2008: The Year of Curtain Calls for Boxing’s Biggest Names

"It's only after you've lost everything, that you're free to do anything.” – Tyler Durden

Perhaps Floyd Mayweather Jr. started a trend last June when he formally announced that he was walking away from the sport of boxing. Then considered the Pound-for-Pound king of the sweet science, Pretty Boy Floyd may have received the memo intended for his more senior co-workers and decided to hang up his gloves.

Rumors have swirled about Floyd “un-retiring”, but until it actually happens, I’ll take his word for it and consider him done.

I can understand why the Floyd would want to walk away from his punishing and brutal occupation while being on the top of his game. What I can’t understand though is how he thinks he can convince people that he is walking away like Michael Jordan in his heyday. Floyd insists that there is no competition out there for him and that he has nothing left to prove. Well to some extent, I agree- SIKE!

All he needs to do is take a page from Manny Pacquiao- the man that replaced him as the sport’s best- and fight the best and the biggest names or bigger fighters, or both, so he can solidify his name in history.

As much as I respect and appreciate him as a boxer, I can’t help but wonder why he never really fought the best in his division like Mosley, Margarito, Paul Williams and Cotto. No challenge? Why not go up a couple of weight divisions more and fight Hopkins? They said Pacquiao- De la Hoya was a circus and we all know how that went.

To be the best, you have to beat the best. I’m afraid Floyd lost touch of that towards the end of his career and frankly, if he was intent in cherry-picking who he fights instead of giving what the people want, I am more than happy somebody else is given the attention and respect as the sport’s best especially when that fighter actually fights and gives what the people want. I am a fan of several boxers but none of them are above the sport itself.

The ones who really need to hang it up though have not formally announced their retirements yet. Their demise however spoke clearer in their performances during their last big fights. There were days that seemed like Roy Jones Jr., Oscar De la Hoya and Evander Holyfield seemed invincible. These days, I just wished they were just invisible.

They just don’t have it anymore. They’ve had their day in the sun, and those days are surely appreciated and help made boxing what it is today. It’s time however to let the sun shine on the new guns. And for their legacy’s sake and as well as their health, please just retire.

Truly regarding these greats, they have established their names throughout the ages it seems that they’ve been in the game. Nothing is going to change now. Your legacies have been set and are safe for whatever they stand for. Unlike Floyd, you truly do not have anything left to prove. We do not want to see you get beat and pummeled defenseless either. The curtain has called. All I kindly request is to please take your bow.