Brian Kenny Beats Floyd Mayweather in Manny Pacquiao Debate

No one has yet beaten Floyd Mayweather in the boxing ring, but ESPN's Brian Kenny gave Mayweather a beating in a hotly contested interview Wednesday. Kenny dodged Mayweather's verbal insults for 13 minutes and peppered Mayweather with strong arguments, making his case that Manny Pacquiao has taken the title of best pound-for-pound boxer in the world away from Mayweather, and that if Mayweather wants it back, he has to take it in the ring.

Kenny opened the interview by referring to Mayweather as the "former," best pound-for-pound boxer, and Mayweather demanded to know why he's not still the best. When Kenny informed him, "Because you retired," Mayweather went off.

"I forgot, I'm talking to Brian Kenny, a guy who's never laced up gloves a day in his life, who don't know nothing about boxing," Mayweather said.

But Kenny held his ground, and later in the interview made the key point that Pacquiao has absolutely destroyed both Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton, while Mayweather went the distance in beating both of them. Mayweather replied to that with more insults and with arguments that De La Hoya and Hatton were better fighters when he fought them than they were when Pacquiao fought them. But Mayweather was unconvincing in trying to state the case that he still deserves to be ranked higher than Pacquiao.

And after Kenny answered some questions from Mayweather, he reclaimed control of the interview by questioning why Mayweather has chosen to fight lightweight Juan Manuel Marquez in his first fight after coming out of retirement.

"You are going after a guy who is two weight classes lighter than you," Kenny said. "Why don't you answer one question from me. You're picking on the lightweight champ. You're the welterweight champ. That's two weight classes lighter. Why not go after a guy like Shane Mosley? Shane Mosley is the champ in your weight class."

Mayweather didn't have a good answer for that, and ultimately, Kenny's point can't really be refuted: If Mayweather wants to be considered the best in the world, he's going to have to prove it in the ring against Pacquiao. I sure hope we all get to find out.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

5-21-2009 @ 1:14PM

retrojoke said...

Mayweather pretty much told everyone he is a sheep to his advisors and thats why he wont fight the real fighters of this new generation

5-21-2009 @ 1:33PM

o0soul said...

This is an awesome interview. Both make some good points but Kenny wins over all. Though I agree with Floyd, Marquez and Pac are really about the same size and MANY an analyst thinks that Marquez beat Pac twice. So to Floyd, there is no difference in fighting one or the other. Just that one happens to be the bigger name right now (Pac). Also, anyone with a brain could see that there is more money in Mayweather fighting Marquez FIRST and then Pac. It's a double payday really. If he attempted it the other way around (let's just assume he beat Pac) and fought Marquez second, no one would watch that cause they already saw him beat Pac. It's just good business sense. I think that if he is really serious about this then he will NOT rematch Oscar. I think this is the best order for him to fight in... Marquez, Pac, and then move up to face Mosley. Come down to fight Marquez, bump up a bit to fight Pac, then up higher to fight Moseley, just makes sense.

5-21-2009 @ 2:17PM

GriiM06 said...

i agree that it should b marquez, pac then mosley but i do disagree with mosley being better then pac i see them in the same light, pac as a quick fighter and dead on accuracy and shane mosley with the power and experiance...floyd is a great fighter no doubt about it but his cockiness might b his downfall

5-21-2009 @ 5:18PM

He didnt say one was better than the other. Mosley is in Mayweathers weight class and the champion but Mayweather has chosen to fight a guy 2 weight classess under him.... Its like being 200 pounds and instead of fighting people your own weight you pick the guy who is 160.

5-21-2009 @ 9:33PM

sooooperguy said...

just watching this interview, forget pacquiao...hope marquez beats the C%$^p out of Floyd. Floyd just made the rest of America root for pacquiao.....He has no class...disrespectful individual who's purpose in life is to "steal" money and trash talk to promote himself.

5-21-2009 @ 9:48PM

joey said...

