Floyd Mayweather Jr Included on List of 2011's Most Overhyped Athletes
by Scott Christ on Dec 23, 2011 10:08 PM EST
in Boxing News Analysis
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Taking a place alongside the likes of Kris Humphries (you know, the Kim Kardashian dude and pretty decent NBA forward), Danica Patrick, Georges St. Pierre, Tim Tebow and LeBron James, Floyd Mayweather Jr was named to a list of Most Overhyped Athletes of 2011 at SportsNet.ca:
He fought once in 2011 and scored a fourth-round technical knockout over some guy named Victor Ortiz to run his record to 42-0, but it was his reluctance to fight Manny Pacquiao that placed him more in the spotlight.
Mayweather has had some legal troubles pertaining to battering his ex-girlfriend, which may or may not have put his fight against Pacquiao on indefinite hold. Pacquiao continues to fight and sing Dan Hill's sappy love song, Sometimes When We Touch, presumably because he is pining to touch gloves with Mayweather.
This is not an argument that Mayweather isn't a great athlete -- LeBron is, too, and so is St-Pierre, and so are a few others on the list. But relative to hype, Mayweather has done very little this year, and I think everyone can agree with that.
Or at least I hope.
For the record, if I made a list of "Most Overhyped Boxers of 2011," both Floyd and Manny would make the list.
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I dig the photo caption.
Boxing writer: "Iran, what are you going to do when you retire?"
Iran Barkley: "Rob your house"
And Floyd won by TKO even though Victor got counted out
Also blaming Floyd for the Pac fight not happening is the default thing to do when you barely know boxing
by Mohammedini Hussein on Dec 24, 2011 12:51 AM EST up reply actions
Probably is the only athlete to compete once all year.
How much more awesome would boxing be if all the top names fought 5 or 6 times a year. I know there’s a lot of recovery time needed between fights, but how did those guys fight so frequently back in the 60’s and before? Just carry injuries from fight to fight?
Just carry injuries from fight to fight?
Yes. And had more limited lifespans and greater incidences of long-term brain damage overall.
But you’re right, they could certainly do better than 1 or 2 fights a year, tho’ 3-4 would be about the limit.
There is no safety in numbers, or in anything else--James Thurber, 1939
Many top stars back then also quite frankly fought a lot of really shitty opponents in stay-busy fights. It was the way of the sport then. Just how it was. Not better nor worse overall, IMO.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
by Scott Christ on Dec 24, 2011 9:04 AM EST up reply actions
that’s so true. A lot of people my age go on about how great the fights were back then, and all I can think of is going out to the kitchen to get snacks with the caveat, “yell if they start punching each other,” because they used to spend half the fight holding each other and the refs didn’t even break them up. Just hours of the Walting Mathilda all over that ring.
There is no safety in numbers, or in anything else--James Thurber, 1939
Still that way in Thailand…
by tacklerford on Dec 24, 2011 11:30 AM EST via iPhone app up reply actions
Hey
I recently found out that your name is identical to a popular book. Coincidence?
by FrontHandMan on Dec 24, 2011 4:09 PM EST up reply actions
GSP is on there and he was injured all year. I wouldnt say floyd is terribly overhyped, because he is fucking good. He is terribly hyped though, if that counts.
He is really good, but since he practically never fights, therein lies the “overhyped” part. Plus, despite being really good, on the rare occasions that he does fight, he doesn’t fight anyone anywhere near is abilities at that point in time in their career (too old, too small, too inexperienced, etc.).
There is no safety in numbers, or in anything else--James Thurber, 1939
I think that is obviously a person or people that doesn’t watch boxing. After Manny’s performance against JMM, he fell on many lists in the P4P category cause true afficianados know that Floyd is a bigger, faster and better counter-puncher.
GSP and Floyd shouldn’t be on any list with Dancia Patrick. These guys have won throughout the years. Those names together drops the credibility of the article IMO.
by Craig111 on Dec 24, 2011 5:12 AM EST via mobile reply actions
Here’s the thing, y’all: This is how Floyd and Manny are seen by probably the majority of people who care at all about them. They’re just fuckin’ around until they fight each other.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
Just out of interest who else would you include in the “Most overhyped boxers of 2011”?
Bute? Lemieux? David Haye?
