REUTERS/Las Vegas Sun/Steve Marcus
When it comes to ringside riffs, there are the usual weapons: the left jab, the right hook, the knockout uppercut. And then there’s the lewd, crude tongue.
Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s best chance at beating Manny Pacquiao is inside the ring. As the two continue to squabble over the date and terms of their upcoming fight, the undefeated American turned to the Internet for his first punch, attacking Pacquiao’s race, stature, and culture. (See photos of the rise of Manny Pacquiao)
ESPN boxing writer Dan Rafael reached out to Mayweather’s camp, but was unable to procure a comment from the boxer or his adviser, Leonard Ellerbe. As for Pacquiao, he had few words.
“The video speaks for itself,” he wrote in a statement to ESPN.com via his publicist.
With a career record of 41-0-0 and 25 knockouts by his side, perfection should give Mayweather Jr. every reason to take on Pacquiao in the ring. Weeks prior to this gaffe, ESPN.com’s Scoop Jackson questioned why the welterweight was delaying the duel, pointing to the unblemished fear factor as a potential cause. (See the top 10 boxing matches of all time.)
As instances like this happen, you lean toward Scoop’s surprise — that omnipotence is becoming an obstacle to Mayweather Jr.’s legacy.