While we all wait and wonder if/when Manny Pacquiao will finally meet Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the ring, lots of people have been pointing me to this article about Bernard Hopkins, who makes the bold claim that Pacquiao doesn't have what it takes to go up against black fighters:
Hopkins: Manny Pacquiao beatable.
And Hopkins -- who said he's voicing what other black fighters and fight fans are thinking but reluctant to say -- is wondering why Pacquiao hasn't fought Mayweather "or any other top-notch black fighter," according to the report.
"Floyd Mayweather would beat Manny Pacquiao because the styles that African-American fighters -- and I mean, black fighters from the streets or the inner cities -- would be successful," said Hopkins, according to Fanhouse.com. "I think Floyd Mayweather would pot-shot Pacquiao and bust him up in between the four-to-five punches that Pacquiao throws and then set him up later on down the line."
Pacquiao's camp, of course, strongly denies that the selection of Manny's opponents has anything to do with race:
Pacquiao adviser Michael Koncz strongly denied that Pacquiao is ducking anybody of any color or background, according to the report.
"The selection of opponents for Manny has nothing to do with race, creed or color," Koncz said, according to the report. "It's all about business. And they can cry all that they want. It's all about economics, now, with Manny's career.
"We have the luxury of doing that because Manny has proven to the world that he's got nothing left to prove. If there are any boxing people out there who doubt him, then, to hell with them," Koncz said, according to the report.
I don't pretend to know a lot about boxing, but you don't accomplish what Pacquiao has done in the ring by fearing or avoiding any fighter. Manny hasn't fought Mayweather yet because of all the bullshit that's gotten in the way. But this fight is too big not to happen, eventually. And then, we'll see that this theory is a load of crap.
