my‧o‧pi‧a  /maɪˈoʊpiə/ Pronunciation Key - [mahy-oh-pee-uh]

1. A visual defect in which distant objects appear blurred [failure to see things as they truly are]

2. Lack of foresight or discernment. 

3. Narrow-mindedness. 

 

It’s still less than 24 hours since I wrote my quick fight report and told you how I saw the fight. After numerous letters telling me I am a complete moron, including one from the Nevada State Boxing Commissioner Keith Kizer, in which he called my article “silly”, and yet another from my dear friend Gavin Hughes who accused me of being Baldomir’s brother, along with reading too many to mention headlines about the fight calling Floyd’s performance, Unforgettable, Masterful, Pretty One Sided, add infinitum, I have had to sit back and reassess my thinking and take all the criticism and articles from the “real” experts into consideration. I am happy to tell you after some real soul searching and examination of the facts I have to say beyond a shadow of a doubt, you are all wrong!

 

Where are all you Mayweather fans who were booing early and often during Saturday nights fight. You are aware that the lack of action in the ring was a direct byproduct of Floyd’s back pedaling and grabbing when he got hit….right? Where are all you Mayweather fans who were leaving as early as the start of round 10 because the action in the ring…well, wasn’t action at all, again a direct cause and effect from Floyd’s safety first fight plan.

 

How can you boo and leave in one moment and no sooner than the fight is over claim that Mayweather is the greatest fighter of all time? I am having a hard time putting those facts together and making any sense out of them at all.

 

As far as the scoring goes, it’s simple. I personally can not give a round to a fighter who is fighting in reverse and is unwilling to engage the man in front of him, especially while the man in front of him is coming forward, no matter what, and at all costs.

 

I am not the only one who saw it that way, but I am the only one willing to admit it in public. For example, the journalist seated right next to me, who has a reputation for asking some of the harshest questions around, not only had the fight scored like yours truly, but he had given Baldomir one more round than me!! Much to my dismay at the post fight presser that same journalist fell into Floyds crying trap and threw him up some real softball gush. I was very disappointed.

 

Yet another journalist, an old time newspaper writer from San Diego told me that he not only saw it much closer than the judges saw it, but in fact, he may have scored it for Baldomir. When I told him I couldn’t wait to see his story, he informed me all his newspaper wanted was facts, not his opinion, so don’t expect to read that in his San Diego Sunday morning issue. Again, very disappointing.

 

Contender Star Ishe Smith was in the house and when asked he said, “Mayweather just doesn’t fight like he used to anymore,” and then added, “Floyd doesn’t fight to win, he fights not to lose”

 

Another pro fighter who asked to remain anonymous said, “Floyd has found a way to turn lazy fighting into victories and as long as they keep paying him to fight like that and win, why should he change?”

 

Want more? Of course you do! A manager of a former and possible future World Champ said , “Mayweather goes into this with the idea to fight as little as possible, and as long as he keep’s winning like that, more power to him!”  I guess, but does that style command PPV dollars.

 

Just on my walk from the arena to the media room was telling in and of itself, everyone was grumbling and although they were glad their man won comments like, “That was the worst championship bout I have ever been to,” could be heard loud and clear.

 

Sorry, but I can’t bring myself to jump on everyone’s Mayweather Myopia Fun Bus. Floyd is not the Pound 4 Pound best fighter everyone claims he is and he is certainly not the legend he likes to think he is.

 

I struggle with many of the post fight incidents that took place and that goes all the way from his verbal blasting of Larry Merchant on air, all the way to his crying announcement at the post fight press conference.

 

The blasting of Merchant came off as more from a guy who knew what was being said was true and got irate because he didn’t want to speak about it.

 

The announcement of his one more fight and then he is done seemed very staged and although I believe many in the house did not see that coming, I also believe just as many don’t believe a word of what he said.

 

In all honesty, I don’t believe it either. Time will tell on that one.

 

Let me close with one more post fight discussion I had with one of the reporters in attendance. I asked him what he thought of the fight and he told me he saw it just as the other judges saw it and he believed Floyd was sincere about his one more fight and done announcement.

 

Fair enough.

 

I spoke to the same reporter on the phone when I got home this Sunday. He said you will never guess who I saw at the after party last night?  His answer…Floyd.  The reason he told me was that during Floyd’s “heartfelt” announcement he said, “no after parties tonight, just gonna go home and (sniffle sniffle) sleep.”

 

According to the eyewitness Floyd was the life of the party, all smiles, signing autographs and handing out some $4000 dollars worth of t-shirts he bought from a vendor at The Mandalay Bay. When the reporter left at 4am Floyd was still going strong.

 

The reporter said, “after everything he said on the podium, and then to see him there laughing it up…you know what? That guy is full of sh*t and now I don’t believe anything he said up there. You we’re right!”

 

From a PR standpoint, that showing up at the after party after claiming tonight was not the night to party wasn’t a real smooth move by “The Pretty Boy”.

 

In 1956 Don Larsen threw a Perfect game against the Brooklyn Dodgers in game 5 of the World Series. It was a masterful and unforgettable performance. I will guarantee you, no on left early and no one booed.

 

The No-Hitter Floyd Floyd threw on Saturday night was anything but a masterpiece but it is unforgettable. Try as I might, this will be an evening I will never forget.