VANCOUVER -- Now that the dream match between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. is a thing of the past, it’s time for both Mayweather father and son -- Floyd Senior and Junior -- to apologize to Pacquiao for tarnishing the reputation not only of the best boxer in the world pound-for-pound but also the entire Filipino people who consider Pacquiao a national treasure.
Their irresponsible accusation that Pacquiao could be using steroids or performance enhancing substance was purely hogwash meant to dodge a multi-million 12-round encounter which would have broken the records in boxing in terms of purse to be bankrolled by both protagonists. Since they failed to substantiate their uncalled for charges, it is but proper for them to say sorry and move forward. They can’t just walk away as if nothing had transpired without showing any remorse. Professional athletes are supposed to be guided by tenets of good manners and right conduct even in the way they treat their rivals; even in the way they criticize their opponents.
In the case of the Mayweather father and son, they dashed to pieces the fight being bruited about by fans all over the world since last year only because of the flimsy excuse that the Filipino speedster could be into drugs. I understand that Team Pacquiao is mulling a damage suit or libel case against the famous American boxing father and son but even if the Filipino camp will secure a court conviction, nobody can bring Senior and Junior to their knees as they have been known to be full of pride, overbearing and don’t possess any iota of humility. The bone of contention is actually the Junior’s capability to withstand the storm once actual combat on the ring will commence pitting him against the seven-time world boxing champion from a little-known second class city in Mindanao in the Philippines. Many experts believed that Junior, despite his reputation as a slick puncher and scientific boxer, won’t last the distance if Pacquiao will connect the haymaker like what he did to David Diaz, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto.
Team Mayweather actually was able to forsee the danger that was waiting in the horizon for the black American fighter, regarded as the fastest boxer in the world with an immaculate 40-0 slate. Since it was no less than Top Rank boss Bob Arum himself who presided the negotiation, they could not find other valid excuse to back out other than make a slanderous accusation against the person of Pacquiao. By making such false and irrational allegation, they were able to successfully divert the attention of those interested to formalize the deal thus everything turned tupsy turvy even before both camps inked the deal.
Filipino fight fans are not asking too much to assuage their emotions as the damage now appears to be irreparable. But a public apology might somehow bring a glimmer of light in their frazzled emotions, especially Pacquiao himself and his training staff. Father and son are already accountable to public for the unceremonious shelving of the most sought after fight and they are now dearly paying the price as shown by the angry feedbacks in the internet. Angry fans even labelled Junior as “coward” for letting go of the most important fight that would have defined his fistic career. Everything that will be written as regards that nightmarish deal would now be water under the bridge as Pacquiao is now penciled to face his welterweight counterpart Joshua Clottey on March 13 in Las Vegas. As for Mayweather Jr., he dismayed millions of boxing fans all over the world by turning tale based on a cheap excuse that Pacquiao would not cave in to his outlandish demand of a random blood test to be conducted by the U.S anti-doping agency. If one door has closed for Pacquiao, another door will definitely open for him.
