Mayweather’s comforting words for Pacquiao and then some 


SINGAPORE – Undefeated American boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr, the man whom Manny Pacquiao had been trying to lure into the ring since 2008 and with whom he previously shared top pound-for-pound status, had some words to say about what transpired over the weekend.

On Saturday, December 8, at the MGM Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Pacquiao got hit with a counter-punch that opponent Juan Manuel Marquez described as “perfect.”

The punch left Pacquiao face down on the ring floor, separated from his senses and unconscious for nearly two minutes, resulting in a 6th round win by knockout for Marquez.

Unexpectedly, Mayweather, who is usually the first to slam the Filipino, had comforting words for Pacquiao.

“Things happen, you live and you learn. The only thing he (Pacquiao) can do is rejuvenate himself and bounce back like a true champion,” Mayweather said in an interview with Fight Hype. 

“Marquez is a true champion, Manny Pacquiao is a true champion. Both of them went out there and put on a good performance, and that’s good for the sport of boxing,” Mayweather added.

Boxing needs focus

Mayweather also gave Pacquiao a piece of advice, suggesting that boxing is something that requires full focus.

“I wish Pacquiao nothing but the best. I wish that he can bounce back and he can recoup from this. In the sport of boxing, you have to really dedicate yourself to your craft. You have to really, really dedicate yourself to your craft,” commented Mayweather about Pacquiao’s out-of-the-ring distractions.

“I think he’s got so many different things on the outside that he worries about, you know,” added Mayweather.

Pacquiao is also a congressman for Sarangani, a game show host and owns several businesses in the Philippines.

Then, in true Mayweather fashion, the kind words stopped there. He then proceeded to take a slight, verbal jab at Pacquiao, the fighter who was once considered the only man who had the capability of beating him.

“It was a good thing that he (Pacquiao) was able to come into the sport, you know, piggyback off my name, and get a bunch of endorsement deals and make a good living. That’s a great thing,” said the brash fighter from Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Bieber joins in

Also taking a jab at Pacquiao was teen superstar Justin Bieber, who accompanied Mayweather in his ring walk during his fight with Miguel Cotto. The singer took to social network Instagram to publish a few memes, making fun of the way Pacquiao was knocked out.

“[Mayweather] has nothing to gain fighting Pacquiao. Floyd has never in his professional career lost a fight and Pacquiao lost his last two fights,” said Bieber, who gained worldwide fame by being discovered on Youtube.

“If Floyd wins, it’s not that big of a deal cuz it would be his (Pacquiao’s) third loss in a row, and if he loses he’s gonna ruin his legacy either way there’s no big win for Mayweather… Mayweather is boxing,” added the teenagae pop icon.

The photo Bieber published on Instagram showed a cartoon lion cub, Simba, from Disney’s ‘The Lion King’ pawing over an unconscious Pacquiao with the caption, “Dad wake up.”

Another meme depicted Pacquiao doing the famous lean with Michael Jackson.

Though some found Bieber’s memes hilarious, others were angered by the memes and turned to Twitter and Instagram to slam the star. – Rappler.com