Big Apple Boxing Thoughts 09.25.09: Mayweather's Performance, Klitschko vs. Arreola

Posted by Jonathan Yaghoubi on 09.25.2009

In this week's edition of Big Apple Boxing Thoughts, Jonathan Yaghoubi talks about Floyd Mayweather's performance from Saturday night and the face to face confrontation of Shane Mosley. Plus, thoughts on Klitschko vs. Arreola.


Mayweather was good, but was it enough to please?

In what was probably his best performance since the fight with Diego Corrales, Pretty Boy Floyd Mayweather got people to reconsider who the top pound for pound fighter in the world with a 12 round domination over Mexican superstar fighter, Juan Manuel Marquez.

However, that performance is not nearly enough in my eyes to take over Pacquiao's top spot in the rankings.
The result was no surprise at all. It was a battle between a little man who couldn't carry his speed and power at a higher weight division against a naturally much bigger who man had to cheat on the weights to become even bigger. I have seen enough anti-Mayweather articles to keep nailing on that issue but it was just a blatant sign of disrespect for Floyd to not show up at the agreed catch weight. Only God knows how much Floyd actually weighed in on fight night.

It just gives everyone more of a reason to hate on Mr. Mayweather. Many truly believe Mayweather, who was 146 pounds, never had any intention of making the contract weight of 144. He treated Marquez like a chump and got away with it by paying him a few extra bucks. Seriously, what is 600,000 bucks to Mayweather? Its chump change and that is why he did what he did. Shame on Golden Boy, Marquez's promoter, by doing it's fighter a disservice by not protecting him in any way all in the name of not upsetting Mayweather, the prima donna.

I am not saying that the two extra pounds would have made the difference in winning and losing because it did not. It was obvious from the outset that he was not even in Mayweather's league as a fighter. But for Mayweather to give himself an even greater advantage against a man who weighed 142 pounds, seven more than he had ever weighed for a fight in his life, showed absolute disrespect and no class to the sport of boxing. There is a reason why everyone is hating on his performance and still has some ways to go on truly being "great".

The best part of the whole PPV was right after the fight where Sugar Shane Mosley tried to take a page out of the world of WWE when he stepped right in and basically challenged Floyd to a big money fight. I have read a lot of journalists who called Mosley's act classless and disrespectful. I am going the other way and saying that I loved it. The fans that paid the 55 bucks to watch it on PPV and the 500 bucks or so in person were just pissed off and annoyed how the fight went down. Shane Mosley was one who voiced his displeasure and looked as if he was trying to back up his fighter, Marquez. Mosley knew the big advantage Floyd had and basically told him, "Now try doing what you did to someone your size, me!"

To me, it's a brilliant PR move by Mosley because ever since his destruction of welterweight champion, Antonio Margarito, the man can't get any fight with anyone. He is the welterweight champion!!!! They do this kind of stuff in the UFC and it looks like they are doing quite well in the PPV business. Mosley wanted to call him out on the big stage because he knew everyone was watching. it was quite hilarious to B-Hop throw his two cents into that confrontation and egg Mosley on. It was very entertaining to watch and hope to see more of that "nonsense" in the future.

A Mosely-Mayweather would be a fantastic fight for the fans to watch but it's the not the one the public is demanding. That all is going to come down on November 14th when Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto will fight in the super fight of the year and if Pacquiao can win that, then we have our matchup. Mosley looks he is going to have to wait his turn and instead probably fight Clottey or Andre Berto. If he gets past either guy, then it's going to be very hard for Mosley to be ignored any longer. We will know more after November 14th. On a side note, it is interesting to see if Cotto copies' Floyd strategy by coming a little overweight and really press his size and power on Manny the way Floyd did. There are rumors that Cotto's entourage is urging Miguel to go for it.

Klitschko-Arreola: I just wanted to get my two cents on the Arreola-Vitali Klitschko heavyweight title fight for Saturday night. It is certainly a heavyweight fight that everyone can at least get a little excited for. Can an American finally bring back the heavyweight title back to the States? I would have loved this fight for Arreola if he was fighting Wladimir. There is no way Wladimir would be able to stand up and take Arreola's punching power. Does anyone remember Corrie Sanders?

But he is fighting the elder Klitschko and I just don't think he has the boxing skills to defeat Vitali. Vitali is great counter power puncher and has a chance to make Arreola look really silly. He gave Lennox Lewis all he could handle with one eye and is one of the true boxers in the heavyweight. I know this fight won't go the full 12 rounds. Arreola will have his moments but I just don't see him ready to take that next big step. I am going to say Vitali a 6th round TKO win but I don't feel he will be faced with some adversity in this fight. It should one hell of a brawl.