Shaq weighs in on Mayweather nonsense

February 27th, 2008 | Posted by PostmanR

Hi, my name is Shaquille O’Neal. You may remember me from such films as “Kaazam”, “Blue Chips” and “Steel.” I think Floyd Mayweather is the best fighter in the world and the Big Show is big, but he likes to talk a lot. So I think Mayweather is going to win at Wrestlemania.

But also, none of this really matters, because the match will be predetermined because it’s PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING AND NOTHING ABOUT IT IS REAL. IT’S ALL STAGED! CAN’T YOU SEE THIS, PEOPLE!

(Sorry, I had to get that out. It’s cool if you like professional wrestling; it’s just hard not to see the stupid transparency in all this. Which I guess is what is to be celebrated about the “sport” in the first place. Also, I really liked Goldberg in middle school. I liked him a lot. Video via FanIQ.)

Note to Floyd Mayweather: Professional wrestling isn’t real

February 26th, 2008 | Posted by PostmanR

It is not hard to see why Floyd Mayweather is dipping his hand into the WWE: there is money to be made. His nickname is money. He likes money. One time he made it rain.  And if Mayweather “wrestles” the Big Show during an the upcoming March 30 Pay-Per-View WrestleMania XXIV event, he stands to make $20 million. (How does the WWE have this kind of money? I thought its only fans were 11-year-old kids.)

In any event, Mayweather at least acknowledged he’s in it for the money, but then went and jibber-jabbered about some other stuff. (Link via CSTB.)

“I run Vegas and I run L.A. and I will run the WWE,” he boasted.

Yes, in what is likely to be your only PPV WWE appearance ever.

At 5-foot-8, 150 pounds, Mayweather gives up big numbers to the bald Big Show, who stands 7-feet and weighs 430.

“I weigh three times as much as he does,” Big Show crowed. “It’s not fair, but I’m a businessman and I see an opportunity for business.”

Then he picked up the wooden podium and tossed it to the floor, where it splintered and the attached two mics lay like broken sticks. Clearly, Staples Center officials hadn’t expected the move.

MAN I WOULD BE SO SCARED IF I WAS MAYWEATHER.

Mayweather hopped onto a chair and exchanged glares with Big Show while WWE regulars Randy Orton, John Cena, Triple H and Edge looked on, witnessing a newcomer who clearly understands the theatrics of modern-day wrestling.

“WWE is the biggest it gets,” Mayweather said. “This is going to be an event like none other.”

Yes, you’re right: what is this NFL you speak of? Soccer? Bow down to the WWE.

The wrestling gig is another part of Ellerbee’s carefully crafted plan to expand Mayweather’s fan base.

“Either I’m going to be a genius with this or I’m the biggest idiot,” he said. “Boxers have such a short window of opportunity. He can’t become any bigger in boxing.”
Floyd Mayweather, left, faces off with Big Show at a news conference at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Monday, Feb 25, 2008. A $20 million payday awaits Mayweather, the undefeated WBC welterweight champion, when he takes on Big Show as part of WWE’s “WrestleMania XXIV” in Orlando, Fla. on March 30.

That’s why Ellerbee snagged Mayweather a spot on ABC’s reality hit “Dancing With the Stars.” Mayweather didn’t win the disco ball trophy, but he wasn’t the first one voted off, either.

“It crossed him over and took him into the households of many middle-aged Middle Americans and turned him into a mainstream superstar,” Ellerbee said. “Now when Floyd goes into the grocery store, the first thing 65-year-old ladies say is, `You’re Floyd from `Dancing With the Stars.”’

Oh, I get it: this is all about maximizing Mayweather’s brand. If boxing and everything else goes by the wayside, I suppose he always has his rap career to fall back on.

Floyd Mayweather’s entourage = least intimidating entourage ever

December 10th, 2007 | Posted by PostmanE

One early surprise of the really enjoyable Hatton-Mayweather fight Saturday — besides the thousands of brilliantly singing British fans in the Vegas crowd — was Floyd Mayweather’s entourage. Among the usual tough looking big dudes, and trainers, and so on were three of the least intimidating dudes ever: Mark Cuban, Helio Castroneves, and Wayne Newton. Wayne Newton!

If you’re noticing a trend, you’re spot on: Mayweather invited his Dancing With the Stars buddies. That was right around when I started cheering for Ricky Hatton.

