Is Floyd Mayweather a coward?

[MrBill]

With Floyd Mayweather announcing that he is retiring next year after 2 more fights following this weekends fight against Maidana, will he be judged a coward for never having faced the one contender (Pacquiao) that most felt had the best chance of beating him in the ring?

You can look at it as Mayweather wanting to reach 50-0 for his legacy but rarely has a champion went to such great lengths to avoid giving the public the fight it has most wanted to see for years.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. talks future
Updated: September 9, 2014, 11:04 PM ET
By Dan Rafael | ESPN.com

LAS VEGAS -- Pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr. sees the light at the end of the boxing tunnel -- retirement a year from now.

Mayweather said on Tuesday that he plans to retire at the conclusion of his six-fight Showtime/CBS contract, which likely will be next September.

He is halfway through the deal worth more than $200 million. He will have the fourth bout of the contract on Saturday (Showtime PPV, 8 ET) at the MGM Grand when he defends his welterweight world championship against former titleholder Marcos Maidana (35-4, 31 KOs) in a rematch of Mayweather's action-packed majority decision victory on May 3.

"I only got two more fights left (after Saturday) and after the next two fights I just want to build the Mayweather Promotions brand," Mayweather said of his promotional company during a roundtable with a handful of reporters on Tuesday at the MGM Grand after making his grand arrival for fight week.

Mayweather typically fights in May and September and said that is what he plans to do in 2015 as he closes out his deal and, apparently, his career.

"Absolutely," Mayweather said of his plans to adhere to that schedule next year. "My next fight is in May and my last fight is in September, so a year from now will be my last fight.

"As of right now, my focus is on Maidana. I can't focus on the other two fights after that. I have to focus on Maidana. After that we can't say who's the next two are going to be but I'm pretty sure the next two will be exciting fights."

The 37-year-old Mayweather (46-0, 26 KOs) said he plans to remain involved in boxing as a promoter.

"I'll still work with my stable of fighters, still build the Mayweather Promotions brand," he said. "We have young fighters that we work with."

Leonard Ellerbe, Mayweather's close friend and the chief executive of Mayweather Promotions, was sitting next to Mayweather as he spoke about retirement.

"I'm happy. He deserves it. He's put in the work his whole career. Grinding, done everything the fans have asked of him," Ellerbe said. "He's had a remarkable career. It's time to hang 'em up. Made all the money you can make. What else is there to do in the sport? There's nothing else to prove."

The one opponent Mayweather has not faced is fellow welterweight titleholder Manny Pacquiao. That's the match the sports world has been calling out to see for years, but it has not happened for various reasons.

However, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, who represents Pacquiao, said late last month during the media tour promoting Pacquiao's Nov. 22 HBO PPV fight against junior welterweight titlist Chris Algieri in Macau, China, that there have been talks between Showtime, for whom Mayweather fights exclusively, and HBO, which has Pacquiao under contract, about making a deal.

There is precedent for that because the networks made a historic deal to jointly put on the 2002 fight between then-heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis, who was signed to HBO, and Mike Tyson, who was under contract to Showtime.

The issues in making Mayweather-Pacquiao happen have not been television-related, as both are relatively new to their exclusive deals. Other issues have held back an agreement for the fight, such as how to split the money and Mayweather's insistence that Arum not be involved, among other things.

If the fighters and their teams could work out their differences, the television networks would likely figure something out.

Mayweather, however, said there is no truth to what Arum has been saying about any kind of deal.

"Not true," Mayweather said. "I can't say what the future holds, but Arum and Pacquiao is trying to sell tickets for the (fight with the) guy named (Chris) Algieri. Trying to sell tickets for that fight. I don't know where they fighting, I don't know anything about what Top Rank is doing."

[Steel Mamba]

I think it's ridiculous to call anyone who fights for a living a coward, stepping in that ring or octagon alone, against anyone, takes a remarkable amount of courage. Never mind the fact that Floyd has still fought some of the best competition available, minus one guy, who hasn't even looked like a fighter that's capable of beating Floyd lately.

