Boxing Experts: Manny Pacquiao is in Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s Head

By Onchie Ebriega| Dec 28, 2013

Floyd Mayweather Jr. is perhaps the king of the boxing world right now, but for boxing analyst Robert Montgomery, the shadow of his welterweight contemporary Manny Pacquiao still looms large over him.

Montgomery, a veteran pundit for Eastside Boxing, believed Mayweather, despite winning multiple titles and collecting record-breaking fight purses & pay-per-view revenues, has remained haunted by the ghost of the Filipino champ.

"Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s auxiliary goal in the sport of boxing, for over four years now, seems to have been to tear down the image of Manny Pacquiao in any way he can. Floyd can't and/or won't do it in the ring so he does it outside of the ring with racial and ethnic slurs, mocking insults, false and damaging accusations, and various other attempted belittlements. A mission of sorts, clearly Manny has been on Floyd's mind more than Floyd has been on his," stated Montgomery.

Mayweather is coming off sensational wins over welterweight contender Robert Guerrero and light middleweight poster boy Saul Canelo Alvarez, overwhelming these larger but slower opponents with his excellent boxing skills and blinding speed--both in his feet and hands.

Grand Rapids native Mayweather has collected over $100 million from these two fights alone and is expected to rack up more dollars next year for the third and fourth fight of his lucrative six-bout deal with Showtime Boxing.

However, boxing afficionados are still waiting for the big fight to happen. For all boxing followers around the world, only the Pacquiao vs. Mayweather slugfest will give closure on everything. It is the fight that would answer the question of who is the greatest fighter of this era.

Still, Mayweather has refused to accept a fight with the Pacman, insisting the Filipino boxing icon has not proven himself yet after coming off setback losses against Timothy Bradley (12-round split decision) and Juan Manuel Marquez (sixth-round knockout) in 2012. Then again, Mayweather continued his assault on his rival, ridiculing Pacquiao and his trainer Freddie Roach with reckless abandon on social networking sites.

In his article, Montgomery surmised that Mayweather might be too obsessed with Pacquiao. He went on to say Mayweather just could not let go of Pacquiao because the Filipino is a bigger international star and more adored fighter than him.

"Perhaps Floyd Mayweather Jr. is obsessed with Manny Pacquiao and he cannot cope with Pacquiao's greatness. This is not to say Pac would beat him if they fought-or vice-a-versa. But there is something about Manny Pacquiao that Floyd just cannot let go of. Maybe it's because where Floyd Mayweather Jr. is well-known, Manny Pacquiao is an international hero," Montgomery stated.

"Maybe it's because where Floyd Mayweather Jr. is the highest paid athlete in professional sports, Manny Pacquiao has more followers and fans than any other single athlete in the world. Maybe it's because while Floyd Mayweather Jr. burns one hundred dollar bills and boasts about all his white luxury cars, Manny Pacquiao is recognized as a savior to his Filipino brothers and sisters," he added.

Mayweather has yet to announce his next opponent for his May 3 event. Amir Khan has been picked to win the Money May sweepstakes, but Marcos Maidana and Pacquiao are now in contention for a crack at the world's best fighter.

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