It seems we might be getting a rematch of the “Fraud of the Century,” after Floyd Mayweather Jr. took a couple of failed snipes at Manny Pacquiao, accusing the latter of building his career by latching on to his name. This after Mayweather was present himself in Pacquiao’s latest fight against Keith Thurman.
That’s a funny accusation because of the Pacquiao-Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton match, and not only because Pacquiao needed eight rounds less to beat Hatton than Mayweather.
A little bit of background. Before that fight, Pacquiao had already sent Oscar Dela Hoya to retirement with that eight-round demolition in December. That fight happened only because the Dela Hoya vs. Mayweather rematch didn’t. Floyd retired, forcing Dela Hoya to shop for a foe. Hatton was initially planned, but the Hitman wasn’t interested.
Pacquiao entered the picture and was already a growing star. Though then, some fight fans already wondered what if Pacquiao would fight Mayweather, considering Mayweather had fought dela Hoya, the more serious ones weren’t so keen on the idea, acknowledging that Mayweather and Dela Hoya fought at 154 pounds, while Pacquiao and Dela Hoya’s fight was fought at a catchweight of 145 pounds.
Then came Hatton vs. Pacquiao. Remember, by then The Hitman was back at his comfortable weight at 142 pounds, two years after losing a 147-pound title fight to Mayweather in the 10th round.
But just hours before the fight, Mayweather did the most selfish thing even for a guy who is so self-centered. Though nobody bought his earlier premature retirement, he announced just hours before Hatton-Pacquiao that he would be coming back on the ring against Pacquiao’s arch-enemy, Juan Manuel Marquez. The publicity-savvy fighter knew that papers with early deadlines would be talking about his comeback rather than the Pacquiao fight.
Of course, because Pacquiao beat Hatton in two rounds in one of the most devastating knockout victories of his career, nobody bothered with the nuisance that was Mayweather at that time. Pacquiao owned the narrative and deservingly so. Heck, I think it was also at that time that talks of Pacquiao facing Floyd got to a fever pitch.
So it’s funny for Mayweather to accuse Pacquiao of such. Pacquiao never latched his name to Mayweather. It’s just like how a cheating wife would blame an innocent husband for her affair. It doesn’t make sense and only feeds a fragile ego.
I think your ego had to be so fragile if despite earning millions in an undefeated career, you suddenly lash out at a 40-year-old ex-foe. Unless, of course, everything was designed to elicit a reaction.
Nobody wants to see two 40-year-olds fight, unless they are Pacquiao and Mayweather, and I think that is what Mayweather wants to happen. He can play his part as a villain, and that nonsensical post was his way of testing the waters. Of course, knowing there are hundreds of millions of dollars on the other end of the line, Pacquiao’s camp bought it hook, line and sinker.
“Fraud of the Century,” Part 2 in 2020.