10 Boxing Reasons to Dislike Floyd Mayweather

While many choose to despise Floyd Mayweather because of his hubris, legal issues and persona, he is a boxer and should be critiqued as such. His personal life is his own private domain.

The fact is that he has been the most talented boxer on the planet since Roy Jones began his trilogy with Antonio Tarver. His skills are sublime and his prowess in the ring is truly legendary.

In fact, his level of proficiency in his area of expertise qualifies him as one of the most successful people transcending athletics of all time. So, why is he universally detested? Here are some explanations.

10. Arturo Gatti

Arturo Gatti's tremendous popularity brought Floyd his first PPV headliner. Floyd, in appreciation of this breakthrough moment, needlessly insulted and degraded the icon throughout the media tour prior to the fight. Floyd relentlessly disparaged the great Gatti by calling him a C-plus fighter.

When the fight began, Floyd was clearly in a superior class, but nonetheless fought dirty and without class. This will be a common motif throughout his career.

At two minutes and thirty seconds of the first round, Floyd was pushing Gatti's head down and trying to punch him, which is serious rule violation. When Gatti protested to the referee Earl Morton, Floyd jumped in quickly and hit the defenceless Gatti, scoring a controversial knockdown.

Floyd Mayweather easily battered the legend over six rounds, but never needed to disrespect the now deceased legend nor fight dishonourably in doing so. It also begs the question, if Gatti was a C-plus fighter, why did Floyd choose to fight him?
 
 

9. Henry Bruseles

Henry Bruseles is a Puerto Rican fighter and a successful journeyman in the super lightweight division. Prior to fighting Gatti, this was the opponent whom "Money May" chose to fight. Ever heard of him?

Consider who else was in the 140 division at the time: Miguel Cotto, Kosta Tszyu and Rickey Hatton. All of whom were far more worthy than Henry Bruseles. Shamba Mitchell (post-Gatti opponent) was next at welterweight and was also far from a top contender.

If Gatti was a C-plus fighter, these two guys were D fighters and why, at 33-0, was one of the world's best fighting D fighters? Because that is Floyd's M.O.

8. Zab Judah

Mayweather took a step up in competition in his second welterweight bout against Zab Judah. This is more a comment on Floyd's team than anything else, but his corner people are a reflection of him as a boxer.

During this bout Roger Mayweather, who is Floyd's chief corner, head trainer and uncle, in response to terrible fouls by Judah, entered the ring during the bout and began to approach Judah and grabbed Zab's dad. A near riot ensued as a result. 

Once Roger Mayweather stepped onto the ring apron during the round, he automatically disqualified his fighter. However, the referee Richard Steele and Marc Ratner did not want Mayweather to lose, so they allowed the fight to continue. 

To his credit, Floyd stayed out of the fracas, never responded with his own low blows and refused to speak ill of Zab after the fight. However, the fact that his corner starts riots and attacks his opponents is a reason to dislike him.

Technically, he is not undefeated as he lost this bout via disqualification. Zab also won the first half of the fight.

7. Ricky Hatton

The Ricky Hatton-Floyd Mayweather bout was a massive bout. This was great for boxing. It brought two undefeated boxers against one another, exactly as sports should do.

These two should have fought earlier, but finally the U.K.'s hero met with the brash American villain in this highly anticipated encounter. Disappointingly, it was marred with both fighters utilizing illegal elbows, hitting and holding and hitting the back of the head.

Although Hatton had the rep for being rough on the inside, it was actually Mayweather who appeared to have elevated the ugliness of the bout. Pretty Boy Floyd won via knockout and proved he was the better pugilist, yet the win was tarnished by his tactics.

People want to see the best compete against one another and win cleanly—nobody wants to see soccer players headbutt, hockey players elbow or football players stomp nor do people want to see the greatest boxer on earth elbow and break the rules.

Especially when they are good enough that they don't have to do so.

