Some Connected The Dots Before Mayweather-Pacquiao

I tried to sound the alarm bell in this space on the inevitable clash between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, at each stage, for literally years.

Today everyone is all over the place saying that the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight was a waste of time and money. Those saying such things are rightly upset because there’s a chance Manny Pacquiao 57-6-2 (38) may have gone into the fight with an injured shoulder. They’re also mad and disillusioned that the fight wasn’t competitive and didn’t come close to meeting its expectations. And to those who share those sentiments, I say, “You were warned!”

You were warned in this space countless times since at least 2012, how the Mayweather-Pacquiao clash was a “faux big fight and production.”

The production/promotion of Mayweather vs. Pacquiao was the greatest five-year sting perpetrated on boxing fans and uninformed writers in history. Ever since Mayweather barely defeated Oscar De La Hoya in 2007, the boxing establishment has been looking for a monster to challenge the undefeated monster named “Money.” Thus the creation of the Philippine dynamo Manny Pacquiao, the humble Christian who electrified boxing fans in lower weight divisions seemed the perfect foil to the narcissistic, garish and bragging Mayweather 48-0 (26).

If you read any of the pre-fight content in this space before the fight, you must have read “Mayweather-Pacquiao: “Is It A Legit Super Fight Or A Manufactured One.” It was detailed how the fight was more the byproduct of a great marketing and promotion campaign than it was a true super fight between two near equals who were on a collision course, who had to eventually meet. The fact that Pacquiao was knocked out for the count by Juan Manuel Marquez in 2012 didn’t derail the campaign at all. All that kept being pushed on the wanting to be sold fans was how Mayweather had to be beaten and only Pacquiao could deliver the desired result.

There was another column titled Mayweather-Pacquiao: “Why It’s A Dead End Super Fight” in which it was explained how the fight was basically a match race and was a road to nowhere and wouldn’t shape boxing’s future landscape a bit. Now it may be the ruination of it, at least on PPV. Mayweather-Pacquiao was purposely made to satisfy the manufactured thirst that boxing fans and the media needed quenched, and only that fight could do it. Then there was content in an article titled Mayweather-Pacquiao: “If There’s No Stoppage The Ending Will Be Controversial,” suggesting that the fight, if it goes to a decision, will not be conclusive. Well, it went the distance, it was one-sided and now there’s the revelation Pacquiao may have gone into the ring with an injured shoulder. Now you’re left to speculate and ponder that perhaps Manny could’ve competed better if he were healthy. And just in case you’re wondering, don’t! If Mayweather and Pacquiao fight again it’ll be a repeat only more one sided. And that’s because Mayweather would go into a rematch knowing things he only thought before. Things like how he can handle Pacquiao’s power and how easy he was to time and counter. On the other hand, Manny goes in questioning himself in ways he never dreamed of before the bout.

Countless times in this space it was stressed how Pacquiao wouldn’t be as tough for Mayweather to conquer as Marcos Maidana (Feb 20th article) was in either fight, and he wasn’t. Then on the day of the fight an article titled “Why Mayweather Will Beat Pacquiao Tonight” ran on thesweetscience.com. It was explained how Mayweather owned the stylistic advantage and how those who detailed via their words and/or YouTube videos that Pacquiao owned the more judge-friendly style totally missed it, and there was a dimension of boxing that they just didn’t know existed or understand. It was highlighted in the May 2nd column that Mayweather’s straight punching and accuracy would stymie Pacquiao’s aggression, and how easily Mayweather would reject Manny’s sporadic runs and attacks. It was touched on how Pacquiao didn’t have the power to make Mayweather do a single thing that he didn’t want to do, and he didn’t. The predictions above, while easy, nevertheless turned out to be true.

With the fight now behind us, it wasn’t close and lacked drama after the fifth round, sixth at the latest. Mayweather-Pacquiao has to go down as the biggest Brinks job and sting in boxing history. Everyone was played by both Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, especially Mayweather. The longer Floyd put off the fight the more the risk shrunk and the purse grew. Finally, after both Floyd and Manny ran out of opponents to face and the public became fed up with them not fighting each other, they finally agreed to give the public one more bath while attending a Miami Heat basketball game.

If you bought the fight and were expecting something substantive, get over being duped because you are not alone. It was a manufactured attraction that was never going to be special or memorable. It was very transparent to see through if you weren’t trying to con yourself into thinking that Mayweather-Pacquiao was this generation’s version of Ali-Frazier/Foreman or Leonard-Duran/Hearns. Now you know for a fact that it wasn’t!

So here’s a heads up – don’t be fooled into buying a rematch if they dare try to push it on you, and they’re just brazen enough to do it. Don’t fall for the line how Pacquiao competed with one arm and wasn’t stopped or how Mayweather really just ran. Pacquiao was never in the fight and Mayweather didn’t run, not at all. Pacquiao is too small and doesn’t match up with Mayweather stylistically, that will never change. If they fight again, it would be a rerun, only not as close as it was the first time.

Mayweather only did on Saturday night what he was supposed to do, and that was beat a smaller fighter who has declined more rapidly than he has who already lost five times prior. If Mayweather wants to spout off how he’s “TBE” because he became the sixth fighter to beat Manny Pacquiao, nobody who knows anything worth knowing about boxing believes it. Actually, it’s so absurd it’s not even worth a laugh.

In closing, once more – don’t let them rip you off or con you into buying a Mayweather-Pacquiao rematch. Unless of course you like being gouged out of your money and love watching one-sided fights knowing the B-side has no chance to win.

Frank Lotierzo can be contacted at GlovedFist@Gmail.com

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