GRAPEVINE, TEXAS—Mark pro football superstar turned broadcaster Michael Irvin down as a guy who thinks Floyd Mayweather should be arrested...
Arrested on suspicion of ducking Manny Pacquiao, that is.
I will concede that the Cowboys former wide reciever is basically part of the promotion for the Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey fight here, given the fact that he appeared at Tuesday's Open Workout for the Pinoy Idol along with team and stadium owner Jerry Jones.
But, at the end of the day, Irvin is a boxing nut who greatly admires the men he refers to as “warriors who fight alone and without teammates.”
And Irvin was sadly disappointed just like the great masses of boxing aficionados who were disappointed when Mayweather-Pacman fight negotiations blew up over Mayweather's insistence on random blood testing”
First, Irvin spoke about how excited he was for the Dallas-Ft. Worth area to be hosting this big bout in the Cowboys $1.2 billion playpen.
“This is really amazing for us,” Irvin said. “You would think a fight like this would go to Los Angeles, to New York or to Las Vegas but we got it now. Manny Pacquiao is becoming on a level like a Michael Jordan or a Tiger Woods and he's fighting in our stadium.
“I am glad Jerry got the opportunity and brought it here.”
Then he discussed why he respects prizefighters at all levels.
“I really marvel at these guys, I really do. In football, when I get tired, I get a timeout because I;ve got teammates who can go in the game. These guys don't get timeouts or halftime breaks/ I marvel because all they do is stand there, in that ring, and it's hit or be hit all the time.”
Irvin asked me and “Lord Jeff” Powell, veteran scribe for the huge Daily Mail in the UK, if we could guess what athlete might be the only one he ever asked for an autograph. Then he answered his own question.
“It was Julio Cesar Chavez, when I met that guy, I said, 'That's it, that's him, this guy is a monster.' I had so much respect for him as a real warrior. I am a huge boxing fan, always have been. I am amazed at guys like Julio, who are all fight and never give in, and now we got a second monster here in Pacquiao.”
As I said, Irvin believes Mayweather used blood testing as a way to avoid or defer a Pacman bout.
“I mean, come on with that blood testing thing. You're supposed to want to fight the other guy when people are saying you guys are the two best out there. You don't run away from such a challenge, you're supposed to run to it. Looks to me like Mayweather is doing the ducking here.”
Further, Irvin thinks when Pacman dazzles a crowd of about 45,000 people in the stadium and across the world's TV screens, his area will have zero chance of landing Pacman-Money May even if it is put together.
“No, Mayweather won't want to come on over here, not after the way it will go down Saturday night. Then he will be thinking and saying that our new stadium, hey that's Manny House now. Mayweather will be saying he won't fight in Manny's House.”
Many former jocks have to master the broadcast business. But you can see from these brief remarks that Irvin is a natural talker, a pull no punches guy. It's no wonder he comes across as fairly smooth behind the microphone.
Irvin heard plenty of loud cheers when he played in the old Cowboys stadium and he said Pacman will be treated like the home team here.
Author: Michael Marley
Source: examiner.com
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