Mayweather’s Racist Pacquiao Rant is Nothing New in Boxing
Written By: Armando Paz
There is nothing shocking about the recent video that surfaced with Mayweather using racial epithets against Pacquiao and Asians. The sport of boxing for over a century has been notorious in using race to promote fights. Boxing injected the race issue even back to the bareknuckle days where caucasian fighters would fight black slaves to prove supremacy. This would be a major issue when Jack Johnson a black heavyweight champion was a polarizing figure to many whites due to his arrogance and ostentatious behavior. It was not suprising that publications as the New York Times would depict him as a caricature with inflated lips and an enormous watermelon in his mouth. This would be manifested in recent times will fighters poking fun on their opponents culture. Greg Haugen mocked Mexicans, Hopkins talked about rice and beans when fighting a puerto rican and claimed no white man could beat him, and Alan Minter vowed that no black man could take his middleweight title.
The fact is that the sport of boxing feeds on schism and racism to promote fights. Floyd Mayweather said he rooted for Mosley to beat Margarito simply because he is ”African American.” His honesty was consistent with many fans who simply root for the race or nationality that they identify with. Of course, there are fighters who broke the race barrier. A guy like Joe Louis was one of the first fighters who was loved by both whites and blacks. Louis was a humble man, light skinned, and served in the military during World War 2, this helped him get accepted by most Americans.
The Mayweather racial rant will likely not stir as much controversy as it is not nothing new. Boxing has no commissioner who will levy a fine or suspension when a fighter’s actions taint the image of the sport. What the video does confirm is that Mayweather is a very ignorant and insecure person. Someone didn’t tell Mayweather that sushi and teriyaki is a japanese and not fillipino delicacy. When Mayweather talks about Pacquiao serving him “rice, sushi rolls, cats, and barbecue dogs he is mocking an entire culture and not just Pacquiao. Mayweather also states “we are going to cook that yellow chump” and “when I kick that midget’s rear end don’t jump on my expletive.” We remember Mayweather calling Hatton a “midget” and his repeated use against Pacquaio adds another political incorrect diatribe to his vocabulary. Moreover, his use of homophobic epithets only demonstrate the stupidity of a fighter who alienates people and culture.
We must look at the other side of the coin as well. No need to look far on the net to see all the racist rants directed toward Mayweather. Many call him “Gayweather” and “Fraudweather” while talking about him ducking opponents. A specific image has him appear on the KFC logo with the words “Kentucky Floyd Chicken” and adds “We Do Chicken Right.” There are many online posts referring to the mayweather family as baboons and gorillas. This is all par for the course as the heated rivalry between Mayweather and Pacquiao fans grow.
Floyd Mayweather is not a major spokesperson and has few sponors compared to people like Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods. In fact, these recent statements will make people in Madison Avenue run away from him. If Mayweather is a professional athlete in a team you better believe he wouldn’t say those comments. There really is not much liability in a sport that not only condones these rants, but actually encourage them to promote fights. Mayweather claims in the recent video he will fight Pacquiao next, if this is true than he only promotes the 2011 fight by using racial slurs and homophobic rhetoric. Mayweather is not the first or last fighter that will reduce himself to racial insensitivity; as this is expected in boxing and is nothing new.
