GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/16 Sept) — Flamboyant American boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr has been whining about how he is not getting the kind of respect an undefeated champion deserves.
After all, at 41-0 (win-loss), he still considers himself the best ever in his generation if not of all time.
Mayweather has defeated the likes of Genaro Hernandez, Diego Corrales, Oscar de la Hoya and Shane Mosley en route to capturing titles in the lightweight and welterweight classes including snatching de la Hoya’s junior middleweight crown.
His controversial persona in and outside the ring have made him a good media copy, a recipe for box office success. And after Oscar de la Hoya retired, Mayweather inherited the crown as boxing’s biggest draw, both in live gate receipts and pay per view buys.
Until a Filipino boxing tornado tore through the wall of great competition and challenged Mayweather’s ascendancy to the throne as the best pound for pound boxer in their generation and, possibly, of all times.
Glitzy and gaudy as he is, Mayweather chose instead to crush the Manny Pacquiao challenge outside the ring preferring to choose opponents none really cared.
Pacquiao, on the other hand, is taking both the hardcore boxing fans and crossover American audience back in time when boxers and fighters go up against the best competition.
He fought the Mexican featherweight troika of Erik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera and Juan Manuel Marquez, going 5-1-1 (win-loss-draw) against these Hall of Fame bound boxers.
When competition dried up, he moved up in weight and challenged bigger and harder punching fighters. He destroyed Ricky Hatton in two rounds. He made de la Hoya quit after eight rounds and retire for good. He demolished Miguel Angel Cotto and toyed with Joshua Clottey, Antonio Margarito and Shane Mosley. Oh, lest we forget, he also mowed down David Diaz.
Whom Mayweather avoided before (Cotto and Margarito), Pacquiao fought and came out with flying colors and more.
While Mayweather continues to batter Pacquiao with his venomous tongue, the Filipino boxing icon offered just one challenge: ink that dotted line.
There is no doubt Mayweather is a great fighter but his greatness will be measured only if and when he defeats the man whom about everybody now is considering the best in their generation.
No matter who Mayweather fights and defeats from now on, he will never get the kind of respect he is expecting, and maybe deserves, until he notches that all-important victory against Pacquiao.
Greatness is measured against the competition or set of standards.
You cannot be great by your own. Nobody is and will be.
That is why despite his three losses, Pacquiao is still several notches above Mayweather because he surpassed all standards against greatness is measured.
Come on, Floyd. You can be great someday. Just beat Manny. (MindaViews is the opinion section of MindaNews. Edwin Espejo writes for the asian.correspondent.com)
