| Jack Welsh On Boxing
MAYWEATHER’S FINALE AT 135 SUPER EFFORT
There have been times when even the most ardent
admirers of Floyd Mayweather, Jr., wondered if there would ever
be a defining moment
in the World Boxing Council lightweight champion’s undefeated
career.
The 26-year-old native of Grand Rapids, Mi., had
two title defenses at home in 1999 and 2001 but like his public, ‘Pretty Boy
Floyd” wasn’t satisfied winning easy 12-round decisions.
Wherever fight buffs exist, they like to see the local
hero deliver spectacular knockouts---especially when the fighter
they are watching is blessed with natural speed, power, accuracy
and defense like Mayweather since his early days in the amateurs
10 years ago.
It has taken a while but the charismatic Mayweather has also learned
the importance of timing in building a fan base no matter where
you perform.
Ferocious Floyd couldn’t have picked a better
date
than Nov.1 to return to Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids since it
would be his last fight at 135-pounds and a sellout crowd approaching
10,000 was guaranteed.
It was the perfect scenario for the rarely-pressured
champion to deliver what Michiganders had waited so long to see.
HBO’s pay-per-view pairing was hardly a
gimme for
Mayweather, making his 12th defense against South Africa’s
Philip N’Dou, the WBC’s No.2 contender with a 31-1,
30 KOs resume and never off his feet.
“I’m going to give Grand Rapids what is long overdue.
This is going to be my show of shows, the fight of my life. When
I make a promise, it’s a promise I keep. I’ll tell
the world this guy won’t last the distance and he certainly
won’t finish on his feet. I can’t wait to move
early next year and face the best that’s available.” the
anxious champion advised.
Mayweather was the dominator from the opening
bell, shaking Ndou with the first explosive right he threw. The
rugged South Africa
made a willing effort but couldn’t match Mayweather’s
skills or power as the latter won as he pleased.
Floyd put the cap on the excitement in the seventh round, chilling
Ndou with three straight vicious rights to the jaw. he house roared
as the challenger dropped to his knees. Referee Frank Garza gave
Ndou an eight-count and halted the action at 1:15 of the seventh.
Mayweather spectacularly showed why he is ranked
no lower than No.5 in boxing’s pound-for-pound premier
performers and should move higher on his 31-0, 21 KOs credentials.
The elated titleholder admitted he wasn’t at all pleased
with the first two defenses he had in Grand Rapids “Sure,
I won but I wanted to come home and give impressive performances.
I wanted to give the fans in Grand Rapids something back. That’s
what boxing is all about. Ndou was there to fight but by the fourth
round we saw everything he had. The public appreciated that knockout.
They showed that early. I wanted to throw a lot more punches and
give the fans a war. I’m ready for anybody up to 154 pounds.”
Ndou was greatly impressed with the multi-talents
of his conqueror.“Floyd
has so much speed. He’s so quick with his hands and I just
couldn’t get to him. I fought the best in the world in Floyd
Mayweather. He is something special. You sure can’t take
anything away from him because he’s the champion.”
Top Rank’s Bob Arum, who has one more fight on his contract
with the champion, was awed the way Mayweather dazzled the house. “Going
in, I think Floyd was determined to silence his detractors. They
have to know this kid can do anything. There have been some bouts
where he has fought to win, but this was some performance and it
puts him up there as an attraction the public wants to see.”
Xavier James, an HBO boxing executive, indicated the way Mayweather
handled Ndou was the kind of performance his fandom has waited
so long to see.
“No doubt it was Floyd’s best performance since stopping
Diego Corrales two years ago. That’s the
performance we wanted to see because he stayed in the pocket and
punched.”
With the move to the junior welterweight class, the horizon is
unlimited for Mayweather. Among the immediate possibilities early
next year would be the abdicated 135-pound king facing colorful
Arturo Gatti, or perhaps WBO 140-pound king Zab Judah.
Arum might consider pairing his revived super star facing the
survivor of undisputed 140-pound ruler Kostya Tszyu meeting ex-champ
Sharmba Mitchell if their pending bout in Moscow is completed.
The rumor is also strong the Top Rank chairman may consider Mayweather
as a possibility opposite the winner of the Dec.13 unification
bout with WBA welterweight champ Ricardo Mayorga facing IBF welter
king Cory Spinks in Atlantic City.
Promotionally, some of the best news for Team Mayweather is the
champion has ended his relationship with Houston music mogul Jim
Prince as
manager.
Mayweather earned a reported $3 million for the Ndou bout, paying
Prince $600,000 to end the association which started four years
ago with the latter collecting 20 percent of champion’s purses.
“Prince promised to help me build a rap music company. Everything
is a learning experience. I helped him build an empire as far as
boxing goes. As for my music, I got no help. Jim Prince got what
he wanted. But I’m not mad about it. I chose to be mature
about the situation, be a man and make my own decisions. Leonard
Ellerbe, whohas been with me for a long time, remains my adviser,
and Roger Mayweather, a former twice world champion, and my uncle,
is my trainer. We got a great team.”
To
my colleagues and friends, who extended their best wishes last
month while I was taking some medical tests in a Las Vegas hospital,
Cheers and thanks in friendship to all........J.W.
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