Boxing  ·  Featured Stories  ·  Opinions

Boxing’s Hope Floyd Mayweather Too Busy to Revive South African Boxing


By Sinethemba Mandyoli    17-Jan-2014 14:56 UTC+02:00 30

In the past few weeks the South African Boxing fraternity was excited about the visit of no. 1 Pound for Pound boxing superstar Floyd Mayweather Jr. The visit was supposed to be a gesture of goodwill to help save the ailing boxing sport in the country but it was a disappointment to his fans and boxing loving people of South Africa.

floydThe fighter who has 45 – 0 fights with no loss however hinted that he is open to fighting in Africa in his 3 fights that are left on his fighting contract before he retires. Again and again South African sports have often relied on a Messiah that will come to solve the problems of the sport instead of addressing them head-on. In the past two days it had transpired that Floyd was not that Messiah. May be Manny Pacquiao would be.

Visiting the Game reserve:

Floyd’s visit also reminded us about the old American stereotype that Africa is one big game reserve, with no people.On Wednesday he visited an undisclosed game reserve instead of going to East London, our Mecca of Boxing where he was expected to have a legacy project or a Boxing exchange programme. It was reported that close to 20 000 people were going to welcome him at Sisa Dukashe Stadium. Whether he came here to hunt our Rhino or other exotic animals remains a mystery. Upon arriving in Johannesburg, he went to the undisclosed nature reserve and had a brief media scrum for an hour. In that press conference he made it clear that he does not know why he is in South Africa. That was evident by his body language and responses to questions.

Revival of the Dube Boxing gym:

After that he went to Dube boxing gym where he was 3 hours late. Once again he probably thought that Africans have the so called “African time”. As if that was not enough he only stayed in the gym for only 5 minutes. Speaking on anonymity, one Boxing South Africa official said “Floyd’s arrival in SA left a bitter taste to many of his supporters and fans. Imagine young boxers who were looking forward to rub shoulders with him.” He was speaking to the respect that there was no legacy project lined up by Mayweather and he did not even have the coaching clinics that were promised.

To put the icing on the cake, people were not even allowed to touch hands with Floyd Mayweather Jr. What ignorance? Even Hollywood actors no longer display such tendencies when visiting Africa. In Cape Town he made it clear that he will go to Robben Island and does not want anything to do with reviving boxing. If his visit is anything to the country, it is an affirmation that internal problems can only be solved internally and not by a stranger. He directed an insult to the boxing loving people that gave up everything to welcome him in their country only for him to not respect them.



 30 Comments


  1. Afrika Noble Son Tshona says:

    He is a White Black Man, any way we don’t need him we have prior produced international champs with out him. We just need a Sport committee that is not political appointed but people with Knowledge. Maka hambe

  2. The 12 man says:

    Runweather is a joke how could he ignore his fans and heritage like that i wonder if the press asked him why he only fghts on mexican holidays why not mlk dy or any other african hldy

  3. Miguel Lescano says:

    And this is the face of boxing? What a joke.

    • TeuBerto G. says:

      Fraud as fraud can be and people still buy in his self-promoting PPV fights. He has no reason why his in South Africa LOL. Next stop, the North Pole for no reason.

  4. jack hawkins says:

    What can the good people of RSA expect from a spoiled, egotistic, classless brat?

  5. egay capitania says:

    Yes He is the greatest of all crap!!! Hahahaha Pacquiao will destroy him on and off the ring!!!

  6. Victor Michael Maderazo says:

    Shame… Anyway, Its expected of him.

  7. Leonard says:

    Gayweather doesn’t deserve to be the top draw in boxing. He chooses his fights. His attitude is a disgrace.

  8. james todd says:

    this man is very arrogant, lets boycott all his fight, this man dont deserve our ppv money. what a coward.

  9. Kingfora1000years says:

    That’s the true nature of Duck Dodger being an *ss that he is lol Only stupid kiss ass follow him around

  10. Kiingfor1000years says:

    They had no money, so Kenducky Flyd Chicken wouldn’t need to put on a show for them

  11. Vic says:

    Despite all the fame and fortune, he is still a classless and coward jerk as he is. Definite not a role model for our boxing youth.

  12. Adeno Sine says:

    What the hell kind of champion is this? Being a champion doesn’t end on top of the ring. Even other sports, hell, even other industries, the leaders at the top know that being the best doesn’t end with their job. At least appreciate the people who think of you as a hero. Not everyone gets thousands of fans and visitors. These people love and remain loyal to you despite your crimes (domestic abuse, questionably immoral acts) and you just brush them off? Even drug lords know how to take care of their truly loyal subjects.

  13. Nick says:

    Try to invite Manny. I am sure he will not disappoint you boxing fans in SA.

