the story enough to the point to where you’ll ask how the injured Pacquiao made it to the ring without a walker or a hoveround.. And as injured as he was he still won three rounds, perhaps four. What might he have done if he were 100% on May 2nd?

The biggest revelation pertaining to the showdown occurred at the post fight press conference when Manny Pacquiao announced that he went into the fight with an injured shoulder. The injury occurred during training in early April. Since the fight, Pacquiao has had rotator cuff surgery, so there can be no doubt that he was injured legitimately and will be out of the ring for at least the next 9-12 months.

However, during training Pacquiao was allowed to get injections of toradol for his shoulder and was able to proceed with his preparations for the fight. Pacquiao’s camp cleared getting the shots with USADA, the drug-testing body that Mayweather’s side insisted upon. USADA says, ‘Fine, a shot of toradol is fine.’ So you’d think there’d be no problem getting them on fight night.

HBO’s Max Kellerman, who was never better in any post-fight analysis he’s done, said at the close of the first HBO rebroadcast of the fight: “Ultimately at the 11th hour the Nevada State Athletic Commission says Pacquiao can’t get the shot of toradol because of essentially a clerical error, because some box wasn’t checked off, a form wasn’t filled right. If people are mad at anybody for Pacquiao not being at his best, if that’s the belief, be mad at the Nevada State Athletic Commission, in my view. Because just when the boxing world most needed them to show sound judgment, they decided to stand on principle instead of cooperate with the spirit of the event.”

That was beautiful and perfectly stated. I was a little disappointed in Max before the fight when he said Pacquiao was among the five greatest offensive fighters in history. This is something that doesn’t hold true if we only go back 25-30 years. That said, Max hit it out of the park with his post-fight commentary regarding the Nevada State Athletic commission. And frankly, it’s a little dis-heartening that more attention hasn’t been focused on what he said, because it’s a question that needs to be addressed and ultimately answered.

Prior to the bout, I mean way before the fight was signed, going back as far as 2009, I was certain that when it was finally realized, and I never doubted once that it would be, that it was a given that Mayweather was going to win the fight. No, that’s not because I’m smarter than the next guy, and it certainly isn’t because Mayweather is such a great fighter in the ring that it’s almost blasphemy to think he’s going to lose. No, it’s nothing close to that. What led me to feel so strongly about the outcome is, if nothing else I pay attention almost to a fault. I’ve watched Mayweather fight and dissected his stellar career since he turned pro back in late 1996. And I don’t care who you are or how long you’ve watched him, if you deny the fact that he has worked the system and picked his spots regarding who he’s fought and when he’s fought them – I’m sorry, we can part as friends but you are in complete denial.

I could go on and on listing the fights he declined and accepted instead. We could go back and review how the two biggest threats to him at welterweight (Paul Williams & Antonio Margarito) when he and they were at or near their prime, how he retired instead of fighting either one of them and they had to fight each other. It’s a story that’s been told a thousand times. After watching so intently how Floyd conducts the managerial part of his career, it’s impossible for me to pick against him. Especially at this stage of the game where he’s manipulated the debate on how him being undefeated is the be-all-end all, and it’s paramount that he retires undefeated. And after watching how shrewdly he picks his spots, I’d have trepidation picking Mayweather to lose to heavyweight champ Wladimir Klitschko if he accepted the fight. And double that if the fight takes place in Vegas and at the MGM Grand.

During the run up to the fight many current and former world champion fighters were asked to pick the winner of Mayweather-Pacquiao. Former undisputed heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield said, to paraphrase, he thought Pacquiao was going to win because he believed the fight would go the distance, and because of that Pacquiao would get the decision whether or not he earned it in the ring. His reasoning for that was, in his opinion, the boxing establishment didn’t want Mayweather to remain undefeated. When I heard that I thought to myself, Mr. Holyfield, I have the utmost respect for you as a fighter. When it comes to heart, character and toughness, nobody in history surpasses you. However, your reasoning couldn’t be more wrong.

In fact it was the complete opposite. The boxing establishment thrives and makes money on Mayweather being and remaining undefeated. It’s the biggest niche and hook for the fans, especially those who despise him, to buy his fights. They put their money up with the hope that this will be the night he’ll finally lose. And because of that, Nevada and the establishment make millions when his name is on the marquee.

So I only have one question that no one has asked, if Floyd Mayweather needed the shot of toradol, do you think the Nevada commission would’ve refused him due to a technicality as they did Pacquiao? I say no way on God’s clay and granite planet…simply because keeping Mayweather undefeated is big business. No way would he have been declined, yet Pacquiao was because it was better for business if Floyd left the ring 48-0.

Think about that the next time you contemplate picking Mayweather to lose at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Floyd Mayweather is practically the Vegas boxing commission and he gets what he wants. If he’s accepted the proposed terms of the fight, there ain’t no way in the world he’s losing.

Frank Lotierzo can be contacted at GlovedFist@Gmail.com

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