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As some hip-hop artist once said, “ride or die.” As time goes on and Floyd Mayweather Jr. continues to exile himself from the sport he’s dominated for years, many of his biggest fans are pulling the plug on him. And for good reason. Floyd’s silence on a return to the ring and a potential mega-fight with Pacquiao is insulting and incomprehensible.

When discussions failed with Manny Pacquiao and Top Rank Promotions the first time around, blame wasn’t levelled on a person per se. It was put on the fact that neither camp could agree on a drug-testing arrangement. But this time negotiations have fallen flat for one reason—“Pretty Boy,” who still seems disturbingly nonplussed by the whole situation.

The facts are these: he’s refusing to fight, and he’s refusing to make a statement (outside of the laughable one made by his advisor Leonard Ellerbe recently that “no negotiations have ever taken place nor was there ever a deal agreed upon [...] to fight Manny Pacquiao”). And worst of all, he’s refusing to mend or add to the statement he did make last month: “I’m not really thinking about boxing right now. I’m just relaxing. I fought 60 days ago, so I’m just enjoying myself, enjoying life, enjoying my family, enjoying my vacation.”

Here’s a question: how long can a vacation be a vacation when the other world-dominating force in your profession continually launches the ball in your court, and demands that you respond? How long can you enjoy life and yourself when your opponent is publicly putting your manhood and that very “self” into question?

Floyd doesn’t live in a cave. Or maybe he does. But one thing’s clear: after Bob Arum publicly stated his team was willing to accept Mayweather’s drug-testing provisions this time around, as well as announced their side had agreed upon a deal and a deadline, everyone turned to Floyd in anticipation.

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By: Kevin High, Bettor.com – SJ Blog Partners/Contributing Authors

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