I don't think Floyd ever ducked Manny out of fear, I think it was clearly more of an ego thing, it was about the pay split and Bob Arum.

For better or worse, one fight can't define someone's career.

[MrBill]

I think it's ridiculous to call anyone who fights for a living a coward, stepping in that ring or octagon alone, against anyone, takes a remarkable amount of courage. Never mind the fact that Floyd has still fought some of the best competition available, minus one guy, who hasn't even looked like a fighter that's capable of beating Floyd lately.

I don't think Floyd ever ducked Manny out of fear, I think it was clearly more of an ego thing, it was about the pay split and Bob Arum.

For better or worse, one fight can't define someone's career.

Frasier vs. Ali?

[Steel Mamba]

Frasier vs. Ali?

So if Floyd never fights PacMan, do we discredit everything he's accomplished because there's one single person he didn't fight? Does his legacy as is and his skills not place him as one of the greatest ever? At this point I don't think beating Manny will define his career. Floyd has accomplished too much to bring him down for not fighting him.

[Glenbino]

So if Floyd never fights PacMan, do we discredit everything he's accomplished because there's one single person he didn't fight? Does his legacy as is and his skills not place him as one of the greatest ever? At this point I don't think beating Manny will define his career. Floyd has accomplished too much to bring him down for not fighting him.

No one is saying erase everything he's done.

But I think the fact that he never got into the ring with the fighter many people felt was his best competition will follow him for some time.

Especially since it seemed like Manny was more than willing to make the fight happen, short of having his blood drawn the day of the fight.

Sent from my HTC6500LVW using Tapatalk

[KNUBB]

Not his fault. Always Arum's fault

[KINGOFOOTBALL]

So if Floyd never fights PacMan, do we discredit everything he's accomplished because there's one single person he didn't fight?

Not everything but it puts a cap on your legacy. There are fights that just have to happen and guys who fight those fights get elevated win or lose. EX If Chuck Lidell and Wanderlei Silva never fought both their legacies would be tarnished a bit. There was WAY too much talk for them not to but it was clear it was a promotional thing. Once the opportunity presented itself they signed on the dotted line and gave us a historic fight. It would have gone down as a GOAT fight if they had been on those wild win streaks a year or 2 prior..but never the less it happened. Jon Jones / Anderson Silva / GSP the fact GSP dodged Silva , and JJ/AND1 dodges each other robbed us of super fights and caps there MAX all time status. Look at Fedor his losses at the end made him lose a bit of luster but instead of 100 hes just 99. He went undefeated for 10 years and turned away no challengers. Had he dodged Big Nog or Cro Cop hs legacy simply wouldn't be the same.

As for Mayweather.... hes got so much ego I may believe him. Hes protected his record like no other. I never ever believe a fighter will retire until its beaten out of them. But with him I believe it. He'll have a legacy and certainly his rank as one of the best ever... but without fighting PACKYOW he's just not a legend imo.

[buckeye]

I think the talk of a fighters legacy in boxing is overblown. The way boxing is today, you can't really even have a legacy discussion.

Promoters/Managers find their young talent and hand feed them easy wins for 10-15 fights. If they make it through unscathed (or relatively unscathed) they may fight a mid level guy and so on.

Its no longer about the talent and staying relevant by being the beating the best. It has now become about continuing to get paid by winning versus any bum they will let you fight.

Certainly by far the most corrupt sport in several facets.

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk

[EmpireWF]

Not everything but it puts a cap on your legacy. There are fights that just have to happen and guys who fight those fights get elevated win or lose. EX If Chuck Lidell and Wanderlei Silva never fought both their legacies would be tarnished a bit. There was WAY too much talk for them not to but it was clear it was a promotional thing. Once the opportunity presented itself they signed on the dotted line and gave us a historic fight. It would have gone down as a GOAT fight if they had been on those wild win streaks a year or 2 prior..but never the less it happened. Jon Jones / Anderson Silva / GSP the fact GSP dodged Silva , and JJ/AND1 dodges each other robbed us of super fights and caps there MAX all time status. Look at Fedor his losses at the end made him lose a bit of luster but instead of 100 hes just 99. He went undefeated for 10 years and turned away no challengers. Had he dodged Big Nog or Cro Cop hs legacy simply wouldn't be the same.

