TERRY MOSHER
The fight game has always had its shady characters and the sport smelled as bad as the gyms where they trained. Don’t get me wrong, I have been a big fan of boxing since my young boy days when I listened to boxers like Sugar Ray Robinson and Joe Louis fight on my upright Zenith Radio.
But we have been snookered on boxing’s big news today.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao will finally have the showdown that they have been teasing us for five years. They agreed to meet May 2 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas with Welterweight titles and bragging rights on the line. Mayweather, who turns 38 on Tuesday, is unbeaten in 47 fights and is considered the best fighter pound-per-pound to ever lace up boxing gloves. Pacquiao, 36, was thought to be his equal until the last two years when he lost two fights, one by knockout, and won three, but had to go the distance in them.
Mayweather has been established as the early favorite, by 2 ½ to 1.
The fight is expected to generate at least $200 million, making it the richest in history. Mayweather gets 60 percent and Pacquiao 40. Which means Mayweather could take home about $120 million and Pacquiao $80 million.
In my view, we are taking a sucker punch. It’s a brilliant job of manipulating of the public worthy of what P.T. Barnum is alleged to have said, “There’s a sucker born every minute.”
We are the suckers in this. We will rush to pay to view the fight or even to fly to Vegas to watch it. If Barnum was alive he would be as pleased as pink. This tops anything he came up, including the Bearded Lady.
I credit Mayweather for pulling this off. He is the “Money Man.” Everything he does is for making more money. Nothing wrong with that. However, how much is enough?
It won’t be a great fight. And Mayweather will win. He will make Manny his 48th victim and smile all the way to the bank. I’m betting Manny will be smiling also as he goes to the bank.
I confess. Yes, I will get excited as the fight nears. But, no, I won’t pay to see it. It will be a big show, the sporting entertainment of the year. All the big cigars will be at the casino to be seen and flash their gold rings and bracelets.
It will be even crazier than the fight I saw in 1981 at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas back in 1984 between Sugar Ray Leonard and Tommy “Hit Man” Hearns. Hearns was beating Sugar Ray, but came up the loser when the fight was stopped in the 14th round.
What I remember is after the right there was a big party around the pool and I felt like I not only didn’t belong but I was stunned by the stars and starlets and the large amount of food and booze along with a tremendous rock band. I was clearly out of my element and felt like I was peaking in at something I could be jailed for it caught.
And the Casino was packed. I had to elbow my way through and at one blackjack table a glorious women in a white dress sat at a $20,000-limit table looking like she wanted to be anyplace but there. Which I didn’t understand because she must have had at least 100 chips in front of her.
I remembered talking to Sugar Ray after the fight and thinking what a great guy. Hearns I saw at the pool party and he had two beautiful women hanging on to each of his arms. They, of course, were wearing what looked like expensive jewelry. Again, I felt out of place.
When I look back at that fight and the scene at the Casino, the picture that forms in my mind is of Nero fiddling while Rome burned. I would bet – if I was a betting man, and I’m not – that the scene May 2 at the MGM Grand will be even more decadent.
Maybe I’m being an old fuddy-duddy (just writing that makes me one), but I can’t help think of the less fortunate in our world when I think of the circus that will surround the fight, and the amount of money that will be on hand for the fight.
But Kudos to Mayweather and Pacquiao for leading us by the nose to this point. They deserve to pull this off.
Meanwhile, I’m going to Gorst.
Be well pal.
Be careful out there.
Have a great day.
You are loved.