Theres probably more obvious ones that I cant think of
by Nonpariel Barry Punchbag on Dec 24, 2011 9:23 AM EST reply actions
It’s not about how good these guys are, for the record. It’s about how much press they receive measured against what they actually did for the calendar year. In no order:
Mayweather – Fought once and a lot of people felt ripped off when he did.
Pacquiao – Neither win was impressive; the first because Mosley was awful, the second because a lot of people thought he lost and got a gift. (Even though it was a good fight.) The invincibility facade was broken this year. Which might not be the worst thing honestly.
Honestly, it’s really hard for guys on this level to NOT be overhyped, but I feel neither really lived up to their fame this year at all. At least Manny fought the standard two (2) times though.
Margarito – Still got the press, still got a big fight, still hasn’t had a decent win in almost four years.
Haye – I don’t think this needs any explanation. He shit the bed when he got his chance.
Khan - A win over Paul McCloskey, a win over shot ass Zab Judah, lost to Lamont Peterson. I guess this debunks the ridiculous idea that I’m in love with Khan and never criticize him. oops.
Canelo y Chavez Jr - They’re a 2-for-1. I like both of them, honestly – like watching them fight. But whatever.
Mosley – That he even got the Pacquiao fight was a travesty. Then he spent 12 miserable rounds proving why. That anyone wants to see him fight again is remarkable to me, but I’ve been over that plenty.
Broner – Give me a break with this dude. Two wins over Jason Litzau and a slug and all of a sudden everyone forgets that Capt. Fasthands could barely handle slow ass Ponce De Leon? I’ll be real honest: I’m not a fan.
Glen Johnson – I’ve turned a corner on Glen Johnson in a big way. He cries after every fight he loses, no matter how clear, and he flat-out did not try to beat Lucian Bute at all. I lost a lot of warmth for Johnson after that awful excuse for a fight.
Giovani Segura – I like Segura in almost every way, but having him rated top 10 P4P for knocking out the corpse of Ivan Calderon was a little crazy, and Viloria kind of showed him for the very limited, but exciting, fighter that he is.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
by Scott Christ on Dec 24, 2011 9:33 AM EST up reply actions
The one that springs to mind over this side of the pond is Nathan Cleverly.
The press over here give the impression that this is the year he arrived at world level due to picking up a paper title against a very average pole and a very close win of an overhyped Tony Bellew.
His best victory to me, is still his win over Karo Murat the previous year.
Im tempted to say Ricky Burns as well. Good win against Katsidis (who is probably a high level gatekeeper now) but I think he is a beneficiary of the divisions he fights in (a poor Super Featherweight division and a lightweight division losing a ton of top fighters)
by Nonpariel Barry Punchbag on Dec 24, 2011 10:44 AM EST up reply actions
Yeah Cleverly is being set up for a fall IMO. His wins this year were not good and to make more of them than is necessary just makes him look terrible when he inevitably “lets everyone down” by losing to someone good. I like Clev, think he’s a good fighter, but he’s still got work to do to get to a next level. Bellew is really not particularly good and he gave Cleverly hell.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
by Scott Christ on Dec 25, 2011 9:01 AM EST up reply actions
Thank you for mentioning Adrien Broner. I’m still not convinced he will be more than a Zab Judah when tough circumstances hit him.
by Kory Kitchen on Dec 24, 2011 2:16 PM EST up reply actions
Is it sacreligious that I would put James Kirkland on that list as well?
1-1 in two legitimate fights this year, nearly got knocked out in the one he won, doesn’t seem to have corrected any flaws really and still will probably get worked over by anyone who can box decently and has enough chin and/or defense.
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
You are showing some latent anger here :)
"If you sit there and watch a person take about an hour to tie his shoestrings, then you realize that whatever problems you got ain't that significant."
-- Vernon Forrest (1971-2009)
meant for SC
"If you sit there and watch a person take about an hour to tie his shoestrings, then you realize that whatever problems you got ain't that significant."
-- Vernon Forrest (1971-2009)
he is over-hyped ...and massively over-rated as well!
lil floid had 1 fight in 2011, 1 fight in 2010, 1 fight in 2009, no fights in 2008, 2 fights in 2007 … and against virtually NONE of the top prime welterweights!
That’s lil floid’s actual record. Most over-hyped, over-rated conjob in Boxing history!!!
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