Floyd Mayweather flashes the cash to shut up New York radio bully

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2014/aug/25/kevin-mitchell-floyd-mayweather-nicola-adams

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Bullying comes in many forms, none more contemptible than making fun of someone’s perceived lack of intelligence, which is what a jackass on New York radio who calls himself Charlamagne Tha God tried to do to Floyd Mayweather at the weekend.

He broadcasted tape of the world welterweight champion struggling to read a promo for their show, which set off much schoolboy sniggering until a colleague protested. This followed a stunt by 50 Cent, who challenged his former friend and business partner to read a page from Harry Potter without stumbling for a bet of $75,000 for charity (which hardly raises the respectability of the episode).

Mayweather – who did not finish high school and might well have learning difficulties – responded the only way he knows how outside of taking these guys out with a left hook: by flashing his cash. He Tweeted the cheques he received for his past two fights, against Saúl Álvarez and Marcos Maidana, showing the world and his tormentors that they earned him a total of $72.3m. It’s all a bit low-rent. This time, though, I’m with Floyd.

Mayweather will put another $30m-plus in his bulging account when he entertains Marcos Maidana for a second time next month – and the result will be more emphatically in his favour this time.

If there is one thing great fighters have in common it is a good memory for punches. Hardly anybody got the better of a prime Sugar Ray Robinson twice – or Joe Louis or Muhammad Ali. Mayweather might not be able to read that well but he will have computed every tic and twitch of the Argentinian’s boxing, which is not subtle to start with. I think it will be over by the ninth round –Mayweather’s first stoppage since he knocked out Ricky Hatton seven years ago.

Which brings us to Amir Khan and Kell Brook. The way things look, they are more likely to be fighting each other in their next big bouts instead of Mayweather. Industry estimates say the American, who rules not just his peers and his division but all of boxing, will choose more lucrative fights, probably in rematches with Álvarez and Miguel Cotto, fulfilling the last two obligations of his six-fight contract with Showtime by the end of 2015.

Whether or not he goes through with his threat to quit boxing after that, we will see. But, as of now, there will not be any trips to Vegas for Khan or Brook to take on the best boxer of his generation.

Wembley again?

Personally I would enjoy a Khan-Brook fight at Wembley stadium more than a dust-up between Mayweather and either of them in Las Vegas. Floyd still has enough to embarrass both British boxers but there is not a lot between Khan and Brook – and plenty of attitude. It might not do the business Froch-Groves did but it would not be far short, given how smoothly Eddie Hearn’s first blockbuster went there. Who would win? Brook on points.

Blow for Adams

Nobody lights up a room with her smile quite like Nicola Adams. But the Olympic champion has little to smile about after deciding to skip the world championships in South Korea in November to fix her left shoulder.

The injury has plagued her all year – which makes her win in the recent Commonwealth Games all the more remarkable. She will have an operation that is expected to sideline her for up to six months.

Lisa Whiteside, who won featherweight bronze at the 2012 world championships, will take her place at flyweight.

Nicola’s 2012 Olympic captain, Tom Stalker, is making steady progress in the pros. His promoter, Frank Warren, announced Stalker will fight the unbeaten light-welter Chris Jenkins at the Liverpool Echo Arena on 25 October for the right to contest the British title early next year.