  14. Troner says:

    Chicken Fraud Maynever is an arrogant piece of shit.

  15. Manny Makes Floyd Tremble In Fear says:

    Chicken Fraud Maynever (fight Manny) is an arrogant piece of bull-dung.

  16. zaboxfan says:

    He is an asshole and does not care about anybody but himself,, like many african americans in American he feels entitled. The africans in africa are more respectful and hardworking. WTF he is also kinda racist in a way for not wanting to shake hands with the people and fans of South africa because he feels that they are bellow him. An asshole indeed.

  17. Richard_DILG says:

    its no surprise. Floyd is smart only inside the ring. Outside the ring you have to pity him, the whole world knows he has a very low I.Q.

    • TeuBerto G. says:

      Your wrong Floyd has a very high I.Q. If he had spend time in school or attended a University, he could be a great Lawyer cause lawyers are great liars.LOL

  18. K'von Fambrough says:

    This sounds bad indeed…but you guys just have to hear things from his side to form an accurate assessment. Anything less than doing so is just a plain lack of wisdom. But then…that’s what prejudice is…prejudging a situation before knowing it intimately. Some of you are merely looking for more reasons to justify the contempt that is already in your heart for the guy. I’m hoping Floyd wasn’t this insensitive…but there is two sides to every story. Right grown ups?

    • TeuBerto G. says:

      I give my thumbs up to guys like you K’von Fambrough for having your boy’s back no matter what, regardless of them knowing how their boy really is ( There’s enough evidence through media technology). Too bad he doesn’t feel the same way toward his fans . It’s all about business/money. Young man. I wonder how much he raked going to South Africa for no reason? Disappointing indeed.

      • K'von Fambrough says:

        Sir, if you honestly think you are unbiased here…you are greatly deceiving yourself. I simply judge from the head and not the heart. I love this man’s talent but I am not in love with his person, my friend. It is just not wise to make any kind of judgment based upon one side of the story, and I’m hoping you have lived enough life to have acquired that much knowledge. Personally, it’s happened to me too many times in life to be incompassionate for another, people forming a judgment about me that is a total mismatch to my true intentions. If Floyd did this…then it was insensitive of him. But he who is without sin cast the first stone. Have you never done anything insensitive? But then…I already know the answer, don’t I? It doesn’t take much to see what type of character a person has…and from my being a naturally born student of human behavior…I would gather that yours is one of intolerance, one of the biggest problems of the world. Floyd is human like everyone else, with human flaws. True wisdom testifies that the truly immoral person is the one who holds another to a standard of morality that they themselves are unable to meet. The answer will always be compassion, simply because we ourselves are imperfect. Maybe Floyd felt tricked into coming there. Maybe he thought he was coming for one thing then they sprung a hidden agenda on him. From what I read it sounds like that’s a possibility. And then his feeling betrayed caused him to come off as insensitive. I don’t know because I wasn’t there…but just because he may have been immature at one point in his life and done childish things (to which I have perceived my own self) doesn’t mean that on every other occasion he is at fault. Come on folks…evolve with me, please.
        in·tol·er·ance: inˈtälərəns/ noun 1. unwillingness to accept views, beliefs, or behavior that differ from one’s own.

        • TeuBerto G. says:

          AMEN. My brother from the other side of the world.

          • K'von Fambrough says:

            Not just from the other side of the world, but from another world—a parallel universe, it seems I am. Lol.

        • Gcwele99 says:

          You are right in a sense, the article is biased and has quite a few incorrect facts. I’m sure the guy that wrote the article just heard from word of mouth and was not actually there. For starters, he went to the game reserve on friday, not wednesday. Also he shook many people’s hands including mine so I don’t know where he gets that people were not allowed to touch his hand. BUT what is true was that he was 3 hours late, and only said a 5 minute speech whereas we were told by organisers that he had come for a coaching clinic. What also shows his insensitivity was that straight after that he went shopping at the Gucci store and other stores for about an hour. Judging from what I saw throughout the week, I think there was miscommunication between the South African organisers and Mayweather’s camp. In the press conference when they asked him what he is here for, he said “I don’t know, to see the many great places here.” Never mentioned anything about boxing clinics. I think he thought he was just coming for a holiday, then maybe the organising team thought that he would be willing to do anything once he came here only to find that he was not willing to do coaching clinics. That’s fine and all, but if he was a man of character he would have just agreed to do them anyway, it wouldn’t have been a burden on him. These kids idolize him and see him as their role model, but he couldn’t give a damn about them. It’s not like they were asking him for money or handouts. From this and other examples throughout his career that he continues to display time and time again, one thing is clear and that is he only cares about himself, his wealth, and the team that helps him acquire that wealth…oh and also keeping 0 losses on his record

Leave a comment