{HT: LBS}

COTM: Boxing, the life less ordinary

December 10th, 2007 | Posted by PostmanR

I fall woefully short of the qualifications necessary for a boxing enthusiast, but will always tune in for the big bouts — namely because someone I know has ordered them on PPV. In the bumper time between the De La Hoya-Mayweather fight and Hatton-Mayweather on Saturday night, I didn’t consume any media on the fight, (except for a bit of 24/7) talk with anyone about it or really realize it was going down till the day of.

But there I was Saturday night in a room full of people, hanging on every jab, every body blow, every ring of the bell. There’s just something so incredibly mesmerizing about boxing the sport. It’s the overt physical nature of it all, because honestly, how crazy do you have to be to be a boxer? You have essentially signed a contract that states: I agree to let my opponent try and punch the crap out of my face for an entire match. (Those slow-mo replays of the biggest hits from each round are amazing.)

But there’s also this sort of romanticism to it all that journalists and writers have seemed consumed with for years, finding the poetry and beauty in two finely-tuned foes duking it out. It’s man vs. man in a ring for all the glory. A boxing champ is a king; he’s a local hero; he’s an inspirer to the kids coming up in the training facilities.

Anyways, as for the fight itself? Yeah, that Mayweather dude is pretty good.

Case of the Mondays: Touch ‘Em All

May 7th, 2007 | Posted by PostmanE

Now that that’s over (I would use a tear emoticon here if that weren’t so emasculating), we can take a look at the weekend that was. I didn’t actually see some of these things thanks to the alcohol and family and friends and really basically just the alochol, but I heard they happened, which means we should talk about them. On we go:

The Bulls got it handed to them: Talk about a different beast. I thought Chicago would have a chance to outpace the Pistons in a manner similar to their demolition of the Heat, and boy was I wrong. I’ll let Matt from Blog a Bull take it the rest of the way here:

It’s tough to believe this Bulls team has a ton of weapons and can survive off nights from some of them. Maybe they can against some squads but not against a team like the Pistons. If Ben Gordon puts in a few more stinkers they’re toast… Nocioni was aggressively awful. In three and a half minutes he had 2 turnovers and 2 missed shots (one was a joke of an attempt that got thrown back into his face by ’sheed), and during that time the Bulls also managed to give up 3 offensive rebounds. Duhon was predictably bad, and the rookies played as such. But while this may just be bias towards the lure of potential, I’d rather see Tyrus and Thabo make rookie mistakes than Noc and Duhon just looking too undersized to do much at all…

Um, not good. Glad I was at dinner during that, and more than happy to delete it from the DVR queue without watching it. I think the best thing to do is just pretend it didn’t happen, and be utterly confused when the Pistons end the series after only three wins.

Dirk Nowitzki Had a Really Bad Day: Speaking of convincing victories, how about the Warriors not just upsetting the Mavericks … but doing it by 25 points? That third quarter absolutely sank the Mavs, cemented the series as the upset of the year, ruined Dirk’s MVP justifiability, and scheduled both Mark Cuban and Avery Johnson for about three years of psychiatry after they wake up every night seeing Nellie in their dreams. Is that on the company insurance, Mark?

The Rockets Got the Early Boot: A shame, because for some reason I can’t really stand the Jazz and I love Yao Ming. (A Sports Illustrated story from a while back - which, of course, I can’t find now - settled it for me.) Also, it’s unfortunate to see Tracy McGrady mired in the “can’t win in the playoffs” muck. Here’s hoping the Rockets go and get some help and McGrady shakes off that title next May.

Floyd Mayweather and Oscar De La Hoya Struck Each Other Repeatedly: I saw the last two rounds of this fight at the bar Saturday night, so I can’t really comment, but everyone I talked to that watched the whole thing through said these two things: 1) Mayweather, without a doubt, should have had a unanimous decision, and 2) No wonder boxing is totally lacking in relevancy; the fights usually disappoint. Anyone want to add to that critique?

Fury, But No Sound: Right in the middle of the Kentucky Derby - which Street Sense came from way behind to win - the sound on NBC totally cut out. They didn’t figure this out until after the race, so no one I was with had any idea who won for a decent while after the race was already over. Talk about a sport that absolutely needs sound; for the casual viewer, every horse looks exactly alike. Here’s betting some engineering intern at NBC took a ripping from his superior Saturday.

Best Graduation Gift: Well, besides a very nice new wallet from the girlfriend and money and such from the parents, my roommate can through in the clutch with two incredible selections: The Best American Sports Writing 2006, and To Hate Like This Is to Be Happy Forever, which I’ve been sort of thinking about reading for quite some time now. Here’s to graduation presents, the best thing about the entire process. Well, that, and future earning potential. I suppose that’s OK too.