Muller: Boxing Needs Mayweather vs. Pacquiao Badly
By Shawn Muller--
(CBS) Floyd Mayweather Jr. is set to square off against welterweight champion, Victor Ortiz, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV, on September 17th, 2011, but I have a news flash for you "Pretty Boy": I mean no disrespect towards Victor Ortiz, as he is the welterweight champion and all, but boxing fans don't want to see this fight.
Since professional boxing is virtually devoid of great superstars--I'm talking about fighters cut from the mold of a Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano, Muhammad Ali, or a "Sugar" Ray Robinson--what fight could possibly bring back the scores of fans who left the sport in favor of mixed-martial arts?
The answer is simple: Floyd Mayweather Jr. (41-0) vs. Manny Pacquiao (53-3-2).
They are basically the only megastars the sport has to offer at the moment...and a fight--or two with a guaranteed rematch to the loser--has the potential to bring fans of this once proud sport back in droves.
It would be an epic event and it is a fight that needs to take place.
Not Mayweather vs. Ortiz.
The war of words between these two fighters has been going on for years: From Pacquiao accusing Mayweather of ducking him to preserve his perfect record, to Mayweather accusing--but not "accusing"--Pacquiao of using performance-enhancing drugs.
You have guaranteed hype leading up to the fight - hype that the sport so desperately needs.
It just makes sense.
Floyd Mayweather has said quite often that he is not afraid to fight anybody. But if this were true, why has he avoided Pacquiao like the plague for so long? He has always maintained that he wants to fight Pacquiao, but the reason it has never materialized is due to the Pacquiao camp, and not the other way around.
The ever confident and charismatic "Pretty Boy" Floyd said that he agreed to everything Team Pacquiao requested in the past during negotiations to make the bout happen, but it was Pacquiao who would not agree to the Team Mayweather request for random blood testing leading up to the day of the fight.
And there is the rub.
Though Mayweather never came right out and accused Pacquiao of using steroids, or any other type of PED, it is easy to see what he was implying. If Pacquiao didnt have anything to hide, why has he been so adamant in requesting that testing cease seven days prior to the fight?
Why is having such a strict cutoff date for blood testing so important to the Pacquiao Camp?
Does Pacquiao believe that seven days is enough time for an illegal substance to work its way through the system, making the fighter appear "clean" on fight night? According to the Pacquiao Camp, that is not it at all.
The reason they want a cutoff date for testing was due to a loss to Erik Morales back in 2005. Prior to that fight, the National Association of Sports Commissions (NASC), lost Pacquiao's blood sample and made the fighter submit to another test the day before the fight...leading Pacquiao to say he was weakened...thus costing him the bout.
So if you believe the Pacquiao side of the story, the fight we all want, and need to see hasn't happened, not because he is taking PED's, but because he just wants to make sure that what happened to him back in 2005, against Erik Morales, doesn't happen again.
Mayweather says he will fight anyone, anytime, anywhere.
Well if this is the case, give the fans what they want--and deserve--to see.
Instead of throwing verbal jabs at Pacquiao, how about throwing real ones inside a ring? We don't need to hear anymore of this random blood testing excuse. We don't need to hear Mayweather criticize Pacquiao for fighting "weak" opponents because he feels he is ducking him.
We need to see Mayweather prove his greatness with a bout against the only man standing in the way of his legacy. If Pacquiao wants blood testing to cease seven days prior to the fight, then so be it.
The true greats of boxing fought the best no matter what. So until the day comes where we get to see these two men smack gloves at the center of the ring during pre-fight rules announcements by the referee, I will remain under the impression that it is Mayweather who is ducking Pacquiao, and not the other way around.
Do you agree with Shawn? Post your comments below.
Shawn Muller has lived in the great city of Chicago for 7 years. He is a 2002 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and, in October of 2010, Shawn received his certificate in radio broadcasting. In his free time, Shawn enjoys spending time with his wife Melissa and 3 year old daughter Ava, catching any live sporting event, and traveling. Check out his radio show, Grab Some Bench with Muller and Bangser" every Thursday night at 8:30 P.M., at www.blogtalkradio.com/spmuller24. Read more of his blogs here.
