Cus D'Amato once said that the only way to keep Mike Tyson out of trouble was to have him fighting or training all the time. It seems you can apply that axiom to Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Mayweather has been on vacation since he beat Shane Mosley back in May. Even though he isn't fighting anytime soon, Mayweather has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons.
The latest incident involves a domestic battery complaint filed by Josie Harris, who is Mayweather's girlfriend and the mother of his children. The altercation is alleged to have happened at his Las Vegas home early Thursday morning. He is being sought for questioning.
In 2003, Mayweather was charged with punching and kicking Harris in a car in Las Vegas. He was acquitted by a jury in 2005 after Harris recanted.
Just last week Mayweather took to the Internet and posted a profanity-laced, racially tinged, homophobic video rant about Manny Pacquiao. A day later he issued an apology, saying he was just joking.
Apparently, Mayweather is a troubled man.
Given the current allegation of domestic violence, a fight between Mayweather and Pacquiao is in more jeopardy than it was during any of the previous false starts. This is a legal matter that can't be brushed aside.
In August of 2009, Mayweather was implicated in a shooting incident at a Las Vegas skating rink. Mayweather's Rolls Royce was spotted at the scene, and one of his associates, Ocie Harris, was indicted on attempted murder charges for shooting at two passengers in a car in the parking lot. Police searched Mayweather's house looking for evidence in the shooting. Mayweather denied being involved, and Harris' lawyer said his client was being used as a pawn by police and prosecutors.
It seems Mayweather is at least guilty of not carefully choosing his friends.
But no one forced him to sit in front of a video camera, berate Pacquiao and post it on the Internet.
There are some who chalk up these latest incidents to Mayweather's need for attention. The rant occurred on a day when Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito were making a stop on their promotional tour for their fight at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas on Nov. 13.
That could be the case. But he needs to find a healthier way to stay in the public eye, like when he was involved with the WWE and "Dancing With the Stars."
You could argue that Mayweather should have better people advising him. But they can't be with him 24 hours a day.
If Mayweather had taken the counsel of his advisers, he would be preparing to fight Pacquiao in one of the biggest boxing matches in history on Nov. 13. That is the fight to save boxing and the one everyone wants to see.
Before he fought Mosley, Mayweather said that he takes on the persona of a villain to help sell Pay-Per-View. It's all an act, he said. If these latest incidents are part of an act, Mayweather should change roles.
This is the kind of behavior that drives fans and sponsors away from boxing.
Mayweather said he didn't want to fight this year because he was taking a vacation. He should have found a more constructive way to spend his time. Announcing and preparing for a fight against Pacquiao would have been a good start. Now it may be too late. His next public appearance might be in a courtroom.
Read more: nydailynews.com/
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