ESPN's Dan Rafael lays into Mayweather over weight-gate

[ALI]

Good article this...........

Dan Rafael: ESPN

Mayweather disrespected Marquez, boxing
Thursday, September 24, 2009

Floyd Mayweather Jr. didn't take nearly enough grief for not making weight for Saturday's fight with Juan Manuel Marquez. Missing weight happens from time to time for fighters. It's never good, but, alas, it happens.

However, what really ticks me off is the way this one went down. I truly believe Mayweather, who was 146 pounds, never had any intention of making the contract weight of 144. Ever. Not from the day the deal was done in late April until the time he stepped on the scale Friday.

He treated Marquez like a chump and got away with it by paying him a few extra bucks. But, really, what is $600,000 when Mayweather stands to earn eight figures even after paying Marquez and paying off more than $5 million in IRS debts, especially when all indications are that the pay-per-view is going through the roof and likely will crack 1 million buys? Mayweather also disregarded the Nevada State Athletic Commission's request for a bout contract (which lists the weight) to be filed in a timely fashion. Instead he waited until just minutes before the weigh-in.

Why do you think the contract weight was kept such a secret for the entire promotion, even though I did my own digging and got the contract weight correct from day one? Because Mayweather never intended to make it. Still, nobody from the promotion would speak about what the weight was on the record until Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer, with his back to the wall, had no choice but to address it after the weigh-in debacle.

The whole weight thing was fishy from the outset, and then the weight was suddenly changed from 144 to 147 at the last minute to accommodate Mayweather. Golden Boy, Marquez's promoter, did its fighter a disservice by not protecting him in any way all in the name of not upsetting Mayweather, the prima donna. Better not upset the star because he stands to make Golden Boy a lot more money than Marquez on future fights. Even though Golden Boy doesn't have an official promotional contract with Mayweather, it does have a relationship with him going forward.

HBO was also complicit in weight-gate, simply looking the other way and never insisting that a basic fact of the promotion it supported to the hilt be announced to the public, especially when the media asked for it time and again. I've covered boxing for close to a decade. I don't remember a single fight in which the weight was kept a secret despite repeated requests.

Now, did two pounds make the difference between Mayweather winning and losing? Probably not. But that still doesn't make it right for him to run roughshod over everyone, and it sure wasn't right for everyone around him to facilitate the fraud. Mayweather should have been a professional about it and made the weight.

It was one thing for Mayweather to select Marquez, the lightweight champion and a much smaller man, as his comeback opponent. But for Mayweather to give himself an even greater advantage against a man who weighed 142 pounds, seven more than he had ever weighed for a fight in his life, showed no class.

If Mayweather wonders why he hasn't gotten more credit for his lopsided victory over Marquez, he need only look in the mirror.

I think he's dead right, Mayweather was let off far to easily over this issue. Its sad to see that a fighter of Marquez's stature can be treated with such disregard, and not only by Mayweather, but also by his own promoters who should have been protecting his interests from the get go and not Money Mayweathers.

Mayweather has blinding skills, he's an amazing talent, but he's starting to rile me more than Calzaghe ever did, and that’s saying something. Not only does he dodge the big fights people 'really' want to see him in, he's cherry picking his opponents and handicapping them to the hilt. Its a fcuking joke, and yet so many morons are falling over each other in a rush to get him back into the P4P#1 spot.

The guy needs brought down several pegs, but with the challenges he's been taking over the last several years, it does not look likely to happen in the ring.

[Phenomenal-Nutrition]

I don't think it was a big conspiracy, Mayweather hasnt been in the ring for nearly 2 years so to mke a weight 3lbs less than the last weight he made might have just been not possible. Well it probably was possibly but he didnt fancy doing it. Lets hope its Mosley or Pacquaio next because that fight was poor and I'm a fan

[ALI]

I agree in a sense Terry, but the point is, he is being let of the hook far to easily.

The rules may permit it, but the media and fans should not. Money Mayweather is Joke Mayweather in my eyes. I look at Pacquio as being our sports flagship fighter, not this charlatan!

[MightyWarrior]

I don't think it was a big conspiracy,

Well technically it was, in the way that golden boy promotions and, more surprisingly HBO, avoided mentioning anything to do with the agreed weight. Ducking the issue with journalists apparently.
That really stinks, as it comes accross as trying to pull a fast one with the paying fans.

What they have to do with Floyd ( and I think Manny is doing lately ) is if he agrees to a certain weight, then make him keep to it by putting in the contract he has to pay a million $$ penalty for every pound he's over.