6. Margarito/Cotto

Pundits who play boxing math do the fight game a disservice. Joe Frazier beat Ali. Foreman beat Frazier, so therefore Foreman does not have to fight Ali, right?

Yes, Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito have losses. Who cares? In a fight, 50 percent of the participants lose. They are fighting the best and making the big fights happen. They should not be punished for it.

This does not award Mayweather a free pass from fighting them. Both Cotto and Margarito have fought Pac-Man. They also fought each other twice. The only fighter missing from the equation is Floyd Mayweather. Floyd needs to fight these two.

5. Oscar De Le Hoya and Shane Mosley

It is by design that Mayweather chose to fight Shane Mosely when Shane was 39 and when Oscar De La Hoya was past his prime. These fights could have happened sooner, but for obvious reasons they did not.

Oscar fought only twice more after his fight with Floyd and his last fight saw him quitting on the stool against Manny Pacquiao. Oscar had officially lost two of his past four fights but did not deserve his win over Felix Sturm. So Floyd clearly made a fight with an opponent that had the big name and lucrative payout but with no reward for the fans.

Once Oscar looked bad in three of his past four fights, Floyd called him out. Both fought after their prime and this is another reason why the true boxing fan dislikes the man so strongly.

4. Victor Ortiz

This was the latest debacle in Floyd's tainted legacy. At the weigh-ins, Floyd began acting disrespectful and even grabbed Victor by the throat when Ortiz has been hugging everyone around and cordially greeting all of Floyd's team. 

This set the dirty tone for the fight. Ortiz fouled Mayweather very cheaply in the fight with an uncalled for headbutt. When Ortiz was apologizing to Floyd and was unaware the referee had resumed action, Money hit him twice and was awarded  a knockout win.

Technically, it was not illegal and Ortiz had started the dirty fighting. However, the fans had paid to see a boxing match and got a sucker-shot win instead. The fight had been competitive and while Floyd was winning, the fans were getting a good fight.

Another black mark on Floyd's fighting history.

3. Juan Manuel Marquez

This was a shocker! Why would Floyd Mayweather come out of retirement to fight someone who had never fought at welterweight? And come in over the agreed upon weight against a fighter already fighting above their weight class. Floyd weighed 146 pounds after promising to weigh 144 pounds.  

Firstly, he retired in 2007 when he still had Pacquiao, Cotto, Margarito, Mosley and Paul Williams to fight. Yet he decided to come back and fight a much smaller fighter whom he dominated with ease. One could see his use of elbows again though. 

The fans left the arena thinking, "What was the point?"  

2. Unrequited Opportunities

Floyd avoided Cotto and Margarito. He waited for Manny to lessen their esteem in order to give himself a pass. Mayweather, by design, fought De La Hoya and Mosley past their primes and has delayed an epic bout with Manny Pacquiao.

This is a solution to redeem himself. He can fight Sergio Martinez at 160 and then Andre Ward at 168. Oscar and Roy Jones cemented their legacies by moving up in weight (middleweight and heavyweight respectively).

Ward is fresh off an impressive Super Six Tournament championship and needs a marquee name to elevate his status. Taking this route would go a long way to earning the respect of the fans who have paid for the hundred dollar bills that Floyd likes to burn.

The belief that he will never take these fights is a burning reason to disdain the world's greatest fighter.

1. Manny Pacquiao

Nothing needs to be said.

Conclusion

What if Tom Brady checked his schedule and decided not to play against Payton Manning? Larry and Magic no-showed against one another. Federer only entered tournaments when Nadal was not participating. Ali never took the chance of fighting the invincible George Foreman.

How would sports be?

This is what Floyd Mayweather is doing to the possible epic battles the fans are being cheated of. He is brilliant and a true prodigy. Lamentably, he loves the easy path and is not motivated to compete at his own level. He is Billy Madison (Adam Sandler) in dodgeball.

There are fights for him, but he does not want them and in return he is not deserving of the fan's adulation.