We all know that Floyd "Money"
Mayweather Jr. sits atop the boxing world. Not to say
that Manny " Pacman" Pacquiao isn't a true phenomenon, but Floyd is the prototype. Mayweather is the current record holder of Pay-Per-View buys in a single fight (vs Oscar DeLa Hoya) at 2.45 millions buys. His inevitable fight with Pacquiao will propel him to Obama status in the boxing world. Although he is a boxing superstar, he is getting older and the young lions are knocking at his door. The proverbial questions is... Who is the next boxing superstar.Enter Andre Ward...If I had to make that decision today, I would have to present you with Andre Ward, super-middleweight standout. He's young (25yrs.), black, has a hip hop star swagger, and has some of the fastest hands in the business. Ward is coming off an 11th round stoppage of Mikkel Kessler (the fighter who gave the great Joe Calzaghe fits in the early rounds of their fight). When the fight was officially announce, I thought, Ward "bit-off" more that he can chew. How wrong I was. Andre Ward showed superior speed and a kill-switch to finish the job. Simply, he stepped his game up. Not only did he step up his competition, he entered the toughest tournament in boxing, the Super Six World Boxing Classic.
The Super Six aka the Six Grandmasters...The Super Six World Boxing Classic is reminiscent of the old Kung Fu movie The Seven Grandmasters (Check it out when you get the chance, it's a classic). The premise of the movie was a kung fu Grandmaster challenged 6 other Grandmasters by sending each a note that read, "Are you truly the best?". The Super Six is a modern day version of that movie. The Six Grandmasters are "King" Arthur Abrams, undefeated world middleweight champion, Jermaine Taylor, former undisputed world middleweight champion, Frank Koch, world super-middleweight champion, Mikkel Kessler, former world super-middleweight champion, Andre Dirrel, 2004 Olympian and super-middleweight contender, and our hero Andre Ward 2004 Olympic gold medalist. This tournament has a few pros and cons for Ward. If he wins, he would have positioned himself for super stardom. On the other hand, with a stacked line-up, that is the Super Six, he may be in some premature ring wars. Whatever the outcome, he will become a man amongst men. 
At 168lbs. they're endless match-up possibilities from middleweight to light-heavyweight. He can have a Roy Jones Jr. type career. Can Andre Ward clean out his division? Time will tell. Stay tuned. 
I’ve watched a lot of fighters in my lifetime and some have managed to leave a lasting impression on me. Roger "the Back Mamba" Mayweather (current trainer of Floyd Mayweather Jr.) was one of those fighters. He burst on to the scene in the early 1980's as a lightweight. With only 15 fights (15-0) he managed to capture a world title at super featherweight in '83. Roger never became a major network attraction and as a fighter he didn't become a household name. As a young fight fan, I recognized and admired his fighting style before a learned his name. Before he won a world title I remember watching one of his fights on CBS. The television networks, ABC, CBS, and NBC would broadcast some of the greatest matches in boxing back in the day. He had some of the heaviest hands in the game. He definitely had knockout power. Roger Mayweather was an imposing figure at 135lbs. He had very broad shoulders and long muscular arms. It was as though his knuckles would drag the ground when he walked. His upper body was such a spectacle it made his legs look thin. When he put his legs together he look like a church fan. I became a Roger Mayweather fan for one reason, because he brought the RUCKUS!!! No matter what the situation was or what was at stake, he fought like hell. Roger fought with no fear because he always had a puncher's chance of winning. He was just a tough guy that pounced on weak fighters.
One of his most memorable fights was against Pernell "Sweet Pea" Whitaker for the NABF lightweight title in '87. This was a nationally broadcast event in Whitaker’s hometown of Norfolk, Virginia. It was obvious that they didn’t like each other as they trash talked throughout the promotion of the fight. At the weigh-in a scuffle broke out. At the time of the fight, Pernell Whitaker was considered one of the best in the sport and Roger had a few losses but was still dangerous. The war was on. From the opening bell they let the leather fly, Sweet Pea was getting the better of the exchanges. To say they were swinging for the fences would be an understatement. They both took big shot, but Whitaker landed a bomb near the end of round one. Roger was in deep trouble. Whitaker dropped him with a barrage of punches. (Now, the funny part) When the bell rang at the end of the round Roger staggered toward the wrong corner. Whitaker's trainer Lou Duva, wanting to help his fighter, jumped into the ring and grabbed Roger by mistake. It was like Duva thought, "My fighter's black, this guy’s black, I must have the right guy". When he realized he had the wrong fighter he pushed Roger toward the correct corner. Remember that this was only the first round. For eleven more rounds they went toe to toe. Roger put Whitaker down in the ninth round. This fight was Whitaker’s first true test of his ability and his measure as a rising star. Roger, in essence, was the gatekeeper to the "next level" for Whitaker. The fight ended as a unanimous decision for Pernell Whitaker. It was one of the best fights I’ve ever seen and if you have an opportunity look it up on YOUTUBE
Roger Mayweather’s career spanned 18 years, retiring in 1999 at age 38. He had a total of 72 fights with 13 losses. He is a two-time world champion with a 3 year title reign as WBC light welterweight champion. For those who remember the reign of the Black Mamba, we only have to Google his name to reminisce. He had crowd pleasing style and currently trains the best fighter on the planet, his nephew Floyd Mayweaather Jr. That’s not too shabby. Much respect.
