Shanghai: Former undisputed world middleweight champion Marvelous Marvin Hagler has taken a savage swipe at Floyd Mayweather Junior for lacking class ahead of the American’s welterweight title showdown with Manny Pacquiao on May 2.
Hagler believes the ostentatious Mayweather’s obsession with cash – he calls himself ‘Money’ and frequently photographs himself with symbols of wealth – has no place in the so-called noble sport of pugilism.
The 60-year-old would not be drawn on who he thinks will win the richest fight in boxing history. However, he predicted success for Pacquiao would come only in the first six rounds and favours Mayweather to outlast his opponent in the later stages.
Speaking at the Laureus World Sports Awards in Shanghai on Wednesday, Hagler said dollar signs – Mayweather is being paid a reported $180 million (Dh661 million) for the bout – should not enter the two fighters’ heads when they get into the ring in Las Vegas.
Hagler said: “If he gets hits, let me tell you, once you’re in that ring, you don’t think about money. This game is called survival. I don’t think it’s the main thing [the money]. It’s nice that he can flash the dollars around like that, but money is not going to help you with the fight – or maybe it could.”
Hagler, who remained undefeated between 1980 and 1987 in a golden age for boxing, added of Mayweather’s extravagance: “It’s not class and really no way for a champion to act. If you have the skills, you don’t need to impress everybody by being a show-off.
“Then when you get beat, the public stays behind the winner, you know instead of with you when you were the champion.”
Is Mayweather a bad role model for youngsters, then?
Hagler, who was speaking 30 years on from one of the most brutal bouts in boxing history which became known as ‘The War’ – a devastating three-round knockout of Thomas ‘Hitman’ Hearns – replied: “He has been lucky and fortunate enough that his father and uncle taught him everything about boxing so he relies on his skills and he is got to be content how he has made himself real known inside the boxing world. We really haven’t seen too much of that side of him [charitable, giving something back], but I think he is that way, most champions are like that if they are not selfish.
“You have to give something back, if you believe in god or whatever.”
Hagler prefers to wait for the fight to unfold before assessing the likely outcome, but believes the ‘crafty’ Mayweather possesses the superior boxing skills to Pacquiao.
He says the Filipino icon must pressure his rival from the start and said Mayweather, who has won all of his 47 professional fights, had not been truly tested yet.
Given his forthright criticism of Mayweather, would Pacquiao be a more worthy winner for the good of boxing?
“I don’t think so,” Hagler, who won 62 of his 67 professional fights, losing three and drawing two, said. “The boxing aspect about it is what is going to keep boxing alive; it’s not whether Manny wins or Mayweather wins, it’s how they fight – because then it could be a boring fight. Mayweather can put you to sleep, just by boxing and moving around and no excitement, so it could be that type of a fight, too.
“And Manny could be more on the defensive side rather than the offensive side. You just don’t know what type of strategy the fight will take.”
