The Scam (Fight) of the Century

The Scam (Fight) of the Century

• Perhaps you are one of the millions of people who forked over $100 in hopes of watching the fight of the century between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. You bought into the hype and hysteria. Mayweather was risking his 47-0 record against a 36-year-old Pacquiao looking to resuscitate a flailing career. These, you told yourself, were the two best pound-for-pound fighters of this era.
• How could this not be a great fight?
• Mayweather’s fight was excellent. It was, and if you dispute that, you didn’t bother watching his 47 fights prior. He boxes, he doesn’t fight. This affair was never going to feature a scene from Rocky. Mayweather danced for 12 rounds, carefully picking punches, strategically denying Pacquiao momentum.
• Some call Mayweather’s strategy cowardly, others call it boring, but no one can dispute its effectiveness. ~ FTW-Mike Floss

 

On my previous post: http://www.being50.com/2015/05/the-fight-of-century-as-usual-this-is.html I ended that post by saying that we were being scammed.  Now after the fact many agree that we actually sat around and watched; The Retirement Plan of the Century.  I joined in and paid the $89.99 (non-HD) for what I expected to be prime entertainment (I was disappointed).  I had a few friends over and we caught the broadcast on the large screen.  Plenty of food and drink (non-alcoholic) but the thing that was missing at the end, was a lack of consensus about who was the better fighter.  If I want to see two people get bloodied or break bones I am smart enough to know that I need to watch the UFC fights.
 

While boxing isn’t exactly a “Gentleman’s Sport,” it has always been a sport of strategy and endurance. On this particular event no one can dispute that the prevailing Champion came to box, not fight.  Within my own group (home gathering) the audience was evenly split for the fighters.  Those of us on the side of Mayweather, were abused by the other half in what seemed like Pacquiao’s beating of Mayweather.  I am very grateful for good conscientious judges, that knew what they were looking at and judging, and were not swayed by the constant crowd reaction in favor of Pacquiao just because he kept swinging his arms at where Mayweather had been just a split second earlier.

For those of us that ended up on the side of the win, the fight was great entertainment, and a knockout over Manny would have been the cherry on top, but I enjoyed Pacquiao’s performance even though he is also beginning to show his age, and only recorded half the punches that he usually throws in a fight.
 

People are starting to say that this is the end to boxing, that there is no longer young worthy fighters in the horizon to keep the sport going.  Those or mostly young people around 30 years of age and younger talking.  I used to hear that same discussion after every Ali fight, and throughout the years since.  It won’t be long, someone will be promoting The Fight of the Century soon. 

Disclaimer:  I am aware of Mayweather’s troubled life outside the ring, but I am not responsible for punishing him for any wrong doing, I don’t approve of any part of his life other than his skill in the sport of boxing.  The best is yet to come…..