This is my Super Bowl brehs, that's why I'm so hyped up about this. If you follow the football threads, every week, I'm rooting for my Lions. That being said, I'm a fan of once in a generation greatness. That's why, even a divisional rival, Aaron Rodgers is one of the most ridiculous athletes I've ever seen. Very few athletes that I've come to fall in love with their prowess in sports. Floyd just happens to be my favorite athlete ever. Barry Sanders is 1A. I didn't just start rooting for him at The Coli or at SOHH, this shyt is documented online since at least 2007, when I signed up at eastside boxing, then I found out about boxing scene at 2009. I've been a boxing fan from way back. Back to what I was said and I truly believe this, I look at Floyd and LeBron in the same way. It's just that with basketball, you'll get more notoriety and publicity. Very early on, the mark of the chosen one was bestowed on them. Emmanuel Steward is quoted as saying this about Floyd before his 9th fight, the fight against Jesus Chavez. "saying there have been very few who have been more talented than this kid. He will probably win two or three world championships; I think he will go on to be the best ever" I think he is still the youngest Ring fighter of the year, along with Sugar Ray Robinson and Muhammad Ali. Pernell Whitaker said this about Floyd when he was 17 and they sparred, as retold by Ronnie Shields. "Pernell is a guy who doesn't give out a lot of compliments. He didn't want to say anything about another fighter, because he didn't like the idea of anyone upstaging him. But I remember him saying to me, 'Man, this kid is good right now.' He said to Floyd, 'You stay with this and you remain dedicated, ain't nobody going to touch you" There are great fighters and basketball players and then there are prodigious fighters and basketball players, Floyd is the latter as is LeBron. The beauty behind it all is that they know it and they do not abuse their gifts. That is probably the most sobering thing about the both of them. It's not like I like to call someone's boxing acumen and level of understanding into question, but I'm always reminded of this quote from George Foreman. "Boxing is like jazz. The better it is, the less people appreciate it" That's not to say that it is wrong to find Floyd boring, everyone is definitely entitled to their position. That said, everyone comes into the ring hoping to do something everyone else fails at and his brilliance makes every fight basically play out the same way. To have a script to your fights, to play out the same exact way almost, that is talent. At that point in time, you've broken their will and they are just content to collect a paycheck. Think about this, everyone is crediting Les Moonves, rightfully so, for getting this fight done. He is also the guy that signed off on giving Floyd that six fight deal. He describes himself as a boxing fan and to think that a, to the public's understanding, an undersized, defensive fighter with ehhh punching power is the the sports #1 draw and is the world's richest athlete three years running. All of that can mean many things, but above all, it means the boy is really skilled at what he does. I think some people lose sight of how good Floyd really is, because it's been a while since he's had to show it. That's not to say that he doesn't have his Kyptonite. A bigger man with a jab plus an off night on Floyd's part would be his doom. Juan Manuel Marquez readily accepts that his loss to Floyd is the only one that he won't contest on his record. To my point, this is my Super Bowl. I'll never likely see the Lions in the Super Bowl in my lifetime, forget about winning one but I'm as confident as one could be that I'm going to see my favorite athlete ever win his. LOL. What was to be a quick response turned into a confession.
That being said, that's why I'm hyped about this, greatness continues to march on towards immortality. I'm a fan of greatness, I'll see that in the form of 48-0.