15.11.06 – By Scoop Malinowski: Most of the media did not bother to question Floyd Mayweather about all his excuses and double talk in refusing to fight WBO Welterweight champion Antonio Margarito. They do not ever dare question his habit of handpicking safe opposition.
And the media stands mute as they give Mayweather a free pass when he says he’s the best fighter today, in fact, the media practically echoes these sentiments like a chorus of publicists. Even though astute ring followers know Floyd has artfully avoided the most formidable challenges at 140 and 147..
Consider the contradictory treatment of Wladimir Klitschko, who is just about universally considered the best of the heavyweight champions today. The media plays along with that notion but they always stick in the denigrating snicker like an asterisk, Well Klitschko’s the best but it’s only because it’s a terribly weak era.
Why the double standard, I ask? Why is Mayweather the best but no media ever peeps, Well the welterweights are in a terribly weak era now? Why doesn’t the media ever say that There’s no talent in the welterweights these days?
Why does the media seem to protect Floyd? Why does the media take their subtle swipes at Klitschko who has never ducked or dodged, nor given 16 excuses or reasons to avoid anyone?
Imagine what the media would have done to Klitschko had he avoided Samuel Peter last year. Imagine if Klitschko said, Well, Who is Samuel Peter? He hasn’t beaten anyone to deserve to fight me, I’m only interested in legacy and title fights that make dollars and make sense. It’s easy to imagine how hard the media would have come down on Klitschko, who was forced by the IBF to fight Peter in an Eliminator after DaVarryl Williamson mysteriously vaulted over Klitschko into the mandatory position.
Today practically all the media will write about Margarito is, Who has he beaten to deserve to fight Mayweather? While totally ignoring all the overwhelming evidence that Floyd is scared beyond comprehension of the little known but monstrously relentless and confident Mexican with four losses. Some of us have been astounded by the number of excuses and reasons Floyd has given to duck Margarito. Some of us have been out and out shocked to see Mayweather actually stuttering and stammering like a frightened coward at the mere mention of Margarito in those youtube videos.
But the media turns a blind eye on all this and continues to prop up Mayweather as the best thing since Roy Jones.
Roy Jones. Now there’s another topic of contention to raise. When Roy Jones tested positive, and then the Indiana State commissioner Jacob Hall said on the public record that Jones tested positive after the Richard Hall fight, not one U.S. media representative called Hall to follow up on the story. I was the first to interview Hall and a week later after the story became known, I phoned Hall again to learn if any other media had contacted him. He said just one newspaper from France had called. JUST ONE newspaper from France!
Absolutely incredible, isn’t it? When anyone from cycling or baseball or track and field tests positive or is even alleged to have tested positive, it’s global news. Practically every sports fan in the world knows about Floyd Landis, Justin Gatlin, Marion Jones, Barry Bonds, Rafael Palmeiro, Guillermo Canas, Mark McGwire, etc. But when Roy Jones tested positive, the commissioner confirmed it and Jones did not dispute it, the story was ignored.
Why? Why does the boxing media sometimes ignore major stories to protect certain athletes? Why did the media perpetuate the negative stigma against Hopkins all those years (he’s his own worst enemy, blah, blah blah), when, ultimately, we discovered the truth, that he really was a great guy, a great champion and one of the finest, most ultimate ambassadors in the sports history? WHY?
The answers to those questions are not easy to explain. Although the answer may shed light on the same reason why Floyd Mayweather is now under the protective shield of most of the major boxing media.
But hey, congratulations to Floyd, he got what he really wanted, another golden opportunity to show the world how talented he is, against the most famous boxer in the world today. It should be a great event.
For the sake of the future integrity of the sport, let’s just hope Mayweather can be as grateful and considerate to the sport which has given him so much. Let’s hope Mayweather, despite being protected by the media and the best team in boxing, will find the generosity deep within himself to give the man we know is by far the most deserving and worthy of an opportunity to fight him – Antonio Margarito.
Scoop’s first book “Lewis vs. Tyson Heavyweight Armageddon! The Inside Story About The Biggest Prizefight in Boxing History” will be published in 2008.