Spencer Weddle, Staff Writer

“He bit me, he (expletive) bit me”, barked Floyd Mayweather as he marched around the ring. He gets another win, this time by decision. Another victory over Marcos Maidana makes him 47-0 as a boxer. The only thing I can bring myself to say is, “This guy isn’t the greatest.”

He’s not. He maybe the pound for pound best active boxer today, but to be considered as one of the best ever, that’s a stretch. When being considered for the list of boxers that are argued to be the best ever, one’s record is dissected in the shrewdest manner. Mayweather’s record doesn’t measure up.

The problem with Mayweather’s record is that instead of running to challenges, he ran from them. Just looking at his record name wise, he has amassed an impressive collection of scalps, but there’s a problem with them though. He’s dodged the meaningful fights for easier fights and took on the big names when the risk was minimal.

He barely won a decision against a past his prime Oscar De La Hoya. When it was time to set the rematch, he ran. Mayweather instead decided to go on a mini-retirement. De La Hoya later commented that his rematch clause with Mayweather was good for a year and Mayweather’s retirement lasted a year and one day.

Also due to his “retirement” he was able to avoid fights with then surging Paul Williams. Williams was later defeated by middleweight king Sergio Martinez before his career was derailed by a tragic car accident. On the topic of Sergio Martinez, he offered Mayweather a 90-10 percent split of the pay per view profits. What happened? Mayweather did his best to pretend the offer was never made.

By the time Mayweather finally decided to fight Shane Mosley, who was at one time pound for pound for pound kingpin. Mosley was a shell of the fighter he once was.

The same story with Miguel Cotto, by the time Mayweather deemed Cotto had done enough to deserve the opportunity to fight he was conveniently past his prime.

Then there is Manny Pacquiao. The man who many people believe has the skill and the style to beat Mayweather. The same man who Mayweather has ducked and dodged the most in the last ten years. When negotiations were ongoing Mayweather would make a list of demands that Pacquiao would accept only to decide to make more demands. Mayweather one time refused to sign a contract to fight Pacquiao because he was on vacation.

Some may view this as nitpicking, but when the subject turns to which boxer is the best ever, nitpicking is the name of the game. This is America everyone has the right to an opinion, and if you disagree with me, you absolutely have the right to be wrong.