If Mayweather isn't afraid then what is it?

I keep reading about people like Richard Schaefer telling the world that Floyd Mayweather Jr isn't scared to fight Manny Pacquiao. I hear it from Schaefer, I hear it from Big Floyd, I hear it from Roger Mayweather, and I hear it from Mayweather fans. OK, so if Floyd Mayweather Jr isn't scared to fight Pacquiao, then what's the problem?

People can talk about Floyd this, and Floyd that, but at the end of the day he still has not stepped up. Floyd proclaims greatness, and he says that he is the top pound for pound fighter in the world. He says all of this but there is no escaping the fact that he still has not stepped up and fought Manny Pacquiao, the guy that the rest of the world sees as the pound for pound king.

The people want this fight. The boxing fans around the world want to see Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquiao step into the ring and fight. It would be the biggest buildup, and the biggest fight in decades.

There has to be a reason that explains why Floyd is ducking Manny Pacquiao. Oh did I say, "ducking?" Yes, I said it. If he wasn't ducking Manny, then the fight would have happened by now.

Floyd's legal issues are mounting, and it appears as if this fight keeps getting further and further away from realization. Opponents for Manny's next fight are already being talked about. Guys like Andre Berto, Juan Manuel Marquez, and even Shane Mosley's name are being tossed around. Floyd Mayweather would trump all of those names if he ever were to sign on the dotted line.

My fellow Mississippians make no bones about who they want Manny to fight next. The Mississippi boxing fans overwhelmingly want Floyd Mayweather Jr to sign and fight. Floyd has a lot of fans down here, and even his fans are growing frustrated. All of Floyd's fans know that their guy would do better than Antonio Margarito, or Joshua Clottey did. They know this, and that is what makes them so frustrated. They know that their favorite fighter (Floyd) has the skills to pose the most danger to Manny Pacquiao, yet their guy won't sign the contract. This leaves them with little to debate about.

When I was in Jackson, MS a few weeks ago covering the StrikeForce Challengers MMA card I heard several MMA fighters talking about Floyd Mayweather, and why he won't fight Manny Pacquiao. Even at an MMA event, the talk was of Manny Vs. Floyd.

So, why won't Floyd Mayweather Jr sign the contract and fight? Is his ego so big that he would rather squander 40 million because he's afraid of losing his undefeated record? If so, would someone please clue in Floyd that ducking Manny to preserve an undefeated record hurts his legacy more than a loss against Manny would.

If Floyd steps up and comes up short, history will say that Floyd fought the best, beat most of his opponents, and lost to an 8 division world title winner. This does not hurt his legacy at all. If Floyd continues to duck Manny, and Pacman retires, then Floyd's legacy will be forever damaged and the history books will read how Floyd ducked the best fighter in the world. If Floyd steps up and fights Manny and wins, then of course history reads even better for him.

Pacquiao keeps rolling along. He fights who his promoter puts in front of him, and he beats who his promoter puts in front of him. No legacy problem for Manny, that's a guarantee.

Brad Cooney
Mississippi Fight Sports Examiner