Mayweather is a coward

This is the only conclusion I can draw. I saw Teddy Atlas "break" his inside tip on FNF, like every other fight fan and thought at first...well, I tend to trust Teddy. Then, as I turned it over and over in my mind, I thought...Teddy is besmirching the reputation of a pound for pound guy and he's not turning over the email or his source...that's B.S.. Likewise, whoever sent that email (because I assume Teddy is being truthful about some source in Mayweather's camp whom he trusts absolutely, if blindly) is not coming forward. As was stated in the most recent Ring, anyone (including Teddy) who is foolish enough to think that if such an email existed, it wouldn't be published as proof if it were legitimate, is foolish enough to be taken in by this hearsay backdoor "publishing" of it. Shame on the otherwise bulletproof Mr. Atlas for being duped by what must be a longtime friend. Teddy...go to this person and demand the email as proof that you were not duped...then publish it. If he refuses, then go on the air and say so as openly as you published the first "story".

For the uninitiated, I am referring to Teddy Atlas' having thrown gasoline on a smoldering fire lit solely by the Mayweather camp, by inexplicably throwing the weight of his reputation behind the accusation, by the Mayweather camp, that Pacquiao's camp was concerned their fighter might test positive for steroids. He related on a FNF broadcast that he'd been told by an inside source that he trusted absolutely that this source had received an email from the Pacquaio camp that asked whether IF their fighter DID test positive for steroids, if it could be covered up or bought off to preserve the fight and the sanctity of boxing.

Now...if anyone were stupid enough to write such an email, it WOULD be all but an admission. But would anyone really be that stupid? in the midst of a multimillion dollar negotiation? put it in writing? while it is conceivable, it's very highly unlikely that anyone who relies on Pacquiao himself for his living would write such an email at that time. However...if it were written, then why wouldn't it be published as proof by the recipient? After the fight has been called off? it would, wouldn't it? I think it would.

I strongly suspect that Mayweather was looking for a clever way to preserve his unbeaten record and wanted to push Pacquiao into a corner and prove to him he was the superior negotiator. If Pacquiao wouldn't give in to his every demand, no matter how onerous, Mayweather would walk away and make Pac look like he wouldn't submit to "olympic testing". Keep in mind that Pac did give a LOT of ground during negotiations, agreeing to testing that is definitely not required by either the sanctioning state athletic commission or the belt sanctioning body. For him to give more would have made Pac look AND feel as if he'd given away everything to take the fight. He was willing to fight...and Mayweather was not.

Now Mayweather is going into the Mosley fight hoping that he's finally waited long enough so that father time takes away the risk that Mosley represented. I hope he's wrong and that Mosley has enough left in the tank to destroy Mayweather. That would be just. I think it's a good fight, but it's not the fight I want to see. I'll buy it, but I suspect that Mayweather can outquick Mosley enough to win going backwards, like he did against Delahoya. Recall how ecstatic he was to take that close decision from Oscar. Mayweather knows he can't take out the guy who retired Oscar on his stool, so he chooses the now-38 year old version of Mosley. Mosley has aged well, but he's a much less risky fight for the cowardly Mayweather than is Pac.

Floyd Mayweather, Jr. is a skilled defensive fighter with exceptional speed, but he's not the best fighter of his generation, let alone in the pantheon of all time greats BECAUSE he's ducked the toughest fights in his career at the toughest times. Pacquiao is his career-defining fight and he won't take it. He won't take it because he's afraid he will lose. He won't take it because, relatvie to Pac-man, he is a coward.