
Chronicle Illustration by Joaquin Junco Jr.
By Brittanie Gutierrez |Staff Writer|
Manny Pacquiao versus Floyd Mayweather: The fight of the century, as dubbed by many.
In my opinion, it was more of the disappointment of the century.
All I heard before, during, and after the fight was the amount of money Mayweather was going to obtain even if he did not win.
“Boxing is valued for money; it’s not talent. The richer and well known you are, the less the talent matters,” said student Marlyn Amaro.
Mayweather ended up with $200 million as opposed to Pacquiao’s $100 million, according to mirror.co.uk.
“Completely all about the money now. Past boxing legends would be very disappointed,” said student Marco Montoya Jr.
You have fighters like Pacquiao, who represent a whole country, that are overshadowed by people like Mayweather because of money.
Many argue that the fight was rigged, claiming Mayweather’s win was predetermined.
I agree due to past fights where his punch count and power punches were below his opponent, yet at the end he was given the win.
Money can often buy your innocence.
While some were focused on the money being made, others, like myself, were focused on Mayweather’s domestic violence charges.
Any sport prides itself on an athlete’s character; they hold high standards for them due to their role model status.
Mayweather has been charged in the past with domestic violence against his ex-wife, former fiancée, and three other women. After interviewing and asking about the charges, two female reporters were banned from the fight against Pacquiao, according to inquisitor.com.
I do not care that he is considered a champion. He abuses women and continues to box and is seen as an idol in the eyes of many young children.
His image, to me, is controlling and abusive rather than athletic and skillful.
Do your actions outside of the ring not matter?
“I think he should have been suspended,” said student Sarai Martinez.
We all saw the Ray Rice issue in the media.
He was suspended from the NFL after allegedly beating his wife. He then apologized publicly for his actions.
But because of Mayweather’s financial status, he has been forgiven or dismissed of his charges, and not being suspended from boxing.
When asked about his past, Mayweather denies it, even though he’s pleaded guilty on two accounts of domestic violence.
He continues to get away with this because he believes money absolves all problems.
His victims are now left with internal, emotional wounds; his kids are left with thethought of their dad being abusive; and the sport is tainted by his bad reputation.
I have never been a Mayweather fan, finding his flashy character rude and inconsiderate.
Sure, he may be a strategic fighter, but strategy does not matter when you abuse any person, male or female, because they finally stand up to you and go against your wishes.
I think Mayweather is possessive, controlling, and abusive.
“Money” is just his nickname, not a tool to rid him of his wrongs.
Characters in sports should be valued just as highly as athleticism.
You are in the public eye, seen by many, act like a role model, not a statistic.
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