A few things...

GSP loses nothing because he never fought Anderson. Why should anyone look at him differently because he was not hot about fighting a guy who was at least 20 pounds heavier and realistically two weight classes above him? GSP is still one of the GOATs.

The big fight for Jones is not Anderson, but Cain Velasquez. At some point over the next 2-3 years, he'll move up and hopefully Cain is healthy and relevant.

The Fedor criticism is that his list of high quality opponents is short fighting in Pride and elsewhere. I don't know that it's valid because you cannot really say the UFC heavyweight division in the early-mid 2000s was great because it was not. The man still went 10 years without a legitimate loss and beat Ricardo Arona, Babalu, Semmy Schilt, Heath Herring, Big Nog, Fujita, Mark Coleman, Kevin Randleman, Cro Cop, Tim Sylvia and Andrei Arlovski, so I still consider him the best heavyweight ever. That may change depending on Cain, though.

With Mayweather, it sucks the fight never happened but I don't see how it hurts him in the big picture. Floyd is still the best of his generation, period. No guys from today are getting into that Dempsey, Johnson, Duran, Ali, Sugar Ray Robinson or Leonard, Marciano, Frazier class.

[Steel Mamba]

No one is saying erase everything he's done.

But I think the fact that he never got into the ring with the fighter many people felt was his best competition will follow him for some time.

Especially since it seemed like Manny was more than willing to make the fight happen, short of having his blood drawn the day of the fight.

Sent from my HTC6500LVW using Tapatalk

If we're not erasing what he's accomplished then it's crazy to call him a coward. Besides that, do people still think Manny can beat Floyd???

[Steel Mamba]

Not everything but it puts a cap on your legacy. There are fights that just have to happen and guys who fight those fights get elevated win or lose. EX If Chuck Lidell and Wanderlei Silva never fought both their legacies would be tarnished a bit.

Not at all, that fight meant nothing given the time it happened. The match-up was pointless and was only put together for fun and PPV sells. Both fighters were well out of their prime, neither held a title, so it meant nothing towards their legacy.

There was WAY too much talk for them not to but it was clear it was a promotional thing. Once the opportunity presented itself they signed on the dotted line and gave us a historic fight. It would have gone down as a GOAT fight if they had been on those wild win streaks a year or 2 prior..but never the less it happened.

The fight was sloppy as fuck, maybe if it took place in Pride and Wanderlei had his juice, maybe it would have been decent.

Jon Jones / Anderson Silva / GSP the fact GSP dodged Silva , and JJ/AND1 dodges each other robbed us of super fights and caps there MAX all time status. Look at Fedor his losses at the end made him lose a bit of luster but instead of 100 hes just 99. He went undefeated for 10 years and turned away no challengers. Had he dodged Big Nog or Cro Cop hs legacy simply wouldn't be the same.

lol, don't even get me started on Fedor again.

Hes protected his record like no other.

Besides Manny who else should he have fought?

[KINGOFOOTBALL]

A few things...

GSP loses nothing because he never fought Anderson. Why should anyone look at him differently because he was not hot about fighting a guy who was at least 20 pounds heavier and realistically two weight classes above him? GSP is still one of the GOATs.

The big fight for Jones is not Anderson, but Cain Velasquez. At some point over the next 2-3 years, he'll move up and hopefully Cain is healthy and relevant.

The Fedor criticism is that his list of high quality opponents is short fighting in Pride and elsewhere. I don't know that it's valid because you cannot really say the UFC heavyweight division in the early-mid 2000s was great because it was not. The man still went 10 years without a legitimate loss and beat Ricardo Arona, Babalu, Semmy Schilt, Heath Herring, Big Nog, Fujita, Mark Coleman, Kevin Randleman, Cro Cop, Tim Sylvia and Andrei Arlovski, so I still consider him the best heavyweight ever. That may change depending on Cain, though.

