(SEPT 20) First, lets make this clear
I love the game of boxing. The problem I ask is where are we going?
Do we want it to become wrestling? My “God” no please! Loving the
game like I do, how is it we allowed for a fighter to demand a catch
weight (144 lb, Floyd Mayweather who fought last night) then miss
his own declared weight and weigh in at 146 just one pound below the
next weight class? \Even if you give him a financial punishment or
garnishment its still a financial gain fought on an uneven ground in
which the rule violator accomplished his objective. Win outside the
rules.
Forget what you personally think a true fighter should do. If the
fighter accepts the weight change then fails to meet his own catch
weight all penalty fees must be drawn from the violators purse and
given to the fighter making weight. Still that only solves the
topical problem.
Why in this case isn’t Floyd or any fighter in this situation
severely punished. If it is a title fight it should no longer be
sanctioned. We really know why. If the Oakland Raiders as much as
they would like to play with 14 players they wouldn’t be allowed. If
at any time they were caught over the limit of eleven they would be
penalized.
\If it were a touchdown it would be called back. If it
were a homerun found with an illegal bat it would be disallowed. Why
is this acceptable in Boxing? I guess it’s that money thing and if
that’s the case why should we believe anything? We all know for the
right price anything can be bought.
Let’s think of the possible results. First now Floyd gets his
seventh title bypassing “Sugar” Ray Robinson. How could you compare
the two. First Robinson had to fight within his weight class for
each title and even after 150 fights, Robinson fought fighters in
his weight class on fight night.
Probably more importantly this is the sort of thing that brought
into question the weigh in allegations regarding the late Arturo
“Thunder” Gatti versus Joey Gamache in February of 2000.
This fight
went off after allegations of several weigh ins and the weight
difference on the day of the fight being so significant that it
resulted in a public protest against boxing and Gatti due to the
violent knockout and hospitalization of Gamache which ended his
career.
Anyone like myself gave Mayweather credit for taking this fight with
Marquez, his first fight back but Marquez actually has now been
forced to move up three weight classes.
How could anyone now give Mayweather any credit for this pick, not making his own selected
catch weight after years of avoiding the likes of Paul Williams,
Miguel Cotto, Antonio Margarito and “Sugar” Shane Mosley. Would the
UFC allow this. Would major league baseball let the Yankees play a
triple a team in the World Series?
This type of thing only adds to any idea that boxing is corrupt and
only about money. If you are the champion why aren’t you mandated to
take on the number one contender? Even someone in the top ten. If
you relinquish a belt, and retire, why are you allowed to come back
and fight for another belt in the same weight class? (Also too many
belts)
Why can you fight for the light welterweight title and weight 170
lbs on fight night? Please tell me. Please! The only answer I get
from anyone in or out of the sport is $!
Let’s assume for a second that Pacquiao loses to Cotto, and Floyd
gets another smaller fighter to move up---accept this time it is
four weight classes? If the answer is, 'That is what people wanted '
then what is the point of having weight classes or titles for
different weight classes?
Why didn’t the 'supposed' greatest pound for pound fighter of his
time fight any of the fighters previously named? Well---more than
likely because no one made him. You can’t do this in any other
sport.
If this is the way boxing is going to carry on, we might as well
watch USC play New England in the Super Bowl! Would you go for it? I
want the best fight, the best when there at their best.
Watching a fight as a youngster an old timer told me the best fights
are the ones on the up and up. I guess I now know what he means.
Here’s the real question. Why wasn’t Mayweather---after already
being given an extension due to an injury in training, handed a jump
rope so we could watch him jump to lose the two pounds as we watched
him showcase his skills so prominently in the promotions to make
weight? Just like he would have had to do in the Amateurs or be
disqualified?
Game - a competitive activity involving skill, chance, or endurance
on the part of two or more persons who play according to a set of
rules, usually for their own amusement or for that of spectators.
How does Mayweather get to refuse to lose the weight? Please
if you know email me at pkboxing@aol.com.