SUSO

THE HARE AND THE TORTOISE

Apparently the American public knows nothing about Saturday’s big fight - the NY Times is yet to write a single word about it.

Over here, though, people who usually don’t spare a thought for boxing - people like me - are falling over themselves in anticipation of what’s being billed as the biggest fight of all time. I wonder if it’s the Americans’ disinterest in boxing of late that’s made Floyd Mayweather the ever-so-slightly over confident man he is today. Outside the media glare, he’s like a young pup blind to his mother’s teet. Neglected at home, he then feasts on anyone who cares to listen (he took part in Dancing With The Stars for God’s sake), and in the international spotlight of this week’s fight, there’s been quite a few of those.

Ricky Hatton, on the other hand, is exhausted by media commitments and, quietly confident, the only concern coming from the Mancunian’s camp is that he might succumb to cuts to the face brought about by Mayweather’s rapier-like but brittle fists. Hatton’s career has left no stone unturned, though: many a time the potential repercussions of such facial injuries have been averted by great “cuts man” Mick Williamson. According to the opposition, Williamson will be much needed come Saturday night:

“How is the guy going to beat my nephew if he don’t even jab? You need a jab to get in, don’t you? Without a jab, how’s he even going to get close to my nephew? Tell him from me he needs to go buy one quick. Because Fight Night is going to be a f****** bloodbath, it’s going to be a Harlem massacre. He’s gonna need that plastic surgery again.” ROGER MAYWEATHER

Stirring stuff. Not only is Floyd the best fighter of all time - according to Floyd - but Roger, his uncle and trainer, is also the best trainer of all time - according to Roger. He and Floyd sound like a really decent pair of guys don’t they, the kind you could just hang out with and have a laugh with, shoot some pool, have a beer, talk about anything but them? They’re just so honest. And guess who the second best fighter of all time is according to that great bastion of reason, Roger? Why, that would be Floyd’s father, the very same man who once did time for dealing drugs. Roger himself served six months for hitting his grandchild. Again, nice guys.

Now I don’t wish to take anything away from Floyd Jnr’s success. As far as I can tell, he is universally recognised as the best pound for pound fighter in the world. He has the weaponry, the technology, the creative means. In terms of pure technical boxing ability, he’s better than Hatton. But even from where I’m standing, from afar, without any real understanding of these two prize fighters beyond this particular bout, you can sense in Mayweather’s somewhat comical show of bravado a whiff of insecurity, a seed of doubt that’s grown bigger with every jarring joust and proclamation of intent. So much so, it seems, that there can only be one winner come fight night, regardless of who takes home the belt. Where Mayweather is almost universally regarded as the best fighter, Hatton is universally loved as the dogged white fighter from northeastern most England who lets his fists - and his determination - do all the talking.

And armed with such things, the impossible becomes possible.

Categories Sport Tags boxing Sport

By on 7/12/07