Gone was the arrogant, dismissive "Money" Mayweather who would swagger on stage and literally sneer in the face of whoever he had to face off against.
But, this time, on the dates of the press conferences, Mayweather was docile and calm. One could say that the 5-division world champ and pound-for-pound entrant looked tired-- even disinterested. For the first time in an otherwise high-octane career, Floyd Mayweather was looking his age-- every bit of his 34 years on this planet.
Some could write it off as just another publicity ploy. Maybe a ploy to get inside the head of an inexperienced, head strong fighter like Ortiz. It wouldn't be the first time that Mayweather opted to play head games with a rival.
But this certainly looked authentic. It wouldn't be far-fetched at all to think that a fighter who has only reluctantly entered the ring, seemingly for financial reasons alone, would be tired and burnt-out from having to do a job he apparently no longer enjoys.
Since capturing the lineal welterweight title from Carlos Baldomir in November of 2006, Mayweather has only fought four times. (By comparison, Manny Pacquiao has had nine bouts in that same stretch of time). That comes out to an average of only one fight every fourteen months. Between bouts with Ricky Hatton and Juan Manuel Marquez, he went 21-months without fighting. Most recently, there will be a 16-month stretch of inactivity between his masterful performance against Shane Mosley and when he steps into the ring with Ortiz.
For a fighter who depends on rhythm and reflexes, the lack of activity will sooner or later show up in his in-ring work-- especially at an age where fighters typically begin to slow down and lose their edge. Add the
And with nothing but young, hungry lions in their 20's, like Victor Ortiz, Timothy Bradley, and Amir Khan ahead of him, things will not get any easier.
How long can a professional, even one who executes his craft at the highest level, be effective when forced to do something he feels less and less passionate about? Can even an elite-level future Hall of Famer keep winning when he's really only fighting for a paycheck?
Even if he gets by Ortiz, we may have seen the beginning of the end when it comes to Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Some may rejoice at the idea, but others will just be left to consider what could've been.
Source: http://www.associatedcontent.com