With Mayweather, it sucks the fight never happened but I don't see how it hurts him in the big picture. Floyd is still the best of his generation, period. No guys from today are getting into that Dempsey, Johnson, Duran, Ali, Sugar Ray Robinson or Leonard, Marciano, Frazier class.

GSP loses because he didn't do it. The same way Silvas legacy got upped into the stratosphere stepping up a weight class and obliterating the recent champ in humiliating fashion.
Fedor loses nothing because he fought everyone there was to fight. You can't say Fedor took the easy route or dodged anyone. His shitcock mgmnt avoided the UFC for the Brock fight and Strike force utterly blew the Reem Fedor match.

Neither Silva nor Jones fought the other greatest fighter of their time. Period. Whomever beat the other would have been immortalized. You cant reach that status any other way. You are correct stepping up and fighting a Cain would increase his rep tremendously...if Cain is still in his prime and champ...ooof superman status.

In a nutshell , Im not saying GSP loses cred so much as he missed the opportunity to GAIN cred. We know his legacy right ? We know the respect he has ?...what would it have been if he fought a great fight with Silva let alone BEAT Silva ? What of GSP then ? Theres a difference that one fight makes.

Buckeye has a point about todays Boxing which is translating into MMA now. I don't think you guys understand the importance of fighting the dominant fighter near or in your weight class means. THOSE are the fights that make legacies and legends. Not cumulative numbers against often overmatched opponents.

[KINGOFOOTBALL]

Not at all, that fight meant nothing given the time it happened. The match-up was pointless and was only put together for fun and PPV sells. Both fighters were well out of their prime, neither held a title, so it meant nothing towards their legacy.



The fight was sloppy as fuck, maybe if it took place in Pride and Wanderlei had his juice, maybe it would have been decent.



lol, don't even get me started on Fedor again.



Besides Manny who else should he have fought?

To avoid getting sidetracked we'll agree to disagree about Fedor and Chuck/Silva.
However for Mayweather I think that's the point. Like Roy Jones there really was noone in his class that could have given him a great career reputation making matchup. Packy-Ow WAS that guy. And Mayweather came up with every excuse humanly possible to avoid it. Mayweather Pacquiao for all intents and purposes was the only meaningful fight in Boxing for a half decade maybe more. It never happened. Thats a loss of opportunity for both guys. Legacy protection > Legacy creation in todays world and Mayweather is the poster child. (Unless you also think Paq was dodging then both are).

[Steel Mamba]

I think the talk of a fighters legacy in boxing is overblown. The way boxing is today, you can't really even have a legacy discussion.

Promoters/Managers find their young talent and hand feed them easy wins for 10-15 fights. If they make it through unscathed (or relatively unscathed) they may fight a mid level guy and so on.

Its no longer about the talent and staying relevant by being the beating the best. It has now become about continuing to get paid by winning versus any bum they will let you fight.

Certainly by far the most corrupt sport in several facets.

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk

I don't think that's an entirely fair assessment. When you look at the upcoming talent like Andre Ward or Broner, there's no way you could argue that they haven't been facing good competition. To get paid they have to eventually move up and face the top talent, as that's where the big money fights are at. These guys don't make a lot fighting against cans, so there's not a lot of incentive to scrape the bottom of the barrel for long. Really it's not much different from pro MMA fighters fighting in low tier organizations until they're scouted and able to move up. Isn't that how it's supposed to work? You start at the bottom for several fights, prove yourself, then fight a mid tier guy and continue to climb the ladder.

[KINGOFOOTBALL]

I don't think that's an entirely fair assessment. When you look at the upcoming talent like Andre Ward or Broner, there's no way you could argue that they haven't been facing good competition. To get paid they have to eventually move up and face the top talent, as that's where the big money fights are at. These guys don't make a lot fighting against cans, so there's not a lot of incentive to scrape the bottom of the barrel for long. Really it's not much different from pro MMA fighters fighting in low tier organizations until they're scouted and able to move up. Isn't that how it's supposed to work? You start at the bottom for several fights, prove yourself, then fight a mid tier guy and continue to climb the ladder.

Once you reach a certain level you can make the money fighting mediocres and cans. Post prison Tyson was a perfect example.