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Sunday, August 8, 2010

Floyd Mayweather, Jr. the self proclaimed best pound for pound fighter, an undefeated coward


Floyd Mayweather, Jr. versus Manny Pacquiao is the most awaited fight this year and next, that would never happen unless Mayweather would want it. Having it next year, would really be a longshot and almost next to impossible. Staying out of the ring for over 8 months won't do him good. Ring rust would make him look real bad and he will be easy pickings for Pacquiao. He might just as well stay retired because coming back to fight will not put him in the best shape to beat Pacquiao. 

The Pacman is in the best shape of his career. He has no weaknesses, is disciplined to a fault and humble that fight fans love him much. He has ways and the demeanor to appear underdog no matter who he fights with and could sway fans to cheer him on come fight night that adds an additional adrenaline rush to him. In a 50/50 fight, cheers from fans could swing the tide in his favor.

Pretty Boy Floyd's performance against Sugar Shane Mosley convinced me that it was his last. He was slow and he looked lost although he won by TKO. Pacquiao's speed and power will be too much for him. And he won't allow being embarrassed by Pacquiao because he is too proud and would want his undefeated record to stay in the record books and will cast doubts on Pacquiao's legacy. 

Mayweather's  refusal to fight Pacquiao however will do more damage to his reputation than to that of the Pacman's. He will be dubbed as the undefeated coward who refuses to fight. This will leave him with a questionable legacy. Meanwhile, Pacquiao will be laughing all the way to the bank picking on patsies and old damaged goods, cementing his own legacy as one of the greatest of all time. With the way Pacquiao is being handled and marketed, he could even be the greatest because an undefeated pretty boy and self-proclaimed best pound for pound fighter is too scared to fight him. His demeanor shows that he is very scared of Pacquiao and his pronouncements are excuses he is forced to take to avoid the fight from happening. He looks pitiful in front of media as he explains his litany of excuses and reasons for not fighting the Pacman. He is not on the league of Sugar Ray Leonard and Thomas Hearns or Ray Boom Boom Mancini who fought with the best during their time, win, loss or draw. These fighters fought with dignity that is why they are some of the greatest fighters of all time.

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Lebron James' Selfish Motives


The biggest and most awaited development in the NBA that hasn't died down until today when Lebron James' signed with the Miami Heat to join fellow superstars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to form the new big three; and as early as today, are already favored to win the championship of the 2010 - 2011 season and even beyond. The "decision" of the self proclaimed king to join the Heat aired for an hour by ESPN left the Cleveland Cavaliers fans hurting and had sports fans and commentators debating and commentating about the how and why LBJ decided to do what he did. But Lebron knew what he really wanted, selfish or not, he wanted to win and win now no matter what the cost will be.

For over seven years he worked so hard, busting his guts and spilled his blood on the basketball floor just so he could give his hometown fans that elusive crown they were dying to covet for almost a century after the other Ohio sports franchises failed miserably to deliver. And the Cavs fans wanted more of Lebron strutting his basketball spectacles until he wins one for them; not knowing that deep inside him and as the seasons come and go, he is hurting more than they did.

Everything has an ending and much as he wanted to go on for the Cavaliers fans, Lebron James can not also ignore what's deep inside of him and that is to win it all like Kevin Garnett did in Boston. While the city of Cleveland gave Lebron all the support, love and adoration, it seems that things were not enough to really win. They did have the NBA best record after the end of the season but the playoffs were a different animal.

Coaches from opposing teams continually plotted ambuscades and the pressure was too much for Lebron who is a boy in a man's body that he crumbled in the end. The way the Cavaliers fans and owners treated him was just too much for him to handle that he got lost in the maze of the basketball path he was supposed to go. It made him trust more of himself as a superstar rather than on his abilities as a player and a leader. It got him confused and he lost when he couldn't have been beaten.

The new season however, opened new a new window of opportunities for him and enough is enough for him. It doesn't matter if he will become Wade's sidekick or ride on Chris Bosh's back just to win one or two. He might just get what he wished and selfish as it may appear, the choice was between the fans of his hometown and what he wanted for himself. In the end, he chose himself. The problem however will be their egos. And that's no simple matter to ignore. Lebron though has bitten more than he could chew and has taken a step backward to be able to take two steps forward and beyond. For all intents and purposes, we can not blame Lebron, because he has dreams, wants and reason to be. After all, superstar or not, he is also human..