"I'm not a fucking sparring partner...I'm Floyd Mayweather and I can fight. Boxing is an art. I don't have to be the strongest, I don't have to be the fastest, I don't need to have the best footwork, but I got the best mind. Like I always say, it's chess. I know how to win"
I will always enjoy a solidly put together piece on an upcoming fight. 24/7 on HBO, or All Access on Showtime - They are what they are. Essentially a 30 minute advert to try and convince you to spend an extra fifty or so bucks on a few hours of entertainment on a Saturday night. As I live outwith the US, I'm not their target, but I enjoy them all the same. The formula has begun to tire at times, but if you have a good fight with interesting and different characters, these shows serve their purpose well.It opened with the smooth beats of I Need a Dollar by Aloe Blacc, which must've made its fair share of cash through ads and soundtracks. I hear it on shows multiple times every year.
As fight time approaches, Floyd has gone all-in on his 'Money' persona to best sell the fight and increase the buys. It will always be his default pitch when it comes to the crunch; and why shouldn't it be?
He's stacked an inordinate amount of bills since he switched from his Ali-esque 'Pretty Boy' Floyd days. Which tells me that people are much more likely to part with their hard-earned cash for the chance to see the richest man in all of sports suffer his first loss, than see an Adonis have his looks transfigured.
Canelo went off to Big Bear to "ready his body and soul" for the upcoming fight. I would personally prioritise the body, as the shedding of the final 2lbs to make the 152lb catchweight will probably be shed by some good old fashioned road work as opposed to some quiet meditation time.
Mayweather's weak hands got a showing, as he damaged his right hand in the Guerrero fight resulting in a nasty contusion between his knuckles. On his recent media workout, Mayweather was barely touching the bag and pads as he worked out in front of the cameras but I can't read too much into this. Come fight night he will let his hands go until they break again, which is why we see his rare stoppage victories come due to the demoralization of his opponents, not from any single jarring blow.
Meanwhile in Big Bear, Canelo the unstoppable machine is ripping the heads off his sparring partners and discarding of their carcasses somewhere in the woods, or something of that ilk. Of his 3 training partners, only 1 remains standing. One has fractured ribs (possible) and another a dislocated shoulder... (Come on! Anybody remember a fighter having their shoulder dislocated by a blow in any recent fight? There's been some notable heroics, but by a blow? Anybody?)
As the episode drew to a close, Mayweather parties with uncountable bottles of Rose, while Team Canelo sit and watch last week's shocking Jhonny Gonzalez victory over Abner Mares. The implication being, underdogs can win with just one shot.
Overall it was a solid episode that stuck to a tried and tested formula. This fight is not a hard sell to anyone. It will be the biggest fight of the year.
Related Links
Official link to the episode - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTRWXNd8ZJI
This is unofficial, for those like me outside the US who can't access the Showtime youtube channel. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6QFpWJuo5A
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