I don't see how you guys say Mayweather won't fight fighters of his generation. I mean come on if he wins this next fight who do you thinks next............... Manny Pacquiao that would be a really good fight and would bring in a fortune and lets just say Mayweather wins then what then thier will be some other guy you say Floyds ducking I mean come on grow up it will happen when it does if he wins then you guys might shut the fu@# up.

5-21-2009 @ 11:08PM

into228 said...

this will be a great fight one that boxing needs where you can get your friends together and watch a event boxing needs a event fight this fight will be made it has to be.

5-22-2009 @ 4:53AM

Sky's the limit! said...

Brian asked Floyd why not fight a Welterweight Champ instead of a smaller Marquez? His response was that Marquez is a bigger draw in PPV than Mosley....Is he really serious? and he said he doesnt duck fighters. Mosley vs Floyd will never happen because if they fight at Welterweight Floyd knows he'll get his ignant ass handed to him. Floyd you're a fraud.

5-22-2009 @ 6:55AM

DM said...

Floyd got completely owned at the 7:18 mark.His poor face. This guy is completely scared to death of Pacquiao, I mean, how hard is it to give a straight answer? When every interviewer brings up Pacquiao's name, Floyd begins to stutter. "Puh-puh-puh, Paul Majinali? " And why does he keep bringing up Pacquiao's knock-out losses when he was just a malnourished kid who didn't have an identity? And that Morales fight? Try bringing up how Pacquiao destroyed him in their next two fights. This guy just doesn't make any sense at all. Pacquiao would kill him, guaranteed, and he knows it already.

5-22-2009 @ 11:21AM

I dont see or understand the mentality of Mayweather fans. The guy Ducked out of MOsley,Cotto, and Pac.
The guy talks trash and is overconfident. The guy talks more about payday than love of the sport. The guy admits all these things and says i dont care win/lose as long as i get paid. Keep that shiit to yourself, fans have more heart than you Mayweather.
Remember when Cotto was undefeated and wanted to challenge Mayweather? Does anyone remember what Mayweather said? I do. "I will not let this sport(Cotto) retire me. Look it up, those are his exact words. This is exactly what he is doing now for Pac.
Mayweather is not the real deal. His is just a Deal.

5-24-2009 @ 6:29PM

kevykev said...

u really dont no boxing pac beats old delahoya and beats one style hatton and u guys r anoighting him pound 4 pound he could have fought mosley or andre berto the real welterweight champs be he chose to fight old delahoya at a weight that oscar couldnt make at his advanced age and if the hatton fight would have been held overseas it might have been different for the so called pacman he cannot handle those big guys at 140 -147 u will find out sooner than later, they let hatton ruff floyd up abit but they took that away from hatton and thats a major part of his fight hes never been a pure boxer,his style is 2 ruff u up and brawl the ref never let him ruff pac up like he was able 2 do 2 mayweather if u really know boxing u would those key things that i mentioned was y hatton lost be 4 the bell rang, bring on mayweather and u will see him punish pacman then c a late round knockout mayweather so much smarter d fence and off fence and thats the difference between floyd and hatton and oscar, its not fair 2 say floyd ducks anybody hes earned the right 2 promote hisself all due respect 2 shane mosley he needs those guys 2 further his career not vice versa, when pacman beats guys like cotto, berto, clottey, mosley, margurito, collazo, at 140 u have campbell, urango,etc. he doesnt have to beat all of them if he was 2 beat 3 of any of those said guys who r champs or have been champs at those weights. but answer this question we no he made more money fighting oscar but y not make a real statement by fighting 1 of the welterweight champs still would have been a good payday, so your argument about floyd is mute hes been off 4 a year and a half and honestly marquiz is really chasing pacman,all the shit about floyd fighting a smaller man hatton fought a smaller man (pacman) if i were 39-0 i would b cockie 2 6-world titles hes earned that ........
,

5-22-2009 @ 7:11PM

cpjohnson16 said...

