Alexander Explains Why He Feels Mayweather Avoids Black Fighters

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    downloadDoes Floyd Mayweather avoid black fighters? Apparently, former IBF welterweight champion Devon Alexander may have said words to that effect in recent weeks. In order to get some clarification on the matter, thaboxingvoice.com’s Fernando Pimental  caught up with Alexander after the press conference promoting his upcoming fight with Amir Khan on December 13th. This is a fight which, should either man win, possibly opens the door to a Mayweather clash somewhere down the line, though it seems Devon is keen to appear nonchalant about his own chances.

    “If the fight does happen between me and him it would be great, but if not, you know, I just don’t feed too much in to fighting Floyd.”

    Furthermore, in reference to the comments about black fighters, he made clear his opinion on the type of fighter he feels Mayweather prefers to face in what has to be the twilight of his illustrious career. He didn’t mention race once.

    “In his later days as he’s getting older, he don’t want to fight a fighter whose gonna be just as skillful as him. He wants to fight a slow fighter whose gonna stand there and be right there for him to hit and that he’s able to box circles around. He’s not trying to fight a guy that’s gonna make him think more or makes him move more. I don’t think he wants that anymore.”

    The implication is clear, Devon believes Floyd is actively avoiding fighters of his own ilk due to the particular problems they would present to him at this stage in his professional campaign.

    It’s hard to argue with the notion that Floyd has not deigned to enter the ring with anyone with the skills and hand speed to rival his own since he faced an old Shane Mosley in 2010, and before that Zab Judah in 2006. And yes, they are also the only black fighters he has faced within that time span.

    However, it is clear to see that following Floyd’s record breaking clash with the ‘Golden Boy’ Oscar De La Hoya in 2007, a fight which effectively catapulted him in to superstardom, the ethnicity of Floyd’s opposition (with the exception of Ricky Hatton) has had a distinctly latin flavour. Juan Manuel Marquez, Victor Ortiz, Miguel Cotto, Robert Guerrero, Saul Alvarez and Marcos Maidana are prime examples of this. And we all know how Floyd loves to lock down that Cinco de Mayo date at the MGM Grand every year. The point of all this? There are economic forces driving the Mayweather gravy train, and Floyd has that to think about as much as what style he will allow himself to face.

    Realistically, Floyd is almost certainly trying to tap in to as much revenue as possible whilst taking the least amount of risk. Who wouldn’t? Lest we forget he has paid his dues, fighting rocks like Emanuel Augustus and Gregorio Vargas in small arenas before anyone had even heard of him. It’s difficult to disagree with Devon on this, but it is also difficult to condemn Floyd for trying to make as much money as possible, and if any fighter doesn’t fit the bill of what he needs in an opponent, be he black, white, hispanic or whatever else, then he just won’t fight them.