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Floyd Mayweather Jr stirs up race row with shock claim
24 Sep 2009Floyd Mayweather Jr claims he would be a bigger star if he was white.
The 32-year-old has won world titles at five different weights and was regarded as the best pound-for-pound boxer before retiring in 2007.
But he has caused a stir ahead of his comeback
fight against Mexico's Juan Manuel Marquez in Las Vegas tomorrow by saying: “If you're rich, you're a rich n*****. If you're poor, you're a poor n*****. If you're smart, you're a smart n*****. At the end of the day, they still look at me as a n*****.
“Sometimes I'll sit back and I'll think: Imagine if I was the same fighter that I am, and I was the same person that I am, and I was from another country. Can you just imagine how big I'd be?' If I was white, I'd be the biggest athlete in America. I know that for a fact.”
However, Mayweather hopes his return to the ring will boost his legacy further and stretch his unbeaten 39-fight record.
“Me boxing again is not about the money,” he said. “I don't want to just go down in the Hall of Fame with some saying I was one of the best, I want everyone to say Floyd was the best'.
“There are a few more guys I have to beat in my era for people to say that Floyd Mayweather was the best. There's no doubt that they are going to say that when I've beaten the guys I've got to beat.”
During Mayweather's absence, most experts have anointed Manny Pacquiao as the best fighter in the world, courtesy of his victories over Hatton and Oscar De La Hoya.
If Mayweather beats Marquez in their welterweight fight and Pacquiao overcomes Puerto Rico's Miguel Cotto at the MGM Grand in November, the scene could be set for a potential Mayweather-Pacquiao clash in 2010.
Marquez has twice taken Pacquiao the distance and although this will be his first fight above lightweight he is not daunted by the challenge.
“A lot of people think I can't win because of the weight,” said Marquez. “But I have trained very hard on my strength and muscles. I feel good.”
Reader views (6)
Its the sad truth, but Floyd has just said what most open minded people have known for a long long time. He is 2 times the fighter that De La Hoya ever was, he is miles better than Marquez. He would make light work of Pacquiao any day anywhere. Yet the world of boxing have tried so hard to sell all those 3 as superior to Floyd.
"Floyd not marketable"? You've only just confirmed what Floyd said. cosy up to some people and you become be the greatest athlete in the world. What has market got to do with your skills in the ring for kod sake?
Surely there must be literary and real difference between the biggest commodity in the world boxing today and the greatest fighter at the moment.
- Frankson, Kensington, 27/09/2009 22:11
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So how did Muhammed Ali, Michael Jordan, Michael Johnson, the Williams sisters, Tiger Woods and countless other black American athletes become so revered if it's so impossible because of their skin colour?
It's got nothing to do with skin colour and more to do with attitude. Floyd Mayweather needs to take a look at his personality to discover why he is not as marketable or respectable as his talents would suggest.
I don't think we should take much notice of what Mayweather thinks anyway, I mean, this is a guy who's obsessed with WWE wrestling. Can't be the sharpest tool in the box, can he?
- Dan, London, 18/09/2009 16:02
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No Floyd, the reason is, you are and have always been graceless.
In Boxing styles make fights and style makes the fighter.
Two Sugar Rays, Ali, Frazier, Foreman, Robinson (the greatest of all time) had style.
Floyd, you will be forgotten 5 minutes after your butt hits the canvas either this Saturday or with certainty by the hand of Manny Pacquiao.
- Scott B, Boston, USA, 18/09/2009 16:01
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Exactly it has nothing to do with race its because he shoots his mouth off in a way that is not appealing to most real boxing fans - get over yourself Floyd - let the hands and feet do the talking as their is no doubt you are the best figher of your generation ....
- Melly, Cartagena, Colombia, 18/09/2009 15:20
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he already has world-wide recognition and loads of cash. How big does he want to be?!
- Darren, london, 18/09/2009 14:36
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Global acclaim and recognition as being far and away the best, yet he still has to play the race card.
What an unforgiveable shame he's decided to take this route.
- Stu, Beckton, 18/09/2009 13:23
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