Which will be no problem if he actually plans to make the weight of course.

[Srebmun]

Wasn't the fight contracted at Welter tho', but with the agreement that Mayweather weighing anything above 144 then he'd be fined, if so he's not actually done anything wrong.

[TerribleTerry]

Dan Raphael raising issues over someone else's weight?!? Now there is an irony.

[jamesmcdonnell]

Agree with the article but there is nothing that can be done. Marquez was hardly likely to pull out of the fight and Floyd could have explained away check weigh ins by assuring us that he would be on the weight when he stepped onto the scales.

Marquez could complain but any complaints would be similar to Thierry Henry constantly threatening to leave the pitch if he hears racists chants/whistles but failing to do so. No one expects Marquez to do anything, he won't and Floyd can pull this again, and again. If a fight is made with Pac at catchweight then Floyd will come in over, people will threaten to pull Pac out of the fight, he'll get paid off and the fight will go ahead.

Boxing is not a particularly fair sport, it never has been.

I believe that Pacman has enough of a contingency to pull out of the fight if Mayweather comes in over the weight.

Pacman is a big draw in his own right, and I don't believe he needs floyd badly enough to allow him to get away with that kind of thing.

It's a moot point however, as Cotto is going to batter him before he gets anywhere near floyd.

[marcianofan]

I honestly think this is an example of a journalist being upset because someone tried to make his job harder more than anything else.

Mayweather's main job is to win the fight. How much money he decides to make on it is his own affair. It's absolutely true that Mayweather picked on a smaller guy who, at least in retrospect, had no business in the same ring as him. Criticize him all you want for taking on an opponent who wasn't a threat, but being a winner (especially at an elite level) typically means taking every advantage you can get within the rules, whether that entails training hard, intimidation, or taking maximum advantage of your size. If 144+ was a deal breaker for Marquez (as it probably should have been), he should have insisted that it, well, broke the deal. Nobody had a gun to his head making him sign that contract. Evidently Marquez wanted the fight worse than Mayweather did, and sold out his chance to win in order to get it. I didn't enjoy the fight much and regret paying 50 bucks to see it, but I commend Mayweather on his cunning, if not his guts. It can't have been any more of a disadvantage than Juan Diaz, with better bargaining position, getting Paulie Malignaggi (who is only capable of winning by decision) to agree to a stacked fight in which he couldn't win by decision. The difference, though, is that Malignaggi did everything he needed to do to win and still didn't win. Marquez played the other guy's game and lost...simple as that.

[dbf]

Dan Raphael raising issues over someone else's weight?!? Now there is an irony.

Ha ha. Also, I thought Dan had been writing about boxing for longer than ‘almost a decade’.

[Chambers2]

I agree with the article it stinks that Mayweather came in 2 pounds over the agreed weight and nothing was done to punish him other than docking him a small % of the purse. It makes a mockery of the sport IMO

[Rocky Balboa]

Dan Rafael is right to a certain degree. I think if he wanted to, Floyd could ahve made 144lbs. I mean he did not look dehydrated when weighing in at 146lbs, so I'm convinced he could have shed more to make 144lbs, but that he CHOSE not to make the agreed limit of 144lbs!

If we do get Pacquiao-Mayweather & a catch-weight is agree upon, I fully expect Freddy Roach to make Floyd adhere to that catch-weight agreement. Roach won't stand for any bollocks & I reckon he would not let $600,000 change his mind either!

Its not right what Floyd did, but he won 7 he won easily! You have to, but the nature of this sport, give the man credit not just for winning, but for the highly competent manner he did it in! JMM is a great fighter, & despite the weight issues, no one has ever dominated him like that! He just could not land his own shots no matter how hard he tried!

[jamesmcdonnell]

Agree with the article but there is nothing that can be done. Marquez was hardly likely to pull out of the fight and Floyd could have explained away check weigh ins by assuring us that he would be on the weight when he stepped onto the scales.

Marquez could complain but any complaints would be similar to Thierry Henry constantly threatening to leave the pitch if he hears racists chants/whistles but failing to do so. No one expects Marquez to do anything, he won't and Floyd can pull this again, and again. If a fight is made with Pac at catchweight then Floyd will come in over, people will threaten to pull Pac out of the fight, he'll get paid off and the fight will go ahead.

Boxing is not a particularly fair sport, it never has been.

I believe that Pacman has enough of a contingency to pull out of the fight if Mayweather comes in over the weight.

