Diego’s Spit Bucket — Notes on Mayweather, Hurd-Charlo, GGG and More

The Spit Bucket is your weekly source of random thoughts, opinions and comments about the Manly Art, compiled by TSS boxing writer Diego Morilla.  Follow us every week at #SBatTSS and @TSSboxingnews

Did Someone Try to Kill “Money” Mayweather?

Floyd Mayweather Jr. survived a scary moment recently when one of the vehicles in his motorcade was riddled with bullets in the pre-dawn hours of Monday morning after leaving a nightclub towards the former fighter’s hotel in Atlanta, GA. According to police reports mentioned in several press accounts, one of Mayweather’s bodyguards, identified as Gregory De La Rosa, received a gunshot wound in one of his legs without any serious consequences according to the report issued by Grady Memorial hospital which released him after about three hours. “A car stopped right by them in an intersection and fired several shots. It does not appear to be a random shooting, and the aggressor aimed at the victim’s car,” said APD spokesperson Donald Hannah to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The name of the aggressor, as well as their motives or current whereabouts, is unknown, and the investigation is ongoing. Several reports indicate that Mayweather was in one of the three vehicles in the motorcade but his car was not impacted by the shots.  – J.J. Alvarez

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While Mayweather’s bodyguard, by all accounts, was an innocent victim, it’s worth noting that this wasn’t the first time that a member of Mayweather’s entourage was involved in a shooting incident. In August of 2009, at a Las Vegas roller rink, an argument between a former Mayweather employee, Quincy Williams, and a member of Mayweather’s inner circle, Ocie Harris, escalated into gunplay. As Williams was leaving the parking lot, shots were fired at his BMW.

In April of 2012, Harris pleaded guilty to two counts of assault with a deadly weapon and one count of firing a weapon into a vehicle. A Las Vegas judge subsequently handed him a two-to-five year prison term. Mayweather was at the roller rink, reportedly hosting a party for his children, but was apparently unaware of the incident and was never charged. However, the incident led police to raid his Las Vegas home where they recovered two handguns, multiple rounds of ammunition, and two bulletproof vests.

Before flying off to Atlanta in one of his private jets, Mayweather posted a cryptic message on his twitter page: “I don’t know nothing about tomorrow but I’m living for today.” Some folks interpreted this to mean that Mayweather suspected someone was looking to hurt him. His Sunday night  appearance at the swank Club Medusa where the seeds of Monday morning’s confrontation were apparently sown, was arranged well in advance of his visit. According to the club’s web site, Sunday nights “are reserved for hip-hop royalty.” Arne K. Lang

Jermell Charlo and Jarrett Hurd Already Trading Barbs

Long before Jarrett “Swift” Hurd (22-0-0, 15 KOs) defeated Cuba’s Erislandy Lara (25-3-2, 14 KOs), his WBC counterpart Jermell Charlo (30-0-0, 15 KOs) was already challenging Hurd, who had no problem retaliating. However, the 27-year old Charlo has an optional title defense against the veteran former champ Austin Trout (31-4-0, 17 KOs) on June 9 in Los Ángeles, which may put Hurd’s fight on hold. But it seems like Charlo has no problem promoting what would be a triple unification bout in the 154-pound division starting now.

“Hurd don’t know what’s coming” said Charlo in a social media statement. “I am not a little 154-pounder (like Lara is). I’m six-feet tall, I’m strong. I ‘d rather fight Hurd right away but I’m fighting June 9. I’d rather fight in the main event. That would be the best thing. But I will be ready for Trout and then I will be ready for Hurd,” said Charlo, who is coming off a one-punch first-round knockout over Erickson Lubin on October 14 at the Barclays Center, where referee Harvey Dock didn’t even bother to start a count after seeing Lubin receive such a terrible punch. But Hurd, 27, minimized the dangers of a potential duel against Charlo. “It’s going to be easier (than Lara),” said Hurd. “Charlo is a pressure fighter and so am I, but I am a good counterpuncher. I won’t have to go look for him. He’ll come to me and I will be there to punish him.” – J.J. Alvarez

“GGG” Golovkin Enjoys a Day at the Races

While Saúl “Canelo” Alvarez is being mercilessly bombarded in social media around the world by people who call him a “drug addict” and a “shame” to Mexican boxing, his foe Gennady “GGG” Golovkin used his unexpected time off to stop by the Santa Anita racetrack in Arcadia, California, where he was a guest of honor and entrusted with delivering the prize to the local Derby winner. Wearing a navy-blue blazer and his trademark ear-to-ear smile, Golovkin took hundreds of selfies with his fans under the warm Californian sun.

“I’ve ridden horses many times, it’s a classy thing”, said GGG. But it was his trainer Abel Sánchez the one who added the funny note of the afternoon, when he was asked what name he would give to a horse owned by Canelo. “Without a doubt I would call him ‘Sprinter’,” said Sanchez, referring to Canelo’s proclivity to run away from his protégé’s onslaughts in their first encounter. Their rematch was expected to take place on May 5^th in Las Vegas but was suspended due a positive test for PED’s by Canelo, and now Golovkin’s team is scrambling to reschedule the bout – which may not happen at all. If it does, the leading candidate to take Canelo’s spot is Ireland’s Gary “Spike” Sullivan (27-2-0, 19 KOs). – J.J. Alvarez

Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder are Already Negotiating – Sort Of

Heavyweight champ Anthony “AJ” Joshua (21-0-0, 20 KOs), through his promoter Eddie Hearn, claims to have made a $12.5 million-dollar offer to his American counterpart Deontay Wilder (40-0-0, 39 KOs) for a unification bout. The contract stipulates that this is a “take it or leave it” type of offer, according to The Telegraph, which also disclosed that a 48-hour deadline was looming for Wilder to come to terms. Estimations indicate that the fight could generate anything between $50 and $100 million dollars, although industry experts consider that number to be much higher. Nevertheless, Shelly Finkel, Wilder’s co-promoter, said that the response will be in the form of a counteroffer. “If Joshua is serious, we will take the fight. Deontay wants Joshua and no one else,” said the veteran promoter. Hopefully, the fight will be more entertaining that what looms as a headline-grabbing, trash-talking, character-bashing affair for both of them during the foreseeable future. Fingers crossed. – J.J. Alvarez

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