First, people and so called experts and analysts can say all they want about who they thought won the two pacquiao-marquez fights, pacquiao won the second and should have one the first because the one judge did not score the first round a 10-6 round for pacquiao's three knockdowns of marquez. A lot of so called experts thought that castillo beat floyd in their fight. As skilled as floyd is it is a shame that he is so insecure that he needs the money to make the man. Pacman would destroy floyd but floyd has not taken a fight in the last few years where he was not by far the superior fighter. He ducks and dodges dangerous fighters as well as he does punches in the ring. Pacman gets better with every fight and he's not afraid of anybody.

5-22-2009 @ 7:36PM

one more thing pretty boy floyd... people only tune in to your pay per view bouts b/c they either want to see you get knocked out or b/c they think that you are an interesting guy, not an exciting boxer. Floyd is actually one of the more boring boxers in the sport, he just happens to be highly skilled with no courage and a big mouth. I understand that he wants to fight on his terms and i respect him for that, just shut up about being the best. To claim to be the best you have to fight the best. period. Come on floyd, Baldomir, over the hill Gatti, Zab Judah. remember one judge thought oscar beat you. Floyd you may be right but we will never know.

5-23-2009 @ 2:42AM

gonzo1 said...

floyd's going down to defeat either to marquez or to pacquiao , does'nt matter who , he's going down. and he'd better keep on ducking mosley too, that is if he want's to remain " pretty " .

5-23-2009 @ 11:33AM

tysonkopower said...

Check out my Friday Night Fight analysis at www.boxingledger.blogspot.com.

5-23-2009 @ 3:30PM

wlouche said...

Floyd is already back pedaling.

6-29-2009 @ 1:19AM

floyd has earned the right 2 promote his fights hes at the end of his career now, how does somebody win six world titles and duck people, this the way it goes if they want to see me fight the guys that r being mention am quite if the money is right the fight will be made after all this is prize fighting and i wouldnt take all the risk at this stage of my career if im not going to b paid right period thats how most boxers r and floyds back to whip pacmans ass then u guys will say the samething he beat a little guy, if anybody ducked it was pacman he could have fought 4 a werlterweight belt (mosley,or berto ) but he chose to fight oscar at a weight they knew he couldnt make easily there already trying 2 put weight limits of the floyd and pacman fight so if the fight dont come off u cant blame floyd hes the 147lb champ and if pacman wants it that bad then he has to come and get it. u guys dont know about the things that it takes to make a fight glove size, ring size,venue,money,weight,refs, etc. we all know the announcer they use r over paid and call the fights wrong alot lampley,keller,foreman,stewart,merchant,there ridiculous its better with the sound off

5-25-2009 @ 4:17AM

MODI said...

Brian Kenny, the author, and the commenters here are dead wrong.

Mayweather should get tremendous credit for taking on Marquez after a long layoff. most fighters fight a cream puff for the first one back to shake of the rust and JMM is an incredibly dangerous fight. Kenny should give Floyd nothing but respect here. By not doing so, he is actually disrespecting the career of Marquez. By coming up in weight marquez is doing nothing more than what Manny has just done, and what Floyd did to fight Oscar. marquez is coming up 8 pounds, and Floyd is coming down 3. As Oscar showed sometimes coming down can be worse.

Brian Kenny didn't just disrespect Floyd, but also marquez. having said that... Kenny and Floyd have scrapped like this in the past... so this was probably half-staged for promotional purposes. Floyd is no dummy.

5-25-2009 @ 11:41AM

Robert said...

I don,t care who Mayweather fights as long as he gets his ass kicked. i think Pac or Mosely will beat him.

6-11-2009 @ 4:23PM

Tall Man said...

Stop hating on mayweather...people like you hate because you are jealous...he can talk trash and back it up...dont hate appreciate!As time goes by you will look back and say that guy was one of the greatest! One thing america cant stand is a black man who is powerful and successful....hint: Obama!!! so you keep on hating and they will keep on with their success!

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