The Fight City Podcast No. 4
Time for the latest edition of The Fight City Podcast! As usual, Alden Chodash is at the helm, with site editor Michael Carbert joining him in some rousing discussion on matters pugilistic. This week they recap the major bouts from the weekend just passed, including Josh Taylor’s scintillating performance, before attempting to make sense of the bizarre news of Floyd Mayweather Jr. returning to action of some kind (Boxing? MMA? Wrestling?) in Japan. Some thoughts on this weekend’s showdown between Tony Bellew and Oleksandr Usyk follows before the episode concludes with a spirited discussion on Mike Tyson and his battles with Evander Holyfield. Check it out:
“Despite being the greatest boxer of his generation, Floyd Mayweather cannot generate widespread public interest solely by himself. He is not Mike Tyson or Sugar Ray Leonard, or a boxer whose aura is so alluring people will watch him fight a nobody in a bout without serious implications. Floyd’s fame only transcended boxing after he beat Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton, fighters with huge fanbases whose high profiles raised Floyd’s. Until then, Mayweather had been a brilliant professional for ten years, but few people outside of boxing paid much attention.
“In this sense, Floyd’s brilliant, conservative style has been as big a detriment as it has been a boon. It’s saved him from punishment and allowed for sustained success, but it’s precluded him from winning fans in the same way that Tyson’s or Manny Pacquiao’s more uninhibited styles did for them. We rightfully marvel at the sheer mastery of Floyd’s technique and intelligence, both of which are amazingly sharp and consistent, but his cold brilliance is never dynamic enough to overwhelm. And, given his obvious thirst for fame, ring success alone cannot satiate his ego. Floyd needs accolades and attention as much as wins and title belts.” — From “No One Cares Anymore” by Eliott McCormick