LET me tell you an open secret. Floyd Mayweather Jr. hates Manny Pacquiao. I’m talking about absolute hate. The kind of hate that makes one do hateful things and say hateful words.
And so when Floyd says things like –“As soon as we come off vacation, we’re going to cook that little yellow chump. We ain’t worried about that. So they ain’t gotta worry about me fighting the midget. Once I kick the midget a__, I don’t want you all to jump on my d___. So you all better get on the bandwagon now. Once I stomp the midget, I’ll make that motherf_____ make a sushi roll and cook me some rice.” — please forgive him.
The thrash talk is just Floyd’s defensive mechanism to camouflage his hate – and fear–of the Filipino ring icon, who in contrast, is all about love, baby. His thick Visayan accent may be a distraction to some, but it melts the knees of Jinkee and all his lady admirers—confirmed, perceived or denied (mostly denied).
The closest thing to a rant we’ve heard Pacquiao say was when he announced to all that his “Wapakman” was such a wonderful movie.
That’s how harmless Pacquiao is off the ring.
A Mayweather talking garbage is no news anymore. We’ve heard it all before and it hardly surprises Pacquiao, who for ages has been at the sad end of verbal tirades from Floyd Jr. and Sr., including uncle Roger. The entire family tree has already joined the fray and it’s crazy, man. What’s next? Grandma Mayweather badmouthing Mommy Dionesia?
If there is one goal Mayweather’s hateful speeches successfully achieve, then it’s the fact that it clearly defines the two boxing icons even further.
On one side is Pacquiao. Offensive dynamo, outstanding athlete, good guy, lawmaker.
On the other is Mayweather. Defensive specialist, check. Outstanding athlete, check. Perceived bad guy, double check. Lawbr….Ooops.
Pacquiao, the nice guy is someone you would welcome to your’s child’s Christening. Mayweather, on the other hand, is someone you hope you won’t meet in a dark alley.
The difference between the two is more pronounced now.
While Mayweather is soaking up the sun at a posh hotel’s poolside with Robin Leach in Vegas, or paying a bond of $3,000 after being jailed briefly on battery charges filed by an ex-girlfriend, or counting his super cars and then flaunting them on Instagram, Pacquiao is at the Habitat For Humanity office in the financial district of Makati donating P5 million to build homes for the poor.
But don’t blame Floyd for acting this way against Pacquiao because there is a positive side to it all—it just made a possible fight between these two all the more necessary.
When that fight is finally held, what do you think Pacquiao’s die-hards would feel, those who would take a bullet for him? Imagine them going nuts everytime Pacquiao lands a left straight to Pretty Boy’s kisser. And then imagine Money being counted out by referee Kenny Bayless. This would have been an insane scenario—millions of Filipinos from all over the world jumping up and down like crazy, tilting the Earth from its axis.
But before we get ahead of ourselves, me must realize that Mayweather is still half of that fight. Manny can agree to Floyd’s terms all he wants, but it’s still Mayweather, who has the final say. Otherwise, all of these noise are just sound and fury and no substance, just like Floyd’s racist-flavored tirades against Pacquiao.
Which brings us to the meat of the matter. Can Mayweather walk the talk? All we hear from him is that he is not afraid of the Pacman, but does he have the guts to finally sign on the dotted line.
My guts tell me, Floyd will fight Pacquiao. It may or may not be on May 2, but I truly believe these two will meet on the ring eventually, for the simple fact that Mayweather is now boxed into a corner. He has nowhere to turn to. There is no more escape. People chant Pacquiao’s name whenever Floyd watches an NBA basketball game. He sees Pacquiao’s screaming Nike billboard in Hollywood. He hears Manny belt “Sometimes When We Tats” on the radio. Heck, he even sees his smiling face in his dreams. Make that nightmares.
Floyd can no longer look the opposite way and play deaf to the clamor of boxing fans from all over the world, with Manny’s name ringing in his ear 24/7. It will be too much to bear.
And so is a 47-0 record, with a Manny Pacquiao asterisk beside it.