In one of the most ridiculous articles yet penned, one Martin Rogers who has spent the majority of his career crafting articles about soccer for the London Daily Mirror, attempts to make an argument for why Floyd Mayweather should fight at what he calls the "Super Welterweight limit of 168lbs," vs. Andre Ward, who the last I checked was the Super Middleweight Champion of the World at 168lbs. In Mr. Rogers defense, Andre Ward is open to the idea of squaring off with his Moneyness. Even suggesting that he would drop down to at least 160lbs. for the match up. Which is like saying I'd crawl on my tongue for a winning lottery ticket. Of course, Andre Ward would take the fight. Vladimir Klitschko would take the fight and would gladly drop one hundred pounds to receive the biggest payday of his life. It's called pri$e fighting!!! But wait, there's more. In a failed attempt to even make a coherent case as to why this fight even matters to Floyd Mayweather, Rogers stumbles along displaying why he should simply stick to writing about the world's most popular sport, as oppose to showcasing his obvious lack of knowledge regarding the Sweet Science. In a stunning statement, he actually dares to suggest that Mayweather's September 14 encounter with Mexican superstar Saul Alvarez will have no "legitimate" bearing on Floyd's legacy or the state of boxing: "...If boxing's pound for pound king wants to give his legacy a long-lasting boost and provide the fight game and its loyal fans with a desperately needed injection of excitement, there is only one legitimate option - and it's not Canelo Alvarez." Evidently a showdown with one of the most talented and dangerous champions in the sport, who happens to be in his prime, with an entire nation as his fan base, who's even given ESPN's Steven A. Smith, one of Floyd Mayweather's most ardent cheerleaders pause, can in no way inject excitement into the boxing world, Mayweather's legacy and fight fans at large. Maybe it would help Rogers to know that Saul "Canelo" Alvarez actually does fight at the Super Welterweight limit of 154lbs. also known as the Jr. Middleweight limit.
Perhaps this rebuttal ought not be directed toward Martin Rogers, but rather the folks at Yahoo! Sports who thought it a great idea for Rogers' article to be seen by the public. At best the article sounds like a very desperate ploy made by a buddy of Andre Ward hoping to drum up interest in the accomplished, yet, widely unknown champion. The failure of Andre Ward to be a credible draw despite his stellar resume and elite skills lies at the feet of his Promoter Dan Goossen and Manager James Prince, formerly Floyd Mayweather's manager. At worst the article is a slight against the sport of boxing, fight fans, and actual boxing writers everywhere, that a writer who doesn't even bother to know his weight classes can have his opinion published by the likes of Yahoo! Sports.
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