By James Slater – Go back seven years or so, look up the Pound-for-Pound ratings of any publication, and you will see the name Roy Jones Junior at the top of the list. Back then, the fighter known as Superman was in the position Manny Pacquiao is in right now; the position Floyd Mayweather Junior says belongs to him. And as fans know, the only way to prove once and for all who the current best fighter on the planet is, is for “Money” and Pac-Man to fight.
But the former P-4-P king, in talking exclusively with John Dennen of Boxing News magazine’s web site, says he is starting to think Mayweather has serious doubts he can actually defeat the Filipino southpaw..
For a long while Jones, who still harbours ideas of taking big fights up at heavyweight, was on Mayweather’s side when it came to picking a winner from the fight the whole world is still waiting to see. But now, with all the “messing around” Mayweather has done with regards to not signing for the mega-fight, Jones Junior has changed his mind.
The 41-year-old living legend is still of the opinion that Mayweather is an overall better fighter than Pacquiao, but he says he feels Floyd is unsure he has what it takes to overcome Pac-Man.
“You’re claiming to be the best pound for pound. Now that the man [Manny Pac] agreed to take a blood test, you’re still messing around,” Jones said to Boxingnewsonline. “So do you really think you can win? I’m starting to think he don’t. Because if he did he wouldn’t let this [the Margarito-Pacquiao fight] happen.
“I was thinking Mayweather is the better fighter to begin with and I still think he’s the better fighter. But I don’t think that he believes he can win. If he does think he can, he doesn’t think it’s easy.”
Maybe Jones has hit the nail right on the head with his last comment; and maybe Floyd is unwilling to go through the kind of pain he knows he would have to go through to come out on top against Pac-Man. For whether you’re of the opinion that Floyd wins or if you’re of the opinion that Manny does, only a biased person would claim the winner would have his hand raised after an easy night. Maybe Jones is right, and that at age 34 (which he will be by the time the fight rolls around; if it ever does), Mayweather no longer wishes to put his mind and body on the line against as lethal, as determined and as special a fighter as Pacquiao.
Floyd can, after all, fight relative easy touches and still make millions of dollars. Why risk it against the southpaw tornado from The Philippines? Or perhaps, going even further into what Jones says, for the first time in his career Mayweather has seen a fighter he knows he cannot master.
Either way – whether Floyd feels he cannot win against Pac-Man or he feels he can but isn’t willing to risk it – with as respected a legend as Roy Jones questioning his desire, a fighter as talented and egotistical as “Money” Mayweather has to know his reputation is suffering.
How to restore his treasured rep? Fight the damn fight with Pacquiao!