Ring Observer Boxing by Scoop Malinowski
By Scoop Malinowski
The time has come and gone long ago for Floyd Mayweather to be sacrificed. It’s the natural evolution of boxing, for the top figure of the sport to be sacrificed, so his star power can transfer to the next star and the money game keeps going.
It never happened with Floyd Mayweather who has been protected for over a decade with, shall we all admit, political protection and of course manipulated sparring sessions. But Mayweather has outlived his usefulness to the sport which is now craving desperately for a new top star, a new face to lead the sport into the next generation.
England has Anthony Joshua but North America has no major star to market and sell. Canelo Alvarez is an obvious fraud. So is Deontay Wilder. The obvious choice to be the next gigantic mega star based in North America is the undefeated middleweight terror Gennady Golovkin, who is from Kazakhstan but spends most of his time in California.
In order to sustain and grow as a sport, boxing needs the starpower of Mayweather to be transferred to Golovkin. Like Jess Willard losing to Jack Dempsey. Joe Louis losing to Rocky Marciano. Muhammad Ali losing to Larry Holmes. Mike Tyson losing to Evander Holyfield. And Oscar De La Hoya losing to Mayweather.
We all know that Mayweather has no desire and no interest to be sacrificed to Golovkin. But somehow, some way this ‘passing of the torch’ event must be staged in order to resume the natural evolution of boxing. And end the stagnation.
Because, let’s all face it, boxing in America is in a slump right now. Sure, there are some good fighters developing but there are no transcending stars making boxing relevant in the cultural mainstream since Floyd and Manny Pacquiao have faded. Mayweather is still active with his WWE, pardon, MMA “fights” but just about everybody realizes these are nothing but choreographed circus exhibition events no different than Ali vs Inoki, Balboa vs Creed or Wrestlemania.
What boxing needs most of all is for Mayweather to be a gladiator and dare to fight Golovkin. Mayweather vs Golovkin would make boxing great again and it would make the sporting public respect the sport again. And it will most likely produce a new electrifying superstar to take the sport into the next era.
While Floyd Mayweather plans his circus sideshow rematch with Conor McGregor, you have to wonder if those bullets fired at the 41-year-old Mayweather in Atlanta this week were a threat.
Mayweather vs Golovkin is the most important fight the sport needs right now. Connect the dots. Follow the money.
When you live by the fix, you die by the fix.
Has the time finally come for Floyd Mayweather to pay the piper? And were those gunshots a special delivery message to Mayweather that the piper has arrived?
