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Floyd Mayweather Dancing Into Your Heart
MON September 10, BUSTER PARIS - We’re all talking about him, even people who never normally talk about boxing, or boxers. That’s the brilliance of all this – and ultimately the reason why he’s doing it.
“…Floyd Merryweather – that’s the boxing man you like, right?”
“Mayweather, ma – Floyd Mayweather.”
“Oh, well, he’s gonna be on Dancing With The Stars. Is he any good?”
“Umm, ya ma, he’s amazi…”
“…Arthur thinks Marie Osmond will win.”
“Tell him I say Floyd’ll win, no doubt about it.”
“Arthur … ARTHUR … Buster says that Floyd Merryweather …”
“MAYweather!”
“…Mayweather is going to win … What? – WHAT? … oh … Arthur thought he had a fight coming up …”
“Ya, against Ricky Hatton. Everyone’s saying, too, that Floyd’s nuts for being on this show while he’s training to fight Hatton. That he’s not going to be focused, and he really needs to be against Hatton, big time, and they’re saying that this is really stupid of Floyd, and that …”
“…I like Wayne Newton.”
“…me too, ma, me too. I like Wayne Newton.”
We’re all talking about Floyd right now, and his upcoming appearance on ‘Dancing With The Stars’ (5th season kicks off September 24th at 8 pm) is brilliant. It will help improve his image, his popularity, his Pay-Per-View numbers, and ultimately his likeability factor.
Let’s face it, Floyd’s unlikable. He’s the greatest fighter fighting today, charming and charismatic as can be, and - c’mon, that smile alone melts women’s hearts in my office, but for some reason, everybody hates Floyd.
This will give him a fresh start of sorts, with a much wider audience. Even though The King of all Media, Howard Stern, says he’s not watching this season, you know he will, and the more he talks about it, the more viewers who normally wouldn’t watch this show, will start watching. And for the rest of America, once Floyd flashes that million-dollar smile – say hello to a whole new fan base.
It’s a genius-like move on Mayweather’s part, and a great way to build that fan base.
If “Pretty Boy” can keep that punk attitude off the show, he can get that love that he ain’t getting, and achieve that Oscar De La Hoya type of fan following – again, only if he can keep that punk-itude off the show.
We know why Mayweather’s doing this, and it can be incredibly successful in changing his image, and popularity, but on the other side – what about the fight?
What about this long awaited December 8th showdown with Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton?
‘Ding Ding Ding’ – let’s talk some boxing.
Ricky Hatton is undefeated in 43 fights, and is an outrageously aggressive, non-stop, forward moving, Manchester brawler. Think Roberto Duran meets Micky Ward – willingly taking 3 shots just to get inside and turn a set of ribs into powder.
There’s been talk recently that Ricky is slowing down some, or being more of a hit and clinch fighter, and looking at 2 of his last 3 fights (Luis Collazo and Juan Urango) there is some evidence to support that, but not so much from his June 2007 fight against Jose Luis Castillo.
However, Hatton’s fight against Floyd is a different thing altogether. We’re going to get that unrelenting hurricane of smothering pain that we saw against Kostya Tszyu (6.04.2005).
Hatton knows that the Mayweather fight is another, if not THE, defining fight of his career. If, and it’s a big if, Ricky is the one that is able to beat the unbeaten in 38 fights, and current Pound Per Pound best in boxing, Floyd Mayweather, then he will truly be a legend himself – and you know Ricky is training accordingly.
This brings up the number one question floating around the boxing world - for such a crucial fight, arguably one of Mayweather’s most important fights, how in the world can Floyd justify participating in a dance show, when he absolutely should be 100% focused, and dedicated on beating Ricky Hatton.
The answer is surprisingly simple – because he’s Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Floyd is an artist and a composer in the ring. He is, without a doubt, this generations Mozart. He is extraordinarily talented and supernaturally gifted in his craft. It is remarkable how much of a phenomenon he is in his uncanny ability to adapt, learn, adjust, and be victorious no matter what is thrown at him.
If Hatton grew a 3rd arm in round 2, Floyd would figure out how to beat him by round 4, and would make his victory look inevitable, and easy, by the 10th round.
Keep in mind too that Floyd is always training. Always.
There is no downtime for Mayweather. There is no season, or off season, or any significant weight fluctuation, and there is simply no time where he is not training.
He lives, breathes and sleeps boxing.
Whatever his mouth or attitude says, Floyd backs it up with extreme dedication, devotion, and constant practice. It wouldn’t be anything out of the ordinary for Floyd to just go out running miles and miles after dance practice, or after the show, and, doesn’t he spar like thirty 20 minute rounds or something?
In the end there are two ways in which Floyd Mayweahter Jr. will beat Ricky Hatton – regardless of whether or not Floyd is on Dancing With The Stars, sailing on The Love Boat, competing on Americas Next Top Model, and hosting The Price Is Right all at the same time.
We’ll go over those two ways on another occasion. Right now the bigger challenge for Floyd is trying to dance his way into our hearts, and there is a movement spreading across this great land of ours, with one of the most powerful battle cries, since The Revolution, that threatens Floyd’s chances …
“I like Wayne Newton”
Me too. I gotta admit, me too. I like Wayne Newton.
Buster Paris can be reached at: bparis@talkingboxing.com - and always enjoys receiving your thoughts, comments and questions
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