Pacman is a big draw in his own right, and I don't believe he needs floyd badly enough to allow him to get away with that kind of thing.

It's a moot point however, as Cotto is going to batter him before he gets anywhere near floyd.

They'd probably threaten to withdraw, get some money to sweeten things up and then use it as an excuse should they lose.

I'm not convinced of that. Pacquaio is an absolutely huge star back home, he's a wealthy man with many business interests - I don't think he would let Mayweather play hard ball.

Mayweather will make more money fighting Pacman than anyone else out there right now. It's the fight people want to see.

[opticald]

Its a sad state of affairs when one fighter wont fight another fighter unless he weakens himself.

[Bomber 1]

Dan Raphael raising issues over someone else's weight?!? Now there is an irony.

;;-)

The fight was made at Welter and Mayweather was the attraction, Marquez got his payday to date and a little more with the weight issue!! Im sure if you ask Marquez he'll tell you he was happy Mayweather weighed in heavier.. Mayweather also claims he ran on the treadmill for half an hour before he left his house and on his scales he was on the limit of what he had to be?? There's more to this than meets the eye I feel and I also feel Dan Rafael is DLH nuts!! 3 ponds bears no significance over the outcome of the fight at all!!!

[opticald]

Dan Raphael raising issues over someone else's weight?!? Now there is an irony.

;;-)

The fight was made at Welter and Mayweather was the attraction, Marquez got his payday to date and a little more with the weight issue!! Im sure if you ask Marquez he'll tell you he was happy Mayweather weighed in heavier.. Mayweather also claims he ran on the treadmill for half an hour before he left his house and on his scales he was on the limit of what he had to be?? There's more to this than meets the eye I feel and I also feel Dan Rafael is DLH nuts!! 3 ponds bears no significance over the outcome of the fight at all!!!

Certainly doesn't bomber.

JMM was happy to take his money and keep his mouth shut. He took his hiding like a man too.

Bring on Pacman!!

[banjo]

Thing is these guys are grown men, nobody is holding a gun to their heads. If they don't like it then they can pull out.

[BroughtonRulesRefuge]

I think he's dead right, Mayweather was let off far to easily over this issue. Its sad to see that a fighter of Marquez's stature can be treated with such disregard, and not only by Mayweather, but also by his own promoters who should have been protecting his interests from the get go and not Money Mayweathers.

Mayweather has blinding skills, he's an amazing talent, but he's starting to rile me more than Calzaghe ever did, and that’s saying something. Not only does he dodge the big fights people 'really' want to see him in, he's cherry picking his opponents and handicapping them to the hilt. Its a fcuking joke, and yet so many morons are falling over each other in a rush to get him back into the P4P#1 spot.

The guy needs brought down several pegs, but with the challenges he's been taking over the last several years, it does not look likely to happen in the ring.

- Hah, Raffy a porkster complaining about weight. Rich.

Where was Raffy in the Oscar/Manny weighin fiasco when the scales had been tampered so Oscar could make the contract weight without penalty?

Much ado about nothing but a part of the Mr. Moneybags experience. Same stuff has been going on with Chavez Jr and it happened with the Roy/Ruiz fight also. A fighter can weigh whatever someone decides they're gonna weigh.

[DIRT SUGAR]

Well he's not called Floyd 'Money' Mayweather for nothing is he? The guy's getting paid a phenomenal amount of money to beat up on smaller men these days. Hatton, Marquez, who'll be next? Pacquaio.

Not that he couldn't beat a bigger man like, say, Shane Mosley, but why when he can earn a fortune beating up on the guys moving up like Marquez? Like I said, it's the 'Money' in the monicker that lights the fire in Floyd's belly.

[DG.]

So he did not make the weight?

1) JMM did not have to fight if he did not want to.

2) JMM did not have to fight if he did not want to

3) See above

4) He was paid $600K because MM did not make the weight.

5) See 1 and 2 above.


Gwann, Mayweather!!

That's all I have to say!


DD

[thepocketrocket]

Once again the point is being missed. JMM doesnt care, he goes off even richer with his reputation intact!

It is the fans who suffer, Mayweather doesnt even bother to boil down, the fight becomes even more of a mismatch, the TV goes off and people turn to UFC!

Its a joke and shite like this is ruining the sport!!!! Give me Froch-Dirrell and AA-Taylor any day of the week, I have the same opinion or Mayweather and his circus as I did over Joe and his 